BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 82, 11 August 1913, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

FREE, SECULAR AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, August 10 A very large and repreesntative deputation, bearing the credentials of the New Zealand National Schools’ Defence League, and representing also the teachers of New Zealand, the W.C.T.U., various churches, organised labor and other bodies, waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday to present a case against the proposal of the Bible-in-Schools League.

In reply, the Hon. W. F. Massey said: “I would just like to say how very glad I am to meet this large and very representative deputation, and to hear the views of the speakers on this important question.” Reference had been made to what was called “a political agitation,”, and to the operations of the Biblc-in-Schools League, and he wanted the deputation to thoroughly understand that the Government had never been approached unofficially or officially, directly or indirectly, by the League, with the object of influencing the Government on tho matter of the Bible in schools, or that of taking a referendum on the question. Continuing, Mr Massey said that the matter had been raised in the House in the form of a query to him, Mr T. M. Wilford asking whether it was intended by the Government to introduce legislation this session to enable a referendum to be taken on the matter of Bible lessons in schools. The answer he gave to that was that the Government did not intend introducing legislation this session to enable- such a referendum to be taken. He (Mr Massey) had not the faintest idea of what was behind Mr Wilford’s mind, but his question was a straight one, and he had given a straight answer. (Hear, hear.) Then the deputation asked the Government what attitude it intended to take In the matter next session. That question Seemed a little unfair, but he could tell them the matter had never been’ considered by Cabinet yet in any shape or form. If they wished to find out the Government’smind, he thought the proper thing was to think of the attitude of the individual members of the Government.

“If you do not know my attitude on this question you ought to,” declared Mr Massey. “My attitude is simply this: I have stood for free secular and compulsory education before I entered Pariament twenty years ago, and I stand for it now.” (Hear, hear.) Probably he was not as good a Christian as he ought to be. (Laughter). It was not a joking matter, but he believed in the Bible, and he stood for the Bible every time. He was utterly opposed to what might be called sectarianism in the schools of this country. The question has not yet come before Cabinet, but he thought he had good reason for saying, that so long as the Government remained in power nothing would be done by Cabinet which would not be consistent with the principle of the free, secular and compulsory education system in the Dominion. (Applause).