EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S BIG TASK.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15034, 31 July 1914, Page 9

EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S BIG TASK.

Some difficulty is experienced by the tdv=atiori Committee of the Houso of Ttepfttcntativcs in coping with the amount of work that has descended tioou it iv connexion with the Education Bill and the Rolispqas Instruction.' in Schools Referendum Bill. Although the Committee: has been meeting'upon eveiy sitting day trjis week, and will sjt again tOTmorrow; it has been fouud necessary to' postpone, meantime, the taking of evidence up<m the petitions nc} f°j ll r 0 icr ' enduni Bill. , * , Ope '-member oi' the Commjtteo v.iio wius spoken to to-day expressed tno opinion that somo arrangement would havo to be made under -which tbo parr tjes interested in the 13iU would agree to curtail -their evidence and al&o_the cross-examination of*witnesses. Fad' ing some such arrangement, he ror marked, it was difficult to sco how the commifctee coiild get to the report stage within a reasonable time. One eurrgeation whi<:h has been put forward is that the Committee should sit in the evenings, when the $0111*0 ia bitting, in order to take evjdonco upon the "petitions. Thif. .would bo an uni usual course, and som6 difficulty might bo experienced in obtaining the necesBai'v''permission, from the House. ' But tho" position'Of the Cpmroitteo is co difficult that it is quite possible that a definite proposal on these lines may bo put forward. It is thought that if the Committee concentrated its attention upon . the l£dv.cation Bill it njighb be in a portion to report upon that measure- in two or three. weekß, but tho ■membcra of the Education Coriimittoe Mil not be free indefinitely to devote their attention, to tho Bills and oetitibns now before that body. A number of these meinbens "belong also to ' other Committees which may shortly liave other important "items of -'business before them.