DID THE CHIEF JUSTICE SAY SO?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 509, 17 May 1909, Page 6

DID THE CHIEF JUSTICE SAY SO?

Sir,--Sir Robert Stout, according to a cable message, in an with a "Daily News" representative, made two statements, both ambiguous, and both debatable. His description of the attitude of the English Nonconformista—an attitude' which, ho sa3's, "amazes him," ; may bo left .to their representative men to deal with. If he has hot been misrepresented by the journalist, it may not unfairly be characterised as disingenuous. But oven more so does this criticism apply to his alleged account of the relation betwsen education and crime in this country. "Children secularly trained in New Zealand produced only half the criminaJß m proportion to', their numbers,- compared with those trained in denominational schools'."

Such a statement must arrest the attention of every reader, coming, as it is said to do, from tho Chief Justice of New Zealand. Let us ask: Is it the truth? Is it the wholo truth? Is it nothing but tlie troth?■ Literally, perhaps, it may be supported by statistics, but it is none the less misleading. Will not every English roador infer that in New Zealand, as in England, "denominational schools" aro distributed among the various denominations? Here, is it not true that, with exceptions almost negligible, they represent one denomination only. The .fact hoTe is that at least six-sevenths, perhaps as large a proportion as nine-tentks of. the children of the people belonging to the churches attend the State schools. Theso children have tho full benefit of'such religious teachings as tho homo, tho Church, the Sunday schools, and the Bible,classes provide.

Bald statistics may—though I am far from suro they do—support the literal truth of tho statement. It is for denominationalists te disprove it if they can. But it is not the wholo truth. It is not half a truth. And without elaborate explanations and qualification it is wholly and entirely misleading.— I am, etc., NATIONAL EDUCATION. May 14. . ■■■•'•