NEWSPAPER COMMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 36, 13 February 1911, Page 2

NEWSPAPER COMMENT.

It is . surely obvious that the recognition of the Roman Catholic claim, would serve as a precedent, from the application of which there could be no legitimate escape, for the advancement of similar claims on behalf of other religious bodies, and that the destruction r? 6 v. P reS€nt system of educa-tkm would be the necessary outcome," says thq Otago Daily Times. "It, would ba impossible for the State to refund to the Catholics their quote of contribution to j the general education fund, and to refuse to other denominations that might establish their own secretarian schools, as they might be expected/to do, a refund of their respective contributions. Hie issue is, therefore, clearly one between the maintenance of the existing system and the establishment- and Stateendowment of a system of denominationalism, and we do not doubt that the community may be trusted to realise this. " " New Zealanders are not an irreligious people, whatever some of their critic* may say to the contrary," states t-h« Lyttelton Times, " but they are fully determined that their system of national education shall not be impaired by sectarian bitterness and strife. We believe ourselves that- eventually a v?a-y out of the difficulty will be found by the wide adoption of the 'Nelson system,' which provides for Bible reading out of school hours, and contains none of the perils that attach to other proposals. The Government has offered no objection to this system, which is a frank compromise between the contending parties, and we understand that the Minister of Education has^given it hi. tacit approval."