Sir Robert's Romance

New Zealand Tablet, 22 July 1909, Page 1142

Sir Robert's Romance

Sir Robert Stout's statistical romance as to the greater criminality produced by, religious schools has been blown into so many smithereens that there is hardly enough of it left to talk about. It is, however, worth while to quote the following remarks of the Rev. Mr. Harper at the Wei-, lington Anglican Diocesan Synod on July 13 (reported in the New Zealand- Times of the following day): The Rev. Mr. Harper said shat 'he and many others had been exceedingly sorry to see that a man holding the exalted position of Chief Justice of New Zealand had in England made a statement which he (Mr. Harper) thought could"not be characterised as anything else but quite extraordinary, absolutely improvable and entirely reprehensible in every way. —(Applause.) " Of course," he went on to say, " we in this country have learned not to take Sir Robert Stout seriously in any matter. —(Applause.) Though he is Chief Justice of the country, I cannot help making this reference when he chooses to say a thing which is absolutely contrary %o what many of us know to be true. It is only a few absolutely prejudiced like himself and others who would say such a thing as he did." '