BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 16 October 1914, Page 7

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

FURTHER EVIDENCE TAKEN

BY THLEGRAPH PKESS --"SOOIATXON. WELLINGTON, Oct. 16. The Education Committee continued taking evidence aipon the Bible-in-schools question this morning, when the cross-examination of Mr Caughley was continued by Canon Garland and Professor Hunter. The witness remained unshaken in his opposition to the league system. The Rev. D. C. Bates, Church of England clergyman and civil servant, said he had had experience of the New South Wales system of "Bible instruction, and thought it a failure and a reproach to clergymen/ He was of opinion that the majority of teachers were opposed to religious teaching in schools, and it would lead to dismissals and persecutions. School should not be used as a recruiting ground for churches; the church was the distinctive place for religious instruction, and it was wrong'to attempt to capture the school to teach what ministers j and parents failed to impart. The State should in no way interfere with religion, and he deprecated the attempt to influence members of Parlia- J ment. He was opposed to matters of religion being submitted to a plebiscite.