BIBLE IN SCHOOLS TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1914, Page 10

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS TO THE EDITOR.

Sir.~ln thanking you foy your fair exposition of thp oa-se .'igava.si ihe "above and t,ho proposed referendum thereon, I Would still venture to nrge some objections to your argument. As to Lho comparative iTioralit-Y oi Australians and New Ze-alande;-!;, one may say without disrespect, that Sir Robert ' Stout's opinion is open to question He, as oi>e of the •authors of tlip present secular system, j may naturally be credited with some pHrsonal feeling for it. Even supposing he may be right, the case 13 not settled New South Wales* was cradled in evil circumstances, and many .influences* must' be taken into account m determining j moral progress. As a New ZpaJandcr onemay be pardoned for expecting of our stock a. moral virility and heroism second to that of no other people. Gaji it be said_ that among us .'i rUsnwotion to selfsacrifice foi the common g*xvl is si growing characteristic of the young? ' Tho point in quoting Australia is ihat sectarianism would* aeem to be getting its quietus by this very system. 1 have before me the printed evidence of fifteen inspectors in favour of the system. The gist of their remarks may bo summed up in this oi Senior Inspector !x>bbaii . "I know nothing that has done bo much to remove sectarian bitterness and misunderstanding..". The sinulai; evidence of i

seventy-six fsnaiicnced tpjn'ocrs, about half of them lieadniastei.s, jt, inc;udcd with i,hc above Considering this, rtnd in the absence of an\ dphnm- eudi-nee to the contrary are we not justihed in re yarding tliip system as activelj tending to undermine sectarianism? In conclusion as to x,hu referendum. Mero counting of heads to decide any issue of importance would, of course, be deplorable. But to apply the phrase in tins connection would "involvu dismissing popnlai government aho to outer darknepr-. A definite proposition can be gauged by the average elector at least as v.'pll .is » barely known candidate for Parliament. As Plarl Solbourne, says : There is mojo spfise in t,he nation than in any (>erson in tt." In Switzer la.nd. out of the forty-ont^ proposals submitted to the national decision {up till 1808] no fewer than Iwpnty-ioui- \:eiv rejecbud. Stinilarly, the issues hiibmilted in Australia by a triumphant Labour ' iovemment, a. year or two ago w«»'o tnrnpd down by the ziation. The infeveucip seems iiTesishble that only when weighty and clear reasons are felt will a nation show itself otherwise than cautiously conservative with regard to any .issno submitted lo it in a referendum. — I am, etc., 0. W. WILLIAMS. 25th March.