LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18088, 12 May 1922, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

PURCHASE OF MANURES.

Sir, —I should like to support the action of the Fanners' Union in endeavouring to induce the Government to establish a fund from which farmers may borrow to purchase manures for top-dressing. With its plentiful rainfall and adequate sunshine there are very few countries in th© world where top-dressing with phosphatic manures pays better than in New Zealand. To-dav the fanners in New Zealand are in a bad way financially, and they must do everything in their power to increase production. No surer or more profitable way of doing this can be employed than by using suitable manures to increase not only the Quantity, but also the quality of the pasturage. When the farmer of Ne«v Zealand is prosperous, the whole community is prosperous, and it is a most reasonable thing to ask the Government to advance the necessary money to enable manuring to b© proceeded with, before the season is too far advanced. George George/ Auckland, May 10.

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. Sir, —Your reports of the debates of General Synod have been so excellent that it is perhaps a pity that one of your headlines has beon misinterpreted. There are those who have told .me that they now think that many of us who have asked m times past for some form o2 right of entry have so far modified our position that we arc content to leave the teaching altogether in the hands of the State school i teachers. They seeia to be basing their argument upon youi headline, " Tuition by teachers the aim." The resolution adopted bv synod does not say-so. It respectfully requests the bishops to try to "find with as little delay as possible some method acc?ptabl9 to all parties, which will make it possible for the State school teachers to give religious instruction to the children in school hours." There are many tar whom any method which does not recognise that the first duty of the clergy is to teach their children will not be acceptable. The compromise at which weS arrived was one which took the matter out of the General Synod's hands, and entrusted it to the bishops of the province. As the Archbishop said there was a great deal of give-and-take—it was a big thing for those who wanted General Synod to reaffirm the right of entry to allow the question to be passed over; it was a big tiling for the other side not to press the original motion. The postponement of the debate had perhaps something to do with the compromise—it seemed too large a quesfion for a house which was rapidly thinning to discuss. Yet many of us did feel that we were beincr led bv the Holy Spirit to leave the matter in the bishops' hands. But my point is that General Synod has not said that " tuition by teachers is the | aim " if such a statement can be interpreted to mean that those who have been ■ solemnly set apart for this very work are to be excluded. J. Russell Wiltobd. Auckland, May 10, 1922.

[On Canon Wilford's own showing tha heading was justified since the synod requested the bishops to find a method which would " make it possible for the State school teachers to give religious instruction to the children in school hours." —Ed., Herald.] " -