SOCIAL DEMOCRATS AND THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 15480, 30 April 1914, Page 10

SOCIAL DEMOCRATS AND THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your sub-leader entitled ‘The Latest Pledge,’ appearing in year issue of the 25th inst., the following statement is made:—“A candidate, therefore, though he be a ‘Red Fed.’ in politics (i.e., a destroyer of the existing social order), providing he says, as quite conceivably he may, ‘Oh, yes, I’ll support the Bible-in-scbools platform,’ is he to have the votes of men and women who as God-fearing, law-abiding citizens must abhor his political principles?” This statement is a veiled reference to Social Democratic candidates, and is quite unjustifiable, in view of the fact that our platform is absolutely clear on the Education Question. The plank of our platform dealing with that matter reads as follows: —"Free and secular education from kindergarten, to the university, with compulsory attendance in all primary grades. All books and stationery shall be supplied by the State free of ccat.” It will therefore be seen at once that our candidate could not, as you say, pledge himself to support the Bible-in-schoola platform. The Bible-in-schools party will get no sympathy from the Social Democratic or “Red Fed.” party. We feel certain they will receive all their support from the Reform, Liberal, or “Black Fed.” parties.—We are, etc., Executive Social Democratic Party, Dunedin Branch. April 27.