CHRISTCHURCH NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 43, 20 February 1905, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day?" COLONIAL SEAMEN ON WARSHIPS. Captain Tudor, of H.M.s. Challenger, who has a number of colonial seamen under his command, speaks in the highest terms of them. He says they have picked up their drill quickly, and give little trouble with regard to leavebreaking. It took them some time to learn to be in time, but he found them respectful in manner. THE NEXT ELECTION. It is stated that Mr. Meredith, ex__H_. ; will oppose Mr. Hardy for Selwyn in the coming elections. Mr. Lamhie has been asked to oppose Mr. McLaehlau for Asbburton, but has declined. He may contest Selwyn. Mr. Dickie is a possible candidate for Ashburton. A BISHOP'S VIEWS OX LIQUORDRINKING. The coadjutor-Archbishop of Sydney, interviewed Toy tlie,-"Time-:," siimi__i__ris-es his views on the liquor question as follows: "Liquor itself is not evil. Even poisons have their u_*?s. The evil lies in abuse, and this must be shown clearly to young men and young women. Intemperance is n disease of the will of ti:e people, and it is only by strengthenin? the will that men can be brought to total abstinence. Restrictive legislation is a dangerous weapon, and there is no knowing where it will slop when once applied in a particular dirretion. There is great danger in class legislation. Party socialists, or party landlords, or antilandlords, for instance, might come into power and adopt measures to suit themselves to the detriment of oth._r members of the community." RELIGION IN SCHOOLS. Speaking to a "Times" reporter on the question of religious instruction in schools, the coadjutor"^ Archbishop of Melbourne said: "I believe tbat unless pubhe opinion comes to appreciate the importance of the union of religious and secular instruction in the schools, and also the extreme difficulty, even the impossibility of giving religious training out of school hours, the worse it will be for the country. If children had choice of physical or mental exercise," His Grace continued, "it was only natural to expect that they would prefer bodily exertion; hence, if after school hours tiiey had the option to ramble through the fields or a lesson in religion, it was natural to suppose they would take the former course. Religious training in order to accomplish its mission, must be given in school hours. A perfect system of education was one which combined religious and secular instruction, and the system should be the ruling one m tne large centres of population Tn country districts, where many sects might be represented in a smaD'eonunnnitv denominational education was of course, impracticable, :.ad the secular ffiTLE? J-"*"-* was better