"BISHOP SPROTT AND THE PETITION CARDS."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2200, 13 July 1914, Page 8

"BISHOP SPROTT AND THE PETITION CARDS."

■■■; Sir,f-Kindly illow' me to ! state,tliat the executive of the Neiv; Zealand National! Schools' Defence League neither-''; drafted nor issued an; official petition card against Bible-in-scho'ols. /llclying ■■■' implicitly on the definite promise' made (August 9,1913) by the Prime Minister ..regarding'the attitude :of-:his Cabinet , . ; : toward our presently stem[of education, ouir lciague considered it : would'be but • wasting its .resources' by adopting ii.be : petition-card ■ device. Other leagues .(affiliated), 5 however, had ' (fortunately' •> for our i cause) ' not",; much . /faith ■ in • • .-■' political" ;promises,-';audl. so- set' to work, • "canvassing" petitioncards; •• against Bible-in-schools. When, 5 , month or 'two ' aM,- it da\raed ; on th«executive of thovNational League that the Government' was likely 'to break •••< .faith with ;it,'> it-was-found ■ that:, a petitioh. card, drafts and' I ''canvassed by . an iaffiiiated'league, had already secured. 0yer.40,000~ signatures,, and.so'.it was .' decided :that' this- card should be "can- ' . vassed" in-'tlie Wellington district; : and,--.during, the few!'weeks that our 1 : organiser has been in the'field, . only . -with the greatest difficulty liave we been able to supply. the.: demand for it. ■ As for'tho I'IOjOOO signatories +.1 tho petition-card (in favour; ..of; soliools) our Defence: Leagues,can pro- .• rnise 'Startling disclosures (witlii regard' ■/. to-it) as soon as it .is presented to Parliament.;, but perhaps the opportuno - ■■ ■• and: generous coup of the Minister of: Education' will/relieve,"!' the' Jiible-in-'• schools party of the necessity : .of, presenting iKto Parliament at'.all; and so jenablo them tp. escape the. humilia r tioh which a "scrutiny" must inevitably entail.—l am, etc., •' .-I . • HUGH MACKENZIE, Hon." .Secretary; N.Z;, National , Schools'' j . • Defence League, • July 8, 1914. . . . '