Evening Post. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 152, 29 June 1914, Page 4

Evening Post. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914.

THE ATTACK ON THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS — ♦ Two large earnest public meetings in one day and twelve hundred helpful signatures in one afternoon are very pleasant evidence that the National Schools Defence Association has something effective to show against the formidable organisation of the Bible-and-Clergy-in-State Schools League. The assemblies were\ well representative of Wellington (for the audience included some who favour, unconsciously or consciously, a sectarian intrusion in the national schools), and the vigorous speeches clearly revealed the perilous position of tho secular system. Unquestionably the clergy of a new " democratic " union and their backers aro determined to persist with their -attempts to open the schools to denominational instruction by recognised ministers (or accredited substitutes) and to Bible lessons conducted, compulsorily, by the State teachers. By every art, ordinary and extraordinary, they are striving for victory, and if the means are not always worthy of the end they can, no doubt, solace themselves with tho excuse that they ai-e doing wrong in a good cause. As an example, when a well-known headmaster remarked yesterday that State teachers, whatever their own beliefs might be, would be obliged to teach religion, somebody interjected :— "So you should. You teach about a heathen god. Why not teach about the true God?" Canon Garland has a " heathen god " which he found in an odd number of the School Journal, and everywhere the Canon goes this "heathen god," a dreadful paper monster, goes with him. It seems to be a great aid in the head-hunting, the political pollcatching. The fact is that the Journal merely contained a, legendary story of a, Japanese god— an extract of the mythology of Nippon. • Why not? This " heathen god " now appears to be one of the League's most precious stage properties. Excess of zeal may be an acceptable explanation of the Canon's peculiar use of that "heathen god,"; but there is a more serious transgression for which the League's chief propagandist has yet to answer. . The following sentence ,be-,, gins a report in to-day's Dominion :—: — "Preaching at Kent-terrace Presbyterian Church last night, Canon Garland said that ever since Sir Charles Bowen had stated, in 1877, that nineteen-twentieths of the people desired Bible-reading in schools for the children there had been continual protests from the Christian Churches as a result of the 'entirely secular' law." The suggestion here is that Sir Charles Bowen, a revered statesman, honoured for his splendid services in putting tho national education system on firm foundations, favoured Bible lessons in the State schools. Tho truth was published in Tho Post of 16th April last (and it has been repeated more than once). We gave passages (Hansard report) from Sir Charles Bowen's speech in the House of Representatives, on 23rd August, 1881. Here is the principal declaration :—: — "For his part, he confessed that, even in the discussions in the House, it was as disagreeable to him to hear the Bible patronised as to hear it attacked ; and he thought it was far better and wiser for them to take the elementary teaching which they could all agree upon, and regard it as a national institution, than to endanger what they had got by throwing the whole question down on the floor of the House, to be fought over again by irreconcilables who persisted in each j trying to get everything he wantAs this statement, with conspicuous headings, has appeared several times in Tho Post, and has probably been re- , printed in many other journals, it is j difficult to understand the reiteration of ! remarks which imply that Sir Charles is on the side of those working for a denominational scheme of State schools. We presume that the League's organiser does not regard himself'-'as abovo the canons of fair controversy. Of course, he may be too busy to notice these things, but surely among all the heads that have been counted so industriously one pair of eyes can be got to peruse the unholy pages of the secular press. Another example of unfairness and inaccuracy in the methods of the Bible League is in the allegation that the present national unsectarian system of education is "non-Christian,. anti-national, and anti-British." Is it intended by those words to spread an impression that the defenders of the alleged "non-Christian, anti-national, and anti-British" system are describable by the same adjectives? These tactics are certainly a poor advertisement for a League which aspires to lnlprove the individual and national character by converting the national schools into denominational ones. Unless the promoters improve some of 'their , methods they may lose many of tho heads which they have so assiduously hunted and so liberally counted.