WHAT MEMBERS MUST PACE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2199, 11 July 1914, Page 4

WHAT MEMBERS MUST PACE

: Whatever, view may ;be .taken 'of the proposal to allow the people to exercise their right to decide whether or, not Bible/lessons shall' be given' in their own; schools to those children whose parents 'desire it, no oho can doubt that the question has become one of intense concern'to a very large ;section of'the public throughout .New.. Zealand.'.'. Amongst politi-. cians it is the nitestion of the hour,' and outside,of Parliament, ' in all circles of life, it' is, a topic which commands almost universal attention.-. 'A great niany • people: who : in. the past have-not ■ treated the proposal of the Bible-in-Schools League as anything more than a'passing agitation on the part.of the. heads of someof'the Churches, havd. been of late compelled to revise their .opiro ions.; Although the movement originated with, the Churches, it has spread broadcast through the country, and the majority ■ of the most zealous of the workers in favour of the Beferendum Bill •'now. before Parlia-' ment 'are what might, be termed therank arid file of the populace. Hundreds of women arc giving up their time and making personal sacrifices of various kinds in a determined effort to convince Parliament that the will of the/pebple must.be fairly tested on this matter, which they regard as of such vital concern to, their children's welfare. Hundreds' of men are striving with equal zeal for what they regard as a proper re'' ■cognition of thoir claim to a frco •and.full citizenship—the right to vote oii a, matter directly affecting the. national 'life of their country. Members "of Parliament do not appear to have yet fully recognised what this movement means. They do not properly appreciate the fact that, not;only: have.-nearly 150,000 electors signed petitions in favour of a Referendum on tho Biblc-in-sehools question, but many thousands in addition have signed pledges' to, if necessary) place this question, before party politics. It has been said, and no doubt with truth, that many of'those-who have signed in favour of a Referendum .will not go the length of casting aside their party views for the sake of voting for candidates who support a Referendum. But on'the other hand there cannot oo the least doubt that there are many thousands of men.and women who will, if necessary,'place ■ ,the Bible-iii-schools issue before all else.

Especially is this the case with the women of the Dominion. Those members who do not believe in Bible lessons being introduced into the State schools are quite entitled to hold to their opinions) but they cannot hope to shelter behind those opinions and make them a pretext for voting to prevent the voice of the people being ascertained. The personal opinion of any member on the merits or demerits of Bible lessons*bag nothing whatever to do with the issue which he will have tp vote on when the Beferendum Bill comes' on for ,its second reading next week. Tho merits or-, demerits of our present secular system, iof ■ education cannot be made a .cover for. shirking the issue which Parliament is called on to, decide. _ The only issue will be whether Parliament will'refuse to the people the right to decide this question for themselves by a direct vote. If members refuse t'o recognise this right of their constituents/they take up the attitude that they are superior to the people who elect them. They say.' in effect, we arc qualified to vote on this question but the people who elect us are not to be trusted to:yote on it although they own the schools, and it is their children who are schools. Bishop Sprott • put the position very plainly to the Prime Minister yesterday, and Mil. Massey . stated it with equal plainness when he replied in the following terms:— ./ " ' . ; ' ; He liad only ."had to consider whether the Government- were justified in standing in this way of the people in ah expression of opinion on an important question,, in.: which a. number of the coninvunily, probably a large majority, were very much concerned. They (the Government) had considered they would not Ik'justified in taking Tip suet a- position. ; This puts the position, fairly and clearly. Cabinet, does: not. feel that it.is justified in standing in'the way of a|lree expression of the opinion of the people. Hbw,can:-members of Parliament .who have given : the .matter any thought at aIL possibly defend any other attitude'?:. They are not called, on to decide the question of Bible'lessons;.'it is their duty merely *to [■ provide. * the . means iby which their constituents can decide the matter for themselves; : >':*