"LET US HAVE A REFERENDUM."

Otaki Mail, 17 August 1928, Page 4

"LET US HAVE A REFERENDUM."

Opinions seem lo be strengthening 'for the submission of the Bibie-in-Schoqls question to. a referendum. J'jsufc. La-.vson at the recent Wellington meeting strongly urged this cour.se, as preferable to the setting-up of the system as the result of a small majority in Parliament. He said that to have the Bible made the subject of political jih triguc is debasing. The ''Dominion" newspaper endorses this view, and ii would seem as though "National Education," the Jf-Z. Teachers' Institute organ, would favour this course, for in a recent issue it says that if Parliament orders the teachers to read the Bible in school, "the will of ■ Parliament, which is the will of the people, will be observed. What the Institute expects is that the decision of the Legislature will be based on conviction and indisputable evidence from the public.'- It is clear that this indisputable evidence! can be obtained only by taking a refereß'luni. The 'Auckland "Church Gazette'- ; is of opinion that "there .is a steadily, growing feeling in the community ijtat a referendum is meviianje.'** And tlits eour.-.u ajjpeau to'l.e t)ie only way rn which the continual and unedifyng wrangling in Parliament can be stopped. As things stand now, efforts aro being made to head Parliament to a compromise which will satisfy no one. A decision by Parliament on 3 few votes cannot have the. decisiveness of ;> referendum of the whole xteopie,.