BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AND CRIME

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 19 December 1912, Page 6

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AND CRIME

(To the Editor.) o,\r, —I notice in this morning's "Chronicle" a paragraph dealing with the decrease of crime in New South Wales. It alludes to the fact as "having an important hearing upon the system of roligious instruction for many years past in vogue in that State." It is further stated that the Minister of Justice has no less than 26 gaols, for which he has no tenants, thrown upon his hands, and doesn't know what to do with them. Might I suggest that he knock out the partitions and turn them into churches and chapels. But there is another pkieo—Victoria, the adjoining State —has no system of religious instruction in ite public schools. How has it fared during the came period? Have they ■'been compelled in' that land of secular" education to 'build _ extra gaols? By no moans and by an inspection of the two States .we find that Victoria has by far the bettor record. Taking the returns for 1908 we find that for ©very 100,000 of the population, the fallowing offences are proportioned as follows : —Against the person—Victoria 141, New South Wales 229 ; against property 308 as against 4-27 ; drunkenness 1.036 a« against 1,766. Or, as showing the moral progress in that State, having a secular system, over n lengthened period, v?o find Victoria, in 1890, recorded 4,091 for the first, 5,036 for the second, nnd 18,601 for the third offences as shown above; that's against tho person, property and drunkenness:. Tn 1908 the eorresroonding figures ar« 1,793, 3,894 and 13,102. A fund of

the same matter could be sulbonitted, but this may suffice to show it is not only in States haying an authorised e3-fstem of religious instruction that we find a very decided improvement in the moral life of the people. Here in New Zealand many of our gaols have been emptied of late years, even our own gaol has been practically closed, while in many countries where religious instruction is freely imparted in the schools their gaols are found too small and fresh ones have to be built. Your readers will thus see for themselves that tliere is mare than one side to this argument and, I believe the side that stands for a secular system of the broadest and best kind has by far the best side of it.—l am,, etc., J. T. WARD.

Dec. 16/1912