These graphs suggest that there was a considerable disparity between the religious affiliations of the prison population and those of the population as a whole in 1921. While Presbyterians and Methodists were strongly under-represented among prisoners, Catholics were heavily over-represented by a factor of over two-and-a-half. It is debatable whether this was due to the Irish drinking culture and the Irish ethnic background of most Catholics (about a quarter were in prison for drunkenness), or to religious intolerance, or to their socio-economic status. Irish Catholics were poorer and less well-educated than other immigrants from the British Isles, and they suffered some discrimination in employment.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Source: Christopher John van der Krogt, 'More a part than apart: the Catholic community in New Zealand society, 1918–1940.' PhD thesis, Massey University, 1994; Statistics New Zealand.
Tāpiritia te tākupu hou