THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9321, 16 June 1891, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY).

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891.

With which are incorporated the Wellington Independent, established 1815, and the New Zealander.

The Education Bill introduced into the House of Commons the other day by the Salisbury Government is the fulfilment of the pledge given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget speech at the end of April. There was a great outburst of criticism when Mr Gosohen made that famous announcement of his, The outburst in fact showed two things :—(1) That last year the Government were deterred by the known views of their followers from making the new departure in the direction of free education ; and (2) that this year they have made up their minds to educate their people. The Liberals of course only broke silence to express acquiescence in the policy propounded. It was from the Tories that all the criticisms came. A good deal was said about the disappointed Income Tax .payer, who had expected the surplus to give him a remission of taxation. Much was made of the anger of the great licensing vitualling interest which had a right to a remission of recently imposed duties. But as one critic put it, there was not enough of the surplus to “go round,” therefore when both claimants saw that the money was given to the people who pay the school pennies they acquiesced.

The main criticism of the Tory Party was, however, of a totally different charao. ter; far deeper. The Conservative Party, according to one of its mouthpieces, objects to “ the astounding enactment that a man may transfer the burdens which duty and honour enforce upon him, and which he is able to bear, to the shoulders of his neighbours—a proposition which might have been taken from the catechism of Socialism.” That criticism was backed by the old cry that free education is just as absurd from the economical point of view as free food or free clothing. Other critics taking their stand upon finance prophesied that the Education Act would become a standing object of censure as year by year the educational estimates appear in more formidable bulk. To start a scheme of regular annual payments merely because of a “ temporary abundance ” in the Treasury they condemned his project as financially unsound. Another group trembled for the voluntary schools. The Minister lost no opportunity of declaring both in public and private that the voluntary schools would bo safeguarded in the Government scheme with the very greatest care. But though the Liberal and Radical newspapers declared that they would gladly accept free education even if it bo not secular in the fullest sense of the word, the objectors declared they could accept nothing that must assuredly end by leaving the voluntary schools to be swept away by the rising tide of Democracy and Socialism. By reason of these various styles of criticism it was in many quarters considered doubtful whether the Government would fulfil Mr Gosohen’s pledge by bringing down an Education Bill. All doubt has passed from the subject, for a Bill was introduced the other day into the Commons. The Government, after giving the extremists some six or seven weeks to “ stew in their own juice,” has made its bid for popular favour. It was predicted that they might have brought new horse in order to “ ride for a fall,” so as not to endanger the Irish Land Purchase Bill. But that Bill has passed, and is safely out of the way. The position is curious in the extreme to the people of every colony which has a system of free education. There are extremists in every colony who believe that it is impossible to spend too much money on education ; and, on the other band, there are extremists who consider that the State ought not to meddle with education for fear of extinguishing the useful class which “cleans the boots.” The great bulk of public opinion has long ago accepted Free Education as a principle of great practical value. Even the minority, which objects to Secular Education, is ready to accept grants in aid towards a free education, which its members value as highly as the members of any other portion of the community. In these countries we are all of the opinion of Mr Mundella that Education is the necessary complement of the Franchise, that you can make nothing of men, but a great deal of boys, that national Education is the basis of political life in a free country. To us at this end of the world it is passing strange to see a great Political Party undergoing education about so simple a proposition. The leaders, more far-seeing and practical than the Party, have realised the great fact that as the Democracy is coming it must be educated. As the leaders on the other aide have declared that they will not oppose the measure, we may regard it as sate.