BIBLE-INSCHOOLS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15121, 10 November 1914, Page 4

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

_ —$—r— APPEAL 10 SUPPORTERS. (SPECIAL TO 'THE VB£SS."> WELLINGTON, November 9. At a meeting of the executive of tho Bible-in-Schools Leaguo to-day, the , following resolution was carried: — } "The executive' of the .Bible-in-State ! Schools League express regret at the j recommendation of the Parliamentary J Education Committee, which was passed by the smallest possible majority, 6 to 4. Tho effect is that the people of 1 New Zealand are not to be allowed by : their -direct vote to express their ! wishes on the Bible-in-Schools question, j This recommendation is in faco of the ' fact that action in Parliament on moro than one previous occasion shows that : the subject is a suitable one for being i dealt with by a referendum. Tho opinion of half a dozen men is a different thing from the opinion which tho League asks shall be given by the whole people, the sovereign tribunal. The action of the Parliamentary Committee, accordingly, makes it all the more, and not the loss, necessary to appeal to the - constituencies to return members who will be prepared to allow jho whole people an opportunity of a direct vote on the League's proposal. The executive assures its 153,000 members that no effort will bo relaxed until tho request mado by churches representing 75 per cent, of the population is submitted to the peoplo for decision. Fhe executive urges upon members of tho League so to vote as to secure the return of only those candidates who are prepared to allow the people to exercise the right of saying what shall be done in the people's schools—schools supported by the people's money and attended by the people's children. The executive points out to the public that in those States where the system existe, which tho League is advocating, there has been' political peace on the subject ever sirco that system was introduced, j j This is in marked contrast with New Zealand, where the subject has been a perennial cauxo of disturbance in the political arena, a position which would have been avoided had Parliament in-

vited tho people to express their will on the question. Without going further into tho action, of the Parluwnenr ► Education Committee, tho executive points out one proposal made by Canon Garland to that committed. He asked the committee that its chairman should send a circular to every teacher in Australia where tho system exists, enquiring into its working, the League to abide by the result, a request which was received with significant laughter. That request, could have been carried out very easily by tho Parljaiaentary Committee. It would have meant nothing more than tho drafting of' a short circular and the direction of enrelopes. The failure of thai. Commits tee to make such, a simple enquiry lost Parliament an opportunity of obtaining direct evidence in a manner free from any possibility of partiality on the part of tho onquirers. The recomniendations are, therefore, in the opinion of thjs executive, opeu to the con? struction that the obtaining of evidence on which to base the recommendations was a matter of small concern. ,.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Wora.en'9 Branch or the Bible-in- StateSchools League of New Zealand, tho following motion, proposed by Mrs Charles Overton, and seconded by Mrs George Way, was carried unanimously: —"The Christcburch Women's Branch of the Bible-in-Schools League deeply regret the recent action of the New Zealand Parliament over the Bible-m-Sebools question, but are not thereby discouraged. Believing as they do that tho people of this country desire religious teaching for their children they will not relax their efforts till this great boon, for which they hare been working, has been oeoured—namely, the restoration of the Bible in our schools. As a League they ar© determined, ac far as lies in their rawer, to secure tho return of those candidates who are prepared to give the referendum to tho people on this question at tho first opportunity."