WELLINGTON DIOCESAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13226, 11 July 1906, Page 6

WELLINGTON DIOCESAN SYNOD.

EDUCATIONAL TRUSTS. ' BIBLE IX SCHOOLS. ' . [bt telegraph.—press association.] Wellington, Tuesday. . In, Ms address to" the Anglican Synod today, Bishop Wallis said there were abundant signs of the progress, of the Church work-in the diocese. The staff,of clergy was increasing considerably, arid, if the rate of: increase was maintained 'during tha next 'five years, their number at the synod would be double: what it was 11 years, ago. .. '; He referred ;at length to the question of trust funds, and draw attention to the fact that recently two Royal Commissions had 7 been constituted to inquire into the administration of their educational trusts. One dealt with the Otaki, Porirua, and Kaikotirikiri trusts, and the other with the Te Aute and Wanganui. Collegiate School trusts. ■; All these belonged ?to their own Church. He considered it unjust and unreasonable that they should receive separate legislative treatment from precisely similar trusts held by other denominations If {such treatment was seriously proposed, it - would be necessary for the synod to make serious -representations to Parliament, '- ■■"; .' ' / V •:, ;':' He referred to the decay - ,of .- Sundayschool work, -and said lie thought a strong representative committee >- should be established with a view to extending and developing the ; usefulness of Sundayschools. ■ ' . - ~;? Dealing with religious instruction • in secular schools, he said the number ". of pupils receiving such teaching had increased during the tost six years from 258 to 628. v ■ As to Bible-reading in schools, the Bishop said : '■■ " The harmony which has reigned among the representatives of various Christian denominations with regard to this matter (I am not speaking of the Roman Catholics, who naturally claim a separate treatment for their own schools) ,has taught, me to have no dread of sectarian bitterness; but, even if it were otherwise, I would a thousand times prefer war to peace—aye, even such a war as is being fought in England (though the issues are very different from our own), to a peace such as prevails amongst ourselves if that peace,- means a sluggish, cowardly indifference to' the real welfare of the coming generations. ;^>