THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 25 February 1911, Page 3

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

AND THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION. Sir, —Recently we have had many phases and features of this question placed kaledioscopically before our eyes, and except in ono.or two cases, sinco tho Catholic prelates' expressions on tho question, wo have had only, frothings and guesses from scaremongering manufacturers, who try to make it appear that Catholics aro doiug some terrible thing when they respond to tho appeals'of the officers at tho Town Hall "to get enrolled." This is ths civic duty of every person, and Catholics who put their names on tho roll have only been doing as thoy and others were asked to do by the press and City Council.' Nothing .dreadful in that, is there. Their opponents ' show a concerted and feverish haste, and a strong dosiro for press attack, which Catholics have quietly ignored, as it rightly deserves.' But there aro a few points' which have arisen that rcquiro a fewwords of correction to clear tho cobwebs of the education question.

1. No person can gainsay that Protestants havo fought for. a number of years for tho introduction of their Bible into schools.

2. That the Nelson system has .been introduced' to several schools, and is now in several of them.'

3. That, twist it how they may, by wordy gymnastics, 'tho Nelson system is tho thin end of tho Bible-in-schools' wedge, and which, they arc only waiting a suitablo opportunity to drivo home. .

4. That Catholics arc paying money into the Education Department for winch they got 110 return.

5. That the.v incur enormous expenditure in erection and maintenance of their schools furnishes irrefutablo proof that t-lioy want such schools, and arc prepared to make great 'sacrifices , for the education of their children.. ,

6. That they havo a perfect right to ask for a return of a percentage of the money they contribute, since they get 110 return for their money;

7. If you came into ,my shop for a pound of liutter, at Is. per lb., and asked for half a pound, I give you the halfpound. - You tender a shilling, and I charge you' for, a pound of butter. You would demand 6d. change, and-in justice I am bound to give it to you.. Catholic education matters stand on a par with this; , 8. Mr. 'Jlassey stated that the whole population benefits by education, and therefore the whole of tho peoplo must pay for-it. This looks good logicprovided they get it. I say tho .whole of tho people aro ■ benefited by . their food, but \vhy should I be compelled to pay for meals I did not get? Meals I did not get are 110 uso to me. In justice I should bo refuuded the money paid for thoso meals. • - - ■ 9. Tho'Minister for' Education stated "that ho had always stood unequivocally for tho maintenance of free, secular, compulsory education, and that ho Would quit public life to-morrow sooner j than be a party to any fundamental change."; ' [ 10. No one can deny that tho introduction of the Nelson system was, and is, a fundamental changc; and is without doubt tho thin end of tho Bible-in-fchools wedge; and 110 one can dispute that tho Nelson system is already established in several State schools. '

11., Then the wily conclusion to bo drawn is that tlio Minister is unaware of this fact—a thing I could hardly credit. If not, then the sooner b> gets" full particulars and entirely eradicates

tliis bono of contention from tfie education system the better, for himself anil everybody concerned. I£ ho does not do' so in .the .of the next few months liq.will find.ho.will bo unaable to do so, • becauso: the "Biblo-jn-schools advocates are' rapidly, ahdstrcnuously preparing to fight in all ways and tlioir activo propaganda lias certainly woko up tho Catholics, ' who arc keeping their eye upon it, and. onco they aro roused to action they arc certainly a considerable power to bo reckoned with at the polls. Those persons who aro obviously ; attacking them, so abusively: are. serving only the opposite ends.—l am, etc., PEACE.