A CHAT ON EDUCATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 2, 10 May 1895, Page 15

A CHAT ON EDUCATION.

Dear Sir, — As ft visitor from Australia I am, I assure you, enchanted with the taauties that surround your fair city. I have often topped the Roslyn hill, roamed through the Kiikorai Valley, climbed once the steep sides of tie lofty Flag Staff, and everywhere I have been delighted with the lovely scenes that break upon the sight in whatever direction I turned. On some occasions 1 have ventured eten farther afield, and have " tramped it ' all the way to the pretty village cf Wai'ati. Once a person gets through the Nur'h East Valley, and negotiates safely the steep ascent aa far as " The Junction," he is well repaH for his toil by U c panorama that s're'cheß out before him. He has a grand view of the Inner and the Outer Harbour, with Port Chalmers and its pretty islands backing in the sunshine and lying apparently at hi 9 very feet. Beyond the harbour he has the hills of the Peninsula running out boldly into the oce&D, while inland on his left he has a grand stretch of country, beautifully diversified with hill and dale, and bounded in the far distance by the fine range of hills so aptly termed the " Silver Peaks." If ooe bat travels that way on a fine day in winter, the sight of these peaks clad in nature's beauteous mantle of virgin snow will give him some idea of the beauties of New Zealand Ecenery and of what he may expect to see in case he can get to Mount Cook or to the fine rangeß that surround the crystal lakes of Central and Southern Otago. With the nice sights that break upon the view at each of the many turns In the winding road one scarcely feels the journey, and fiads himself footing it bravely into Waitati before he has time to think of getting tired. By leaving the city at say 9 o'clock a.m., he can easily accomplish tho distance on foot by dinner time! Then at mine host Colehan's he is greeted with such a hearty welcome, and provided with such good cheer that he loses Bight of the fact that he has covered about 14 or 15 miles on foot, and prepares for a good ramble in the bush shortly after finishing dinner, And what shall we say of the Waitati bush? Indeed the New Zealand Bush is proverbial in all parts for its beauty ; but if there be one place where thia beauty can be said in a manner to surpass itself, that spot is Waitati. There, indeed, can Nature be seen in all her pristine loreliness. Hills clothed to their very summits with every variety of tree and sbrub ; fertile valleys, well stocked with the finest cattle to be found in the Australasian colonies; lovely streams and silvery rivers > reminding ona forcibly of some of the fairest scenes of the Emerald Isle. How many of your readers, Mr Editor, have seen.with their own eyes the beauties to which I refer? Of this I have not the slightest idea. Unfor'unately for poor human nature we go to great expense and travel hundreds of leagues by land and sea ti view scenery which is surpassed in beauty by what lies, as I may say, at oar very door,

I hope this cannot be said of the people of Dnnedin. They, indeed, have beauties, and the prottiest of nature's beanties within easy distance of their fair city ; and if, when roaming in distant lands, they hear the stranger expatiate on the fairy-like Bcenes he has beheld in his travels, Jet them listen with attention till be hai concluded hia remarks, but then let them take np the thread and unfold in glowing strains tho beauties of New Zealand. But to come to the reel point. I was in Waitati some time since and taking a quiet ramble along one of it 3 pretty roads, when I was accosted in friendly tones by a gentleman evidently b*nt on the same object as myself, namely, a little healthy exercise in the bush. I very soon perceived that he was a business man fiom Duneciin who was having a few days' well-earned rest in tho country. I found him very intelligent and communicative, but at the same timt in do way obtrusive. The conversation was not long in reaching the leading topic of the day — eduoation. From my manner and accent he had no difficulty in telling my nationality, and conclnded at once that I was a holy Roman. He said there is one thing I admire very much in Bishop Moran, and that is bia consistency on the education question. He has held out firmly to that all through, that religious education should be imparted in the school. "No use." be continued, "in saying people ought to teach religion to their children at home. As a matter of fact we don't do it. Now I'll just tell you something that happened to my* self. A few friends were dining with me on a Snnday, when one of my Bons asked if he might leave the table. I inquired why be wished to leave. " Because, father, I want to go to Sunday-school," was the reply. "Do you like going there, George 1 " "Oh I yes father, I do." " Well, may I ask what you do there of a Sunday ? " "We say some prayers, get some instruction, and sing 6ome hymns." "Now, do you think you really learn anything there ? " "Oh ! yea father, of cours-, we do." " Well, come now, George, could you just tell me who was Pontius Pilate?" "O father you are ooly joking now, asking me such a question." " No, no my boy, I am quite serious, tell me if you know it." "Cf coursi I know it father. Pontius Pilate was a race-horse." I conld not help smiling when the gentleman concluded his highly instructive narrative, and, Hibernian-like, I proceeded to let him know something of my owa exparienco in a similar line in Victoria, Mr Justice Hodges was speaking at a public session of the Church of England in Melbourne, in presence of the Protestant Bishop and a number of other gentlemen of the same Church, both lay and clerical, and in the course of his remarks spoko very freely and very forcibly on the sad ignorance in religious matters that prevailed amongst the State-school children in the Colony. His Honour remarked that aa intelligent little girl of ten years or thereabouts was brought before him as a witness some time previously. Before allowing her to be sworn, the judge put several questions to her to ascertain if she kcew anything of the nature of an oath, or what punishment would be meted out in the next lifo to those who Bwore falsely. His Honour found her so utterly ignorant on these and kindred subjects, that he considered himself bound in conscience to decline the administration cf the oath, or to receive anything she might have to say in the way of evidence. "5 our humble servant happened, when conversing witb a member of the Upper House some time after in Victoria, to make allusion to these remarks of the judge. "Oh 1" said the M.L.C. "Mr Justice Hodges spoke of one, but I'm Borry to say that one was all. They are all the same ; they are now — those State school pupils, grown up to manhocd and womanhood, they are fit to bo our representatives and they knew nothing whatever of the truths of religion." This M.L C. was a. staunch Protestant himself, and I wondered somewhat to hear him speak so forcibly in condemnation of the Government schools. But 1 had to hear more, much more, before the conversation euded. "The fact is, sir,' he continued, " this State school system of education is ruining the Colony, the youth are growing up devoid of religion, the Colony is crushed by the enormous expense of this Godless system, and, furthermore, it is pauperising the colonists, for men who are well able to pay for the education of their children avail themselves of the State schools, send them there to ba taughtfor aothing msteadof doing their duty by paying for them themselves." This worthy legislator waxed warm on the subject. He was a wealthy squatter, a shrewd business man, in fact a thorough man of the world and one least of all likely to let bis feelings get the better of his judgment, but bo full was be of the injustice and iniquity of the godless system of education that I had but to let him go on, and give him a patient bearing. In the end I ventured to make some allusions to the Catholics, when be at once took me up and said warmly, " The fact i?, sir, that we owe you Catholics a deep debt of gratitude for the noble example you have given us of what should be done in the cause of religious education." My worthy Waitati f rien 1 beard me out to the end. He was quite of the same way of thinking as the Victorian squatter, and furthermore, I may venture to assert, it is the candid opinion of every intelligent and right -minded non-Catholic in these Colonies that religion — the Christian re'igiou — ought to be taught in the eohoo's if we want the young to become a r«ce of steady, honest, God-fearing men and not a nation of infido's. — I am, etc, A SOJOTJBHEB,