THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 9

THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

(To the PdUor.l Sir—Your recent report embodying Mr Parr's reply to criticism levelled at him over the matter of the eatlii of allegiance much interested mc. That reply however, can be satisfactory only to those who believe that man was made for the oath of allegiance, and not vice versa. Mr. Parr was largely responsible for plating this obnoxious Act on the Statute Book, and he still stands for the system which shute out Christian men like Mr- Page and Mr. Burton from the only profession for which they have been trained. Mr. Parr points to the IiOOO teachers who actually took the oath, and says, moreover, that "'the Secondary School Teachers' Association, of which Mr. Page ia f. member, wrote to him when tin- proposal for this legislation was under consideration anjl warmly com? mended it-" The explanation is simple. All these teachers acted in good faith, assuming- a right to the very proviso which occasioned Mr. Page's instant dismissal. That this dismissal has changed the whole aspect of the matter is evidenced by the petition to Parliament, drawp up by the masters of tbe Christchurch Boys' High School. It was sent for signature to the main secondary schools of tbe North Island, but owing to the lateness of tbe session was not circulated in the South Island, with the exception of Christclmrch. One hundred and thirty-five signatures were obtained, out of a possible of about 200. Auckland proved very sympathetic, 47 names being obtained there, 28 from masters of the Auckland Boys' Grammar School. In the light of this petition Mr. Page and Mr. Burton are certainly not the quixotics tbe Minister of Education would try to mpke them appear.—l am, etc., H. R. URQUHART. Northcote.