A PROHIBITION TEXT-BOOK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5566, 15 May 1896, Page 3

A PROHIBITION TEXT-BOOK.

It appears ■ that tho prohibitionists in the State of New York have "captured" the educational authorities to the extent of having' a text-book introduced and made compulsory in the public schools, enforcing the dietetic lesson of total abstinence from intoxicants and even the political dogma of prohibitory laws. This is a great advance, but it seems that it has produced some unintended results. A teacher in one of the large schools says that it is almost impossible to maintain discipline, when the teetotal lesson comes up. The children have informed the parents of what is going on, and the fathers have told the pupils that they are boing taught "nonsense."' Many of the. parents do not believe that a glass of light wine or beer at meals is injurious, or is conducive to ultimate habits of intoxication. The children soon let their teachers know that they believ they are not being taught facts. Even those teachers who are prohibitionists confess that their faith in the wisdom of the leaders of the prohibition movement has been shaken. It is, doubtless, a misfortune to have the school set up as an authority in opposition to home teaching and practice, and it is to be deplored that any lessons should have the result of weakening either school discipline or parental authority. The effects of the prohibition text-book in New .York State may well be cited as an argument against the introduction of Scripture textbooks here, or the teaching of any religious dogmas by the State which eyen a small minority of parents might tell their, children were "nonsense."