BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14760, 2 September 1913, Page 6

BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

Alike in its representative character and the strength of the arguments adduced, tho deputation from the Bible-in-" Schools League, which waited on the Prime Minister yesterday, cannot fail to exercise a marked influence both en public opinion and tho attitude of the politicians in regard to tho important question of religious instruction in State schools.- The. religious bodies represented were the Church of England, the Presbytorian Church, tho "Methodist Church, and the Salvation Army. . Not only wero the clergy and officials of these bodies represented, hut promimait laymen took part in the proceedings, and Mr G. Flux spoke on behalf of teachers in favour of the scheme. Bishop Sprott • gave an emphatic denial to the suggestion that there was an ulterior object in view, namely, a desire to obtain State aid for denominational schools. The Rev. Dr. Gibb pointed out that in the prisons we provide facilities for religious instruction, we open the camps to chaplains of religion, and the House of Representatives is opened wit prayer, so that practically except in the case of the schools there is no severance.,

between Church and State. Perhaps | the most cogdnt fact brought forward by tho deputation was that already 111,926 persons havo signed petitions in favour of a referendum. In Switzerland, where tho referendum and initiative are the law of tho land, a petition signed by 30,000 electors is sufficient to secure that a referendum on the subject nhall be taken. Wβ do not sco how anyone who professes democratic principles can resist tho claim that tho question shall bo referred to tho people of the Dominion for their decision. As wo havo previously pointed out, all that iasked is that parents who wish their children to receive religious instruction shall have tho moans provided of gratifying that desire. Those who object to religious instruction will not have their liberty impaired in tho slightest degree They will bo just as free as they are at present to keep the instruction of their children on purely secular linos. Mr Massey gave a fairly non-committal reply to the deputation, as he did to their opponents who waited upon him a short time ago. He is pledged riot to bring down any legislation on tho subject this session. It is, however, quite open to tho Government to introduce a Bill next session to enable a referendum to bo taken on the subject, and we do not see how any Government can persist in withholding from the decision of the people a question which over a hundred thousand of the electors have asked shall be submitted to the popular voto.

Wo are indebted to a correspondent for a clipping from tho "Bristol Times and Mirror" of Julji oth, which he rightly thinks is deserving of local reproduction. ■ • Some time ago, as our readers will remember, wo referred to a leaflet in which tho British antimilitarists who are slandering this country appealed to visitors to the Royal Show at Bristol to avoid New Zealand. The clipping sent to us is a short letter, in which Mr H. G. Berryman, of Nelson, and Mr Colin K. White, of Te Aute, protest ngninst tho leaflet as "a libel on our fair Dominion." "One qf the signatories to this letter," •they say, "who has lived for 35 years in New Zealand, feels proud in having sons who are only too pleased to bavo the chance of qualifying for their country's defence, and wo are able to testify that this is the goncral feeling existing throughout the country." In a footnote to tho letter the Editor of tho "Times and Mirror" says:—"Our colonial friends need not 'bo afraid of tho effect of these absurd appeals [such as thoso in the leaflet]. Nobody takes the slightest notice of them." Wo hope that this is truo; but tho offence of the slanderers is not lessened by their impotence. Tho public of this country will greatly appreciate tho action fof Messrs Berryman and White. They aro practical patriots of the right kind.

In the Supreme Court yesterday ttie gaol eurgeon, Dr. Newell, was awarded £300 damages against a local journal for libel contained Jn a communication which it printed from one of the local anti-militarists. The casois not one in which either censuro or condolenco is required from us, but there are come observations wliich may bo usefully made. No defence wns attempted: tho libel was quite a wanton one. "Tho wholo anti-militarist agitation, as -we have always contended, and abundantly established, has a basis of falsehood. This has been so obvious for so long that it is surprising that any journal should go out of its way to encourage the anti-militarists by providing them with the moans of circulating noxious tales without which they cannot get along.

"Tho Press" has been attacked —wo ought perhaps to use another tense, and say, "Tho Press" was attacked in the days before the anti-militarists were found out—for rejecting, anti-militarist letters which were published, by what wcro called more fair-minded newspapers. Wo havo, indeed, often rejected abusive or libellous letters from tho shirkers and their friends. A reputation for "fairness" which, depends upon willingness to circulate slanders is not one which possesses much attraction for us. The public,-after yesterday's libel action, will know how much reliance may bo placed upon the antimilitarist writers. Perhaps another result will bo that those newspapers which havo encouraged the slanderous agitation will look with a more austero eye in future unon the enemies'of the Defence System/ Tho agitation, however, hoe waned in the atmosphere of public disapproval: even tho '/Liberal" M.,P.'s appear to have given it up as a workod-put claim.

The British. naval manoeuvres held recently in the North Sea were doubt-" J less very vafuable, but, whatever may have been the verdict of the umpires, they'left the problem of-invasion unI solved, and indeed practically untouched. The attacking fleet had two thousand troops with it, which it was to land on the East Coast, and tho task of the defending fleet, which was twice as strong, was to prevent that landing, or, if thafc was not possible, to defeat the enemy's ships, regain complete command of the North Sea, and so leave the raiding troops at the mercy of the land forces. Which side won is for tho umpires to say, and the Admiralty does not publish their reports, but the facts that tho raiding force was smail, that it had. no stores, that for weeks beforehand it «had been known that tho attempt would be made, and all kinds of special measures had been taken to meet it —these give the result little or no value as bearing on the question of invasion or raid on a large scale. Kvery military station in Yorkshire was on .the alert, the coast was studded with camps, and every coast road was patrolled. "When the real raiders come," says the "Standard," "they will not give us time to take all these precautions, and they -will not tell us where they propose to land." If he does strike, the enemy will dp so at his selected moment, and England, unless sho has extraordinarily good luck, will havo to meet him at her average moment. This should always be borne in mind when the problem of invasion or raid is, considered.

There is something grimly, humourous in the announcement " that the Portuguese Government is to grant an amnesty to political prisoners on the next anniversary of the birth of the ! Republic. It is good news that there is to be an amnesty, but the humour lies in its being granted as an act of ( clemency to mark a festival of so-

called liberty, when as far as most cases aro concerned it should have been granted long ago. Indeed, in many cases, under a system,of Government that was free in practice • instead of only in theory, tho prisoners would never have seen the inside of a goal. Many of these prisoners, as we have mentioned in these columns before, havo lain in prison for long 'periods without, trial, the victims of an odious system of espionage. Others have been ; convicted and sentenced, and some do- ! ported to the tropics, on the slenderest !of evidence, in some cases by juries ! and judges who were intimidated by threats of tho Carbonanos. As the Carbonarios, who havo been, if they aro not now, tho real ruler's of Portugal, are reported to be strongly against an amnesty, it is not to be "regarded as certain that all political prisoners will go free. If they do, it will bo a sign that politics in Portugal arc on the mend.

Wo understand that Mr M. Hannan, who contested tho Grey seat in tho Opposition interest, has been reappointed Crown Prosecutor by tho Government. There is nothing remarkable about that. We shall be curious, however, to see what the "Liberal" newspapers have to say about it. If they follow their usual practice- they will say it is an electioneering dodge. If the Government appointed anyone else, they would have said tho Government was corrupt and vindictive, and all that. Whatever the Government does is wrong, is the "Liberal" maxim. Which all reduces itself to this: that the crowning offence of tho Government is that "Liberals" are in Opposition-, and will never return to office any more. . *