JUBILEE OF MGR.

BROWN
A PEOPLE'S PRELATE Work that Changed Vauxhall
To-day Mgr. William F. Brown, titular Bishop of Pella and auxiliary to the Bishop of Southwark. celebrates the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. Last week he celebrated his twelfth year as a bishop.
Mgr. Brown's championship of the poor of South London, especially on the matter of education, Made him an outstanding figure in the public life of London in the early years of this century. It has been said that he literally changed the face or Vauxhall, that populous district of which he has been rector for forty-two years.
Scotsman
He was born in Dundee in 1862, and was the grandson of a lord provost of that city, while his family were among the pioneers of the jute and flax-spinning trade in the district. He was educated for the Indian civil service at Dundee high school and Trinity College, Glenalmond.
Deciding to become a priest, he studied at Cardinal Manning's university at Kensington. He was, in fact, one of the last students there, and the story is told of how he, and a few others, listened to the last lecture, while the porter, with his keys, waited oustide the doors to close down for ever an ill-fated establishment He was sent to Vauxhall as parish-priest and began building a church in Upper Kennington Lane—now St. Anne's church, and followed this by elementary schools and a home for girls.
L.C.C. Election At that time the work of the London County Council was performed by the old School Board and Fr. Brown, as he was then, sought election to it. He was badly defeated the first time, He organised the "South London Catholic Leagueand at the next school-board election was re
turned with a sweeping majority. His electioneering methods were original and even surprising.
He would cajole public men, whose party was running its own candidates, to speak for him; he rounded up all who could ride bicycles and sent them round South London with their machines decorated with his election posters.
Mgr. Brown served on the school board until its dissolution in 1904. He was one of the pioneers of legislation for the relief of underfed school-children and his work for Catholic education was especially rewarded by the rank of protonotary apostolic, conferred upon him in 1907. Be became vicar general of Southwark in 1904, provost of the chapter in 1916, and in the following year was appointed apostolic visitor to Scotland. He was also a member of the National Commission on the decline of the Birth Rate.
His School
One of the bishop's biggest achievements was the infants' school he has established just behind his house in Upper Kennington Lane. Here is the school of every child's dream—no A B C, no "'tables", no canes and no dunce's caps.
Vigorously opposing the policy of leaving inner London to seek houses farther out, Mgr. Brown has now seen his views upheld in a great measure. He always advocated the "re-building-on-the-spot" policy, replacing the ill-built houses with well-constructed flats and houses at cheap rentals.
Now his own parish of Vauxhall has largely regained its former population, many of the people having returned to seek accommodation in the buildings gradually replacing the old slums.
He himself is the ideal "people's prelate". He lives in a comparatively small house, and is never happier than when mixing freely with his people or the children of the district.
Mgr. Brown's Engagements
The following are the celebrations which will be held to-day and on Sunday in honour of the Bishop of Pella's jubilee: Friday, March 20, at 11 a.m. — Mgr. Brown sings high Mass at St. George's cathedral; 7.30 p.m., Reception at Lambeth Baths.
Sunday, March 22, at mid-day Mgr. Brown celebrates high Mass at St. Anne's church; 6.30 p.m., preaches at St. Anne's.