THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 132, 4 June 1904, Page 6

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOU. Sir — More than one of your readers must have sin Led a little when they read your recent loader commenting on the reply oi the Biblc-in Schools Conference to tho pionounccinenb of the Roman Catholic Jiishops. I cannot help fancying that had the Coniuienci presumed to bpouk of the Education Act in the terms applied to it by the Bishops you would have found tho English language inadequate to exjucss your disapproval. The Acl, they declare, blunts the moral and religious seiihibihiies of the children, supplies no bulwark to thoni in Uic hour of temptation, and h paving tho way to the decay of the- nalion. I agree, but I did not think you wou'.d. Yet in spite of this, both the Bishops and tho livening Post would ictaiii this nefarious sy&lcm rather than allow a brief reading of the Bible in tho schools oveiy morning. Again, at; I read the Roiruui manifesto, I noticed tho no.t ob^uue hint of a .strong deMie to Hccme a denominational grant in aid of their own t^hooLs. I was not surprised, but aie you really prepared to go this length with your friends '.' Tho leply you tell us Licks weight, logical furce, literary finish, and is replete Avith platitudes and tiuisms. Jt may bo, but I have not found (hem, and wish therefore you had indicated them mon! particularly. Do we not all agree that tho majority nuiht rule 7 And if so, nniht not. tho majority dctennine whether what tho minority call their "rights of conscience" re.illy deserve that honoured name or no? 1 The Roman Catholics at this moment conhidor that they Miffer wrong in having lo contribute to the support of a system which they disapprove of. But what of the consciences of those who, like myhc\i, arc outraged because tho Bible is expelled from the iwhools? I confess ono is templed to become a, Now Zealand "pah.sivo resistor." ii r our reference, by-tbe-byo, to the* struggle in tho Honiii'.aml •shows you misapprehend the position lakou by (he Nonconformists. Tiic backbone of their contention is — (1) That Iho people have nuver been consulted n-s to the Education Acts now in force : (2), that taxation and representation must go liiind-in-haiifl. Their position i« exactly ours. Wo believe that the people of this colony aro opposed to the present secular system, and we desire lo discover by referendum wheth'.'r wo nrc right or no. Surely this is a ju.st demand, and ono which tho Pi hue .Miniyten has cndoihcd as such by promiNini;. on bcha'>f of tbo Government, that tha p<-opli< jsl.all havo an opportunity of ov picking thfir mind on tlio mattci. As to tho intolerance of tho ptew-nt system I will not say anything now l but it is certainly not what one expected lo find in tin* brighter Britain of the youth. — 1 am, etc., NEWMAN HALL. 28th May, 1904.

BoihtoiotiH weather caus-od an intcruiption of telegraphic communication be-t-neon Wellington and Auckland, and also between this city and the En«l Coast suit ions to-dnv, a number of the tc'.egraph poles having Ix'on blown down. Communication lma now been ieMoi«l. News has been received of Ihe death of Johnny Colenun, of "scarecrow" d;mct> fume, at Manilla,. lie h.id beep in hospital there, and n, substantial benefit was given him to nuible him to return to Australia. De.ilh, however, MiiwrvejK'd. Mr. A. \V. Rulherfoid is calmly hati I*ficd1 *- ficd that Ashburlon is the best place in the colony for the thirsty nwm to obtain a drink (says the Lyttelton Times). "When prohibition in carried," ho says, "what are people going to do for a drink, unless they stiiko Ashburton?" This vuculls another story of tho prohibition town which is instructive. A thirsty and belated traveller, who arrived there in the evening, was referred by n friend to a resident, who, ho was awmred, could "lay him on to a place whero he could get a drink at any time." Acting on tho suggestion, the traveller duly made enquiry, and got his directions.* "Do you sco that house down thero with the green nhuttoi"s, just at the comer of tho cross street?" tho resident asked. "Well," he continued, in' response to a nod of assent, "that's tho only place where 'you can't get a drink." The story is probably not true ; it certainly does not reflect the real condition of the prohibition borough ; but it is always stir© of a good reception in a company of mere men. At a meeiing this morning of the Lord Ranfurly Farewell Committee, it was decided to tender His Excellency a yopulav reception on tho evening of Friday, 17th June. A sub-committeo was appointed to arrange details and to report to the committee next week. A West Coast paper statca that the directors of the liank of New South Wales havo decided to have a new bank erected in llokitiku,* on the sito of tho present building at tho corner of Revellstreet and Cump-streot. The new building, for which tenders will bo called shortly, is to bo a. two-stoiy one. Owing to the large increase in the railway traffic, and in viow of tho oarly opening of the Coal Creek line, tho RailAvay Department has decided to inMul tho interlocking system in the GreymoutU station yard. The cost of the work will bo about £900. The name of C. l'ole w.ia inadvertently printed for C. Poll in tl>e report of a debt case heard at the Magistrate's Court, Lower Mutt, on Wednesday la<sl. In a footnote to a Municipal Council report on wood-paving in our ismio of yesterday tho word "authorised" was printed for "authoritative." It is deflirablo to correct tbo rataprint in justice to the municipal staff, who wero in no wi.so rtwponsiJi 1 -' fur Uio information to us. A charaeteribtic advwliieniont olsowhoro inviU'H the publics to take "a sniff of milt «ea spray," and pay a vn.it to one of tho "ulcel walls of Britain." In other words tho launch Moturaa will run excursions tomorrow to H.M.y. I'j-n'he, at lioura blalcd. Tho Wellington Auctioneering Company announces Iho salo by auction of tho contoulii of a fivo-rooraod liouse, 14, Florencei«»rt>ol, Kowlmvn. Tho sale wM take place on 'Vfedxugday. next, at <*- Jo;i ..i.

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