BIBLE READING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 11

BIBLE READING.

FATE OF MR. ISITT'S BILL. AUTHOR'S OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Previous measures seeking some modification of New Zealand's secular system of education have been so harshly I treated in the House of Representatives j that even supporters of Mr. Isitt's Religious Exercises in Schools Bill were surprised when it came within one vote of getting past the second reading stage. However, though encouraged, they realise that some votes cast for 1 the second reading carried a reservation Regarding the committee stage, and it !is quite understood that a private .member's bill which meets with serious ' opposition on the second reading is | fated for defeat or its equivalent, serious modification in the committee stage. While the Government and Liberal parties were thoroughly divided on the bill, the Labour party cast a j solid vote against it, and they scored an important advantage by some latehour tactics which enabled them f secure a narrow victory. Mr. Howard, one of the Labour members, was absent owing to his South African trip. He was what is technically known as ! a "dead vote," but tho Labour whip succeeded in trading this for a perfectly live vote, that of a Reform member who was in the House during the debate. Had the latter member not obliged there would have been a deadheat, but the incident is not of consequence, in view of the measure's poor prospect during the next stage. The member for Christehurch North is greatly encouraged by his experience, and looks forward hopefully to the next Parliament, when members having been influenced by public opinion will, he believes, come to the House empowered to modify their pledges on the question of free, secular and compulsory education. "Honestly," said Mr. Isitt to your correspondent, "I am more than satisfied with the division. You have ,had great experience of Parliament, and I know you must agree that such a division five or six years ago would have been quite outside the range of possibility, and this happened in the teeth of the fact that members of both, parties had pledged themselves at the last election to stand by the free, secular and compulsory system. We came "within two of securing a victory, which is indicative of the growing feeling in the Dominion that something must be done to bring the best influences to bear upon children in our State schools. Surely one can have no stronger evidence of this than the fact that, extreme as have been the differences, concerning the nature of the measure required among the various sections of the Protestant churches, that on this occasion all differences were suppressed, and for the first time in the history of the struggle all Christian churches, with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church, presented a united front. There were at least four or five members who | definitely stated that bad they not been bound by their pledge they would have . supported the bill. I System Being Practised. | "One question which is absolutely per- . tinent to the matter, and which elicited no reply," continued Mr. Isitt, "was why Bible reading and prayer exercises of a similar characte.r to that proposed in the bill are now being illegally practised in a very large number of our secondary schools without, in a solitary instance, arousing the sectarian bitterness which critics of the bill predicted would follow its application to primary schools. Seven-eighths of the time occupied by opponents of the bill was taken in objections which cannot apply to it, because I made clear in my second reading speech, and it is plain in the measure itself that the bill does not provide for Bible teaching, but for Bible reading. " I am very encouraged,"- concluded Mr. Isitt, "because I fully believe that if during the next twelve months steps are taken to ascertain the will of the majority of the people, nothing can prevent the bill from passing in the next' Parliament. One allimportant fact is that from one end of the Dominion to the other I received, without solicitation, resolutions in favour of the bill, passed by householders' meetings when appointing ; school committees.. I have heard of four or five resolutions against the hill, but have not received them, and I believe if the 2800 school committees throughout the country, composed of parents of children, were consulted in the matter the majority of votes in favour of the bill would be enormous."