CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20085, 20 May 1914, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

CONCERNING ■ BTBLE READING IN

PUBLT-fJ BCHOOLS

AMERICAN LAWS.

(To the Editor.)

S!r, —I visited America two years ago and noted that the Bible in the public schools question was a very live one there. ..-■.. ,

I-.i the majority of the States some provision is*|aade fora simple reading from the Bkj&o by the school teacher. Last year (11)13) the State of Pennsyl-, vania, whose pcrau'iation numbers fix millions, passed a law "requiring teachers in public schools to read every morning tei versos from the Bible- without comment." Any teacher objecting to be dismissed. ' ■ ■ ■ Ga^hoKc schools do not receive StatO; aid. lbs following are States in America where the Bible is read in the public schools: The comments are supplied by the superintendents of public instruction: — Maine, " Bible daily read in school. for 270 years"; Netv York, "Read daily for j 250 rears" ; New Hampshire, " Head dai- ! lv since. 1623 ;1; Vermont, "We encoiirare Bible reading iti schools"; District of Columbia. "Bible read and Lord's Prayer repeated" ; Kentucky. "Generally read"; Tennessee, "The Bible is our I rock of public safety"; Alabama, "Custom in our scic-ols neither enjoins nor iorbkls" ; IKincis, dit'.o ; Mississippi, " The Bible is not excluded and is generally read"; Michigan, ditto; Arkansas, "Head in part cf our schools"; Texas, "Read in some schools"; Oregon, ditto; Wcot Virginia, "No law prohibiting Bible reading"; Florida, ddtto; Delaware.. "Bible reading universal" ; Fennsv.lvania, "The Sci'.iptures must net be omitted" ; Ne.r Jersey, " Read in nearly all schoo's"; Georgia, " The Bible cannot b» excluded'1; Connecticut, "The Bible has always been read" ; Massachusetts "Bible has been read in schools | *"- 978 years"; Maryland, "llead daily i ia our schools" ; South Carolina, "Generally read"; Rhode inland, "Universal castom to read the Scriptures"; Tndinnl, "The BiMc r-h»H not be excluded"; South Dakota, "May be read v\ithout sectarian comment"; Virginia, "Read ia nearly all the tchcois"; Ohio, "Wo thoroughly Ijfl.'evo in it, as it has a good influents upon our children" : Missouri, "Optional; character building is m im"'"rt;int factor with tis"; Nebraska, "Encourage moral culture; generally read" ; Kansas, "Head in part of our •\'hools": W.yo:iniii2. "Left to 'local boards to tlecido" ; Colorado. "Read in sr>me schools"; New York City, "Rule obsorved for nearly three centuries: in New York *\l} f-"]uioLs are opened) by rcidlnss the Biiile."

As the Bible- in public schools question is looinirp: largo in the political horizon T tho;?<ih*~ tho nhevo v/ou'ld «^ of interest to my foVc-v Xew Zealand«rs. — I am, yours truly, S. PEARSON. 253 CVhn loth Mnv, 1914.