CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16214, 17 May 1918, Page 9

CORRESPONDENCE.

state education. m XBX EDITOR 01' "THE PEESS." n• Tho letters addressed to you ' niiTon tho subject of tho miprove***7nt our State educational system ? C tL simple recognition of Oucl 111 tho deserve a little more cons.der,«nd discussion than they appear have received. 1, . tor one am t0 that "A Christian" raised tho th#D M,n in his first letter to you. The «übiect is one that should not be jSJUffl »•>»-, thcSS n a , of th( ; a trend of thought and Suwtion in the direction of secur- - Mr future generations of our DoW „itheir duo birthright of a knowof God and of Christianity as tho ffiof real citizenship. The present- ! 5 " movement in the Anglican and fevterian Churches for tho estabSnt of Church schools-a moveS that is calling out a very genor"DS financial response—added to the laudable efforts of tho Roman Catholic to maintain and extend their own distinctive schools, is not a negligible Ifsntitv in contemporary thought and miction. Educational institutes C treat it lightly in their resentSof anv suggested alteration of our Site system, but education all over , fha world is as yet only in procoss of development, and thc passing of time tends to wiaen men's horizon in most matters The war is telling us in pictures that cannot well be misinterpreted that it is an attempt on the part nf 'tho enemy to uo "without God in xhß world and to substitute human wisdom and 'kultur as thc saviour of the nations. Can wo accept such arrogance 1 ' Yet we are perilously near teaching it passively in our public schools to-day. And if something be not done soon to remove this stigma on our common intelligence, wo shall assuredly reap what we sow. I plcatl, therefore, for a rational interpretation of the situation such as may find a solution that might be generally acceptablc. Tho Bible in schools, with the entry of tho clergy to teach it, is now virtually voted out, and not without valid reasons. Thero is much to discount that proposal, especially from the school teacher's point of View. Moreover, it would bring religion before the children as something non-essential to the school syllabus, but merely a subject sought to be imposed E y tho clergy. I would urge a plan which seems to meet our common need, and it is this: Let teachers assemble their schools five minutes before nine o'clock, and recito the Lord's Prayer with the children, and sing a hymn. Such a recognition of God in beginning thc work of the day would, in my opinion, give much satisfaction to parents, and a religious foundation to children, as the basis of such superstructure as may be practicable in the circumstances or their home development. In somo of our State schools this, is actually being done now, prompted by the Christian wisdom of the teachers. And why not? It does not infringe the Education Act, for it is outside of sphool hours. If this were done throughout the Dominion, we should hear nothing further about "an ungodly system,'' nor be, troubled with political strife over proposals for an amendment of the Act.

How many school teachers are pre.pared to make that effort to meet the public conscience P They and we have to train our future citizens to face life as followers of Christ. It is for us all to sco that this fair Dominion is distinguished for something more than material greatness in the days to come. Here and now is the teacher's opportunity to remove the present discontent, and make his Tvork worthy of tho people's praise,—Yours, etc.,

HERBERT EAST, Tho Vicarage, Leithfield.

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS AND ENGLISH WIVES.

TO TUB ZDITOR 0/ "TSg PRESS." V Sir,—lt is somewhat amusing to seo such a silly Jot of nonsense in Jocal papers concerning tlief above. .As a returned soldier i am able to a certain extent to agree with Mr Holland's statement. Tho English girls do cer--1 ta, A rus h after the colonial boys not r< Zealanders, but Australians, Canadians, and almost any soldier who is not a Tommy. Tommy is always last on the list. But in any case, I • think it concerns the man only as to whom ho itiarries, so all this silly paper talk doesn't do an onnce of good either way. "One Who Trusts the Boys" states, we don't realise how heartbreaking it is to leave the home people. Task then, why do they leave them; they aro not compelled to . emigrate to other Ijmds. Is it that tho conditions of the Old Country are bad? What do we see hero? A few come out on one boat, a few boats after their CQU&ms, uncles, aunts, and other relatures came out. Has "On© Who Trusts S 9 ? y ?i seen the English girls' dressing at tho present time? If she did th ? "iris wSf - y ' As , regards English grls doing more than colonial, the gu-Is are certainly working •«™ mu ?» fc ) o n,.ctc, but thoy o£ being well paid for it. Hence the oxm<?,thoda of dress > while all U<a good work tho colonials are doing Ln grat i s - We colonies M m Wa^ en us f d t0 moro than people, and we want to adWay °^. ll . vin e, not to go back £-SicrW,T c °° d ' tlons that used to be MrSSI ' w h loh somo of y°"r corresd evidentlv have I 'e»S ?u ghsh s ° ,( l iers who had not Wrn sca ' bcfore tho war, and JJX ifr t a5lO - an y m * thod Mod •» er cotlD .tnes, and a dnrinsr have their eyes opened to e n hrj£ + +£' a ?i never want w«pect «ib° old . tiung. i n that •3? iv.ll do good. We JJt to advance, not go back.-Yours, with , A NEW ZEALAND WIFE

*» m*nix(» or "tsk rsEm." I.utJ ? haTe heen somewhat amused ■ jr in reading in your valuable 2 ? TS^ a !? ,l i nts of the meetings hold remark * the «53 i° . m «d6 with ineiriw? fr? soldiers returnStaSf *! l - r wives, and l flfi? L^th? 8 ■ a paper • fiot thls morning, dated March

12th, 1918, which may be of interest to some of vour readers. —Yours, etc., RETURNED SOLDIER.

May 16th

fExtract.]

Evidently the Aew Zealand soldiers arc as "doughty in love as in war." In war, we all know tho deeds they have done. They liave faced the too as brave men a*s ever donned the khaki— they have stormed the trenches at bayonet point. Of love, weH—we know little, but have suspected much, and now results prove that in Torquay, at least, thoy have stormed the citadels of "Youth and beauty" with remarkable success. It is reported that when a batch of Sew Zealanders left yesterday, they carried away . with them in triumph 150 girls from Torquay and district, ready and willing to settle with them as their wives in far off New Zealand.

So this is what it comes to—all those smiling greetings, confidential chats in cosy corners, and hand-squeezings that have beon so much in evidence lately! All tho time the New Zealand boys have been engaging in colonial "propaganda" of a most effective kind, and our girls have been "not faithless, but believing." "All's well that ends well," and let us hope that, as in the novels, they will "live happily ever after." But the end is not yet. It is the beginning of a now life! One can fancy the incidents that will occur when the Anzacs bring homo their English brides! They can say with pride: "The Germans couldn't capture us, but the English girls did!" And what will English town-bred girls say when they are taken away out into the lone,>free. open country? Some will love it—and some will—hero endeth tho first lesson!