THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19442, 30 October 1925, Page 6

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

A statement attributed to the Prime Minister is used by the local Opposition journal as a peg on which to hang a suggestion that Mr. Coull, the Reform candidate for Wanganui, has been placed in a dilemma on account of his pledge to support the reading of the Bible in State schools. A somewhat confused report of some remarks made by Mr. Veitch, one of Mr. Coull’s opponents, is to the effect that Mr. Coates’ statement “that his party was in favour of free, secular, and compulsory education” had made this “a party issue for the first time,” and “it would be interesting to know how the local Reform candidate would vote on the question, seeing that on the one hand he is pledged to follow Mr. Coates, and on the other against the principle of our education system remaining secular.” This is the first we have heard of auy statement by Mr. Coates to the effect that his party is in favour of free, secular, and compulsory education, and we can safely say that if by some slip of the tongue Mr. Coates did use the word “secular” he certainly did not mean that his party would, as a party, oppose the admission of the Bible to the schools. Mr. Veitch knows just as well as we do that this question never has been a party question and is never likely to be. Last session Mr. Coates voted against Mr. Isitt’s Bible in Schools Bill, and every other Minister in the House voted for it. The very idea of making it a party question is absurd. It is to be regretted that his Nationalist opponents should have tried to take unfair advantage of Mr. Coull, whose campaign methods have been entirely above reproach. We had hoped that the candidates at any rate would have maintained the rules of fair play right through the contest. The Opposition newspaper apparently is past praying for, but it is a great pity that its influence should extend to any individual, for evil communications corrupt <z-id manners.