BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21645, 16 May 1932, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I took the liberty of writing to Mr William Green, national president of the American Federation of Labour, the membership of which numbers over 4,000,000, asking his federation’s attitude towards Bible reading in the public schools, and if it opposed same. By the last ’Frisco mail I received the following reply from him:— The American Federation of Labour remains neutral, and has always held a neutral position with reference to religion and politics. The membership of organisations composing the American Federation of Labour is not based upon or determined by a man’s politics or his religious belief. Neither politics nor religion has any place or part in discussion upon the floor of our annual conventions. We are partisan to principle irrespective of party or religious belief. Therefore, the American Federation of Labour has never taken any position or made any declaration as to whether the Bible ought or ought not to be read in our public schools. The above American Labour attitude is statesmanlike and broadminded, being quite in'contrast to the narrow and secularist attitude of the New Zealand Labour Party’s .ancient sqcular education platform planks, which declares, in two distinct places on the platform, the New Zealand Labour Party's opposition to Bible reading in schools. The New Zealand Labour Party even opposes a referendum on this question, and ties the hands of the Labour in the House to secular education, this being different from the system adopted by the two other political parties in the House, which allow their members in the House to vote as they choose on the Bible-in-Schools question. The English Labour Party’s attitude is somewhat the American Labour Party’s—it _is neutral on the question, as it is outside Labour’s objective.—l am, etc., Knox H. Smith, Secretary, Bible-in-Schools Propaganda Committee. Wellington.