BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 150, 22 December 1914, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

a discrepancy in figures, explanation" required. "It was unanimously resolved that the executive of the League expresses thankfulness at the progress made, and_ which has resulted in thirty-six members being returned to Parliament ready to support the Referendum asked for by the churches constituting the League." Thie paragraph appears in the report of a meeting of the Bible in State Schools League recetitly held, and as the informa* tion contained in it differs very materially from that supplied in other quarters, it was the subject of some enquiries made to-day. Ac has already been reported, the New Zealand Catholic Federation, during the election ca-mpa-ign sent to each candidate in the field a copy of the following question :—"lf: — "If elected, even thougE favouring the Referendum principle, will the candidate vote against any proposal to make it possible for a Referendum to b» taken on any matter which, may in any way affect matter* of religion or conscience?" To this question sixty-three of the candidates who wers returned forwarded replies, the corrected totals being as follow ;—- For Bible-in-Schools Referendum 16 Against ... „ 47 Thirteen members did not reply, and the four Maori members were not approached. This , makes up the total of 80 members comprising the House of Representatives. Tliis return shows a majority of seven in the present House who are opposed to the objective of the Bible-in-Schools League, but the number does not tally with the total of the Bibk-in-Schools supporters, as reported by the Bible-in-State-Schools League. Even presuming that the thirteen " doubtfuls " are advocates of tho Referendum, this total added to the total of sixteen who, according to the Federation's figures, aro definitely in favour of it, makes an aggregate of 29, as compared with the 36 adduced by the League. The reporter saw an official connected with the League, but was unable to obtain any information on the matter. Professor Mackenzie, who is intimately associated with the State Schools Defence League, was also interviewed, and stated that "the Catholic Federation had obtained the most carefully adjusted statistics. ' Its total of those opposed to the Referendum, he said, did not in- ,«!.'■ M<Nab (who is opposed to the Bible-in-schools proposal), and this made the number forty-eight. As to the thirteen members who had not replied, it was presumed— -in view of the fact that no information to the contrary was forthcoming— that they were inclined towards the Bible in schools, but were not prepared to "go the whole way.''

The office of the Miromar Borough Council, king's Chambers, will be closed on and from 24th December to the sth January.