FREE PLACES AND DEFENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15250, 13 March 1913, Page 4

FREE PLACES AND DEFENCE

• ,; _ t DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL^ DISGUST IN CANTERBURY. [BT TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATIOS.] ."'.. Christckurch, Wednesday. ' The Education Department's pro*"" j; posal bearing on conditions of "-y'-.k place tenure and the defence* re- I?;; gulations came before the North Canterbury Education Board to-day, .when v the following report was received from : the Normal School and teachnical committee The Normal School and Technical Committee report that they have care- j j fully considered the Department's memor- ■ ; andum bearing on the conditions of free Vi place tenure and the defence regulations, j the following resolution having been agreed ; ; '.-;J —' That the board points out to the , % Department that, in its opinion, enforcement of the obligations under the Defenco , Act does not come within its proper juris*' diction, and that therefore, the board :-; respectfully declines to take any action that may prejudice the rights of pupils to receive the advantages of national educa- . tion.'" ' L Mr. C. A. C. Hardy. moved a* an amendment " That the last clause be* struck out " in order to move that the letter be received. Mr.' C. Andrew H,.• seconded the amendment. . A I; l Mr. Rennie considered that as a boards l they should object (leaving the queetitßl' of militarism and anti-militarism quite cat of the matter) to any child being penalised' because of his parents' scruples. - Mr. Opie said the Defence Act itself allowed a loophole for escape from military ; v training. Under the penalising clauses \Wr -:■. the Act he understood an Offender had * chance, but under the Education Depart-; -. ment's new proposal a boy was not given ' a chance. - A letter was received from Mr. J. ;;. Studholme, stating that the Tequest of the : - , Assistant-Inspector-General was a most * reasonable one. " . *- ■ ..,%fThe amendment, on being put to Urn - meeting was carried. . ' •_■ '~-,-j Upon the motion of Mr. Hardy, thfty..-, letter was received, as was also .a letter .;: from Mr. E. F. Shadbolt, secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Represent*- ,; : V tion Committee, protesting against the. ~ Education Department's proposal. * j : . .