BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1911, 20 November 1913, Page 6

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

*"'•■■■■•.. ■"« ■'■■- i-' . VISITING POLECIGIAN IN SUPPORT. Mr. femes Allen,, Sf.tuA,, of B.ris« baiio, who ,js touring Np\y Zealand; for the beiiejit etthh .health., bear's 'Valuable testimoiiy'to the ifuet thaji the introduction of the .Biblp into tilp State schools of .Queen.is.la.ntl : lias.*.p.roVdd quite innocuous. ' "All'tlio trouble, the' bigotry, aiid sectarian, .strife that wo ivercs to hsi.v.o on the iiitro'duptipn oi the JJib'le' iii schools .have proved to lie. entirely, imaginary.. . 'Of course, tiro Lahpur-Sociaiist party Wado the Rcfc'roii'dimi .a plank in their platform, mid agree to one being taken, on this .question., fully believing that the public would 'turn it drnViv tart, nmcli to their surprise:, it was agreed to by oVe* 17,0.00 votes, bift when tlio Bill was before tlio Hon so they (tlio Labpur-S&pi.glists) fought it at every stage. J Tho system ,lia:s now becit in aetual. existence for two .years., and is .going along nfce/iy. Ii consists of the reitding aiid study of selpeted lessons from tho Scriptures., compiled very eafcfully in tho form of a tost booir, Oiio of tliolessons : is read every day. iii school, .part of ..tho regular State school curriculum. Then, by arrangement iniijistors of tho various religions may visit tlio Schoojs at appointed tjme's onoe a week to givo jtisfcrug'fcign to the childrtoji of parents belonging to.. his. Ohwch. There Wore at jirst Objections' on the pitrt of softo of the teachers who fancied that they wore being bii.rclc.nerd with aiioi'her Witch of .stiid'y, <i>ijt tliafc has all disappearecl,. a'ud the innovation is working all right. Jtjs too early to look for resultsj perhaps, but everything is movaig along, satisfactorily., and none of the anticipated 'troubles" hav& eventuated."