PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9222, 29 April 1908, Page 1

PUBLIC OPINION.

> .■ : — ♦ FROM^YESTEBDAY'S NJ$Wi% __ "■•— - 'PAPERS. (By Telegraph.) BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. Despite the most obvious evidence the thin Bible in school minority imagines that it. can influence the populace against the free secular system. It has all ( the optimism of Dame" Part>Ington, without half the energy of that lady. When will these -people realise the futility of their attempt to fly in the face of public opinion? — "New iZealand Times." NEW ZEALAND FINANCE. If £6.000,000 have been transferred from revenue to capital account how/ many milliona have been practically transferred back again by the illegitimate debiting of- working expenses to the public works fund? Until that problem is settled it is misleading to Speak of these transfers a 6 representing a net increase of capital, and we we amazed that Sir Joseph Ward should resort to such argument, and should continue the procedure which clouds the true financial position in impenetrable darkness. The substantial prosperity of the country is fortunately Bounder than some of the arguments by which Sir Joseph Ward endeavourto prove it, yet there is not a business man in Wellington who does not realise that caution rather than exultation is the safe note just now. — "Evening Post." * THE TEACHER QUESTION. The pupil teacher system ought to be abolished. A creditable career in the secondary schools ought to be demanded of all who would become teachers. Training in the Training College should be confined to the technical nide of the vocation, and should not be loaded with subjects which belong to the ordinary secondary schools. Young men should be started in life only after they had acquired a somewhat superior education, and had attained an age when it could speedily be seen if they had the necessary abilities and capacities. It is quite impossible to effectively reform the system as long ac callow boys and girls of unformed character, .nnd of^ only primary education a,re drafted into the staff, and it is ridiculous that we should accept this now that secondary education ha<s beeu made practically free. — " New Zealand Herald." WHITE AUSTRALIA. The success which has attended the , sugar industry during the transition period from black to white workers seems to indicate that cheap coloured labour is by no means necessary to the industrial prosperity of tropical Australia. But whatever be. the ultimate future of Queensland and the Northern Territory it would manifestly be an irreparable error to open the door to the East before the possibility of peopling the whole continent with whites has been finally disproved. On these questions the public opinion of Australasia is irrevocably decided, but we bordially concur with the New South Wales Agent-General that colonial statesmen must make every effort to find a solution of the problem " Con- j eistent with their Imperial obligations land with the courtesy due to friendly j .nations." — Auckland "Star." j

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