SCHOOLS' DEFENCE LEAGUE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 28, 10 March 1914, Page 5

SCHOOLS' DEFENCE LEAGUE.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.

The following report will be read at

the first annual meeting of the National Schools Defence League, which meets at the Y.M.C.A. to-night, to review the jrork of the past yearr^CHRISTCHTJBCH BBANCH.

Your executive has much pleasure in presenting the following report:—-Pol-lowing on the inaugural meeting in February, 1913, your executive has held a considerable number of meetings, at which much useful foundation work has been done. Branches of our league were formed at East Oxford, Leeston,

Bangiora, Ashburton, and Tai Tapu, as ' a resoult of visits and addresses by ; deputations from your executive. As-

sistance has also been giyen to our colleagues in Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland. l Deputations also addressed the Trades and Labour Council and the School Committees' Association. In each case we were impressed with the fact that our case only needed .to be <jlearly stated to win the support of our hearers. So many false issues and side

issues have been raised by the Bible-in-Schools League that we must urge on ©ur members to give every support and ! active assistance in- bringing before the v 'pubiic the real nature of the proposals our opponents are putting forward. The meeting addressed by the Hon. G. Fowlds arid others in February, 1913, together with* the leaflets printed and ■distributed by your executive and the correspondence in the daily Press, •which has been conducted by members of the executive, have done much to win support for our cause. A large amount of correspondence from aupporters in all parts of New Zealand iflso indicates that it only needs organisation to unite a large body of people who would effectively oppose the present attempt to induce the State, for the first time in New Zealand, to discriminate between the various Christion denominations," by converting our State schools into denominational schools.

Last February, at a meeting of delegates from various centres of New Zealand, a National Schools Defence League was formed, with headquarters )rt Wellington. The central executive organised a very large deputation, composed of members of all denominations, and representing a number of influential sections of the cdmmunity. The spokesmen of this deputation to the Premier and the Minister of Edu- . -cation stated the objections to the Bible-in-Schools scheme, and were ;yery , much gratified, by the 1 Hon., W. F. i Massey 's reply. The Premier stated "that "he had always stood for 'free* • secular, rand compulsory 'education,' *?: 'that he r " was utterly., opposed, to, any}- '; thing that might be called sectarianism ;in the public schoolsy/' and£| finally,. * 'that while his Government'remained ;in office nothing would be done by it • that would not be consistent with the principle of free, secular, and compul- ; sory education." As the Premier re- : ferred by name to the various members •of his Cabinet, it was evident that most of the Ministers were opposed to the Bible in Schools, and right of entry policy.

The central executive has now in hand the matter of appointing a Dominion organiser to unify arid extend our organisation. The funds for this purpose have been guaranteed, and we may soon count on showing Parliament that a large amount of the apparent support claimed by our opponents is the support of indifference or of ignorance of the issues involved.

Your executive urges 'on every member to devote time and energy to our cause during the coming months. The cause of liberty went down in Queensland merely through lack of organisation. The referendum there was carried by only 26 per cent, of the electors after IV years of agitation, at a muddled election, when no fewer than five referendum proposals were before the electors. Then in Victoria, the demand for a referendum on this religious question has. been twice refused, in spite of *he alleged glorious success of the system in the neighbour State of New South Wales. We only need to be true $o the call of justice, and to our duty *s citizens, to prevent religious injustice *iiin% inflicted in the supposed interests <i; the Bible and of religion. On behalf f of -the executive. J.-CATJGHLEY, President. C. CHILTON, Vice-president. T. A. WILLIAMS, Hon. Sec. Christchurch, March 10, 1914.