SECOND EDITION. POLITICAL NOTES.

Mataura Ensign, 20 July 1914, Page 5

SECOND EDITION. POLITICAL NOTES.

* BIBLE IN SQHOOLS. HEARING THE EVIDENCE. BY TKLEGItAPH. lEOM OUR STKCIAL CORRESPONDENT. wKlXl.\<ir<>x4Juiv 20. A protest wns entered by f'aiiim Garland aj^aiiijst lhe nropowil of only tivu witnesses Imm the Millili ters of tho Bible in schools being heard by llio committee. He asked for lour, to winch the committee lias apparently, agreed, lor tlie Education Committee of tho House oi Representatives has arranged to hear eight witnesses in all in reference to tlie Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum Hill. Four witnesses will represent the Hilile-in-Schools League, two the National Schools Defence League and two the Roman Catholic Federation. Tin- witnesses on behalf of the Defence 1/caguo will probably Ih> heard to-morrow. It may 110 bo necessary to refer the Referendum Hill itwff to the committee. Evidence can be taken npon niiiucr-ously-sigued petitions which will be presented to the House. FINANCIAL STATEM ENT. Tlie Financial Statement will eomo dow# alxillt tile end ol' this month lint, tho -actual date of it« presentation will depend upon the progress made with the general business of the session. LOCAL (JHANTS. The local grants ill aid of development work will probably be brought down this week. THE LICENSING .HILL. Tlie Licencing Hill l will come up for its second reading to-morrow ami it in expected to occupy the House of Representatives almost continuously .in far as the (.'overnment's time is <xm<vrucd until it is parsed through all it# stages or otherwise disposed of. Wednesdays and Thursdays, however, for some weeks will lx> available for private members' Hill ami: Local Hills re>pectively. It is considered highly probable that th.e, licensing Hill will have :t majority at tlie second reading stage but beyond that point its fate is looked upon as: somewhat problematical.