BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 151, 29 June 1927, Page 9

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

APATHY OF THE CLERGY

In connection with the petition to be presented to Parliament early next month, a meeting of the committee of the eight chief churches in the city area was held last evening in St. Matthew's Church to receive the reports of canvassers and report progress. The Rev. Grant Cowen presided. Only three churches were represented.

The chairman said that when the ministers first met it was arranged that five members from each church should form the committee, but at the last two meetings only three churches were represented. Under the circumstances it was certainly impossible to carry out a proper canvass of the city area.

The secretary, Mr. Matlieson, expressed disappointment at the results achieved. He had been instructed to call upon the headmasters of the schools, but had not received the best of receptions. He was told that it was quite impossible to get a list of the scholars and their addresses. Such a list would take a week at least to make out . Several canvassers handed in signed books and sums of 3/ to 15/ collected byway of subscriptions. In many cases at the houses visited the occupants were out. It was stated that the sum of £200 had been spent in circularising parents. The chairman said that it was apparently of little use to go on. The only possible thing to be done in the short time at their disposal was to get each minister to take a certain number of the 200 remaining books and give them out.

The Rev. Lamb Harvey (St. Andrew's) concurred, and said that he would cooperate with the Rev. Cecil Watson, of St. Paul's, in working that side of the city. Probably the ministers of the churches not represented at the meeting eculd be asked to do the same.

The meeting decided to make this final effort to get the necessary signatures.