TWO ITEMS FROM THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16555, 14 October 1921, Page 7

TWO ITEMS FROM THE HOUSE.

(Special to the ** Star”). WELLINGTON, October 13. MR MASSEY’S ADDRESS. The benches of the House were crowded to hear Mr Massey’s speech on Imperial affairs. There were also crowded galleries. Most members of the House listened with close attention but there were interruptions at times which were not at all helpful, not that they were hostile, but they led the Prime Minister into little by-paths of argument and explanation that rather spoilt the continuity of his speech from the point of view of general listeners. Mr Massey did his best to answer questions put in this way, but his difficulty all through was to get into a speech of two hours’ duration all that he wished to say. He spoke with his usual speed, but even when he had finished there were subjects and aspects of subjects on which ho had merely touched lightly or not at all. TEACHERS’ LOYALTY. In discussing the Weitzel inquiry at Victoria College, the Hon C. J. Parr said it would show the young teachers of New Zealand that so long as the present administration remained in office they would not permit those who had charge of the education of the young people to engage in propaganda of this kind. Members : Hear. hear. The Minister added that the Government, whether a person was a teacher or a professor, would not allow a person drawing his salary from the Consolidated Fund to be a propagandist for this sort of work. Mr Atmore: 'Why not make professors take an oath of allegiance as well? ’’ The Minister said that in tlie Education Bill to be brought before the House this session he proposed to ask that no person engaged in the education service of the country should be allowed to receive a certificate until he pledged himself to be loyal, and he would not except professors. He considered that no one occupying the position of teacher to the young ought to be under suspicion of disloyalty to the country and its laws.