THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS PLEBIS-CITE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2200, 13 July 1914, Page 9

THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS PLEBISCITE.

$ .Sir',—Now that tlio Government has. . dcciciod that it will rest with the mcm- . this ques-/ • . tion will bo submitted to tho people or

not, 1/hope those 'members who are i inclined <to vote against the lleforendum Bill will seo that by doing so they. aro •forfeiting whatever v rclaims.' tliey inay ;have possessed of .being tru'idomocrats.;' of/ membersol'''Parliament who are supposed to "voice,the:wishes of the electors,.and ybi: .they hesitato : about allowing •: the .voico jpf thp olcctbrs; to be heard on this ques-; ':tionA;'lf.,ttie':Biblcrih-Schools';, ; proposal Vis tho . iniquitous thiiig tlieii* Opponents would have lis believe it;isj andij.s not wanted by tho majority of the people, then why don't they welcome tho.'chance of .a vote on'tlie question by thp : people :as a. whole. . As a ,Duriedinite. ';aiid: one' ■' who . lias ' warmly' defended tlio Hon. Mr. Eamshaw's an- • pointiriorit to the. Council; I .was ■greatly - surprised 'to find him., taking -the, undomocraticsido: on this question. ]lo said-that labour would have to fight; ''.Scamstvtho;;srantirig.';,of-a;-r€ferfendtini..' '''Why^tlie^•Labour■Ymeinb , 9M' i and' those ,wlio 'call .themselves Radicals should; ( if they/are /truo;'tp > their/principles, he /the > warmest. advocates for it. /In yM'nclusion,;l:wisTi.;to stato.that J although: nn/.thb past>J,...liave; : :alwajs.:.supirartcd ..tlio Eeform^candidate l ; if*'it'6o happons: that on this question a Goverilliient .'candidate;.fbr ; vtliis - ; Cifiy\ votes against .tlio. referendum, then . nest election vl. will -he. found'.■itsntgVmy;;/Vote ! ,aiid- in-, jflu'orice/against'; him; -much' as I may ;• regret having'to do - so. Members of' Parliament aro not being asked to carry, •tlio leagiio proposals by voting.lfor- the ; ;refereudum; tliey . arc merely '' 1 beih.ii; -asked to; sutimit: thoy question; to. the de-; cision of tho electors. How can tho.v, 'honestly. •, refuse . such ' a request ?-—I 'am/^tc;,:^^/:;';:-/ -:>■.;••■ ■■.v.', 1 ; -' • J. U. li- 1 Dunedin, July 6, 1914. METHODS OF RELICIOUS INSTRUC- . TION IN ASIATIC AND EGYP-f-..TIONAL NATIONAL SCHOOLS. i Sir,—Tho'iiicthods in yoguo '■ to-dny ;'for impar tiiigr roligious instruction in/ the/iatidrial .the East are worthy,of cote at this time:— ; - India: The iMysore: Government -has ? jiist-adopted a. scheme for; the introduc-: tiqn of -mprdl'; aMv:religipus, ; 'iri'structioii'' in the' State schools' and.,colleges,; by; which; .Hindu, Mohammedan, and .Christian-pupils may be taught m their Respective- religions, -provided ■? their. ,nuinb6r.'is not';less';thaii■twenty-/in'.'each;. ;;■//,.- ; iv.r-.V China: Eohgious books are tlio basis .;6fiCHinese"'^ducauion;;'. : ' : isje. four books: and .' the five\-class'ics- composing their sacred',;literature -arft-'about; equal, in ! bulk 'ytb. jtlie" Old: and New Testaments. -Their.; cpntents^relato^wliolly.,to; estpr-. 1 : nal • forms;; of conduct; These : sacred: •texts^are;;tho:^iprodi>etioh;'of ?: ;Gohf.ucms; (551 b.c.) and his followers, and form: thoChmese-rConfucianism: The.Con- < fuciari.':. precept's 'conduct;:'ofj' : ,children';;U ;The '^he-^hool.consists ;;iri;the mastery;'of ;■ sec-: cond, *. in.', committing' to: Inomdry the ;:."jfchird iJio; ofV Sil-r i ; most.- innumerable commentaries on these ;^texts/ : ; fo'rMo purpose of develop-: irig a literary-stylo; . similar, to 'that of;the'.Sa:crad; Writihgs.f;.Confucius,exhort.; cd'imen.andVnatipnsV to /righteousness,! and.to walk 'in .the'.paths of-virtue. '-' Egypt:.Nine-tonths.of the population': of llgypt are' Moslem. '-In.-Government schools one hour a day, or fira hours- a week, are required-for in the jKora;mV7-;'' : ;>■ Moslem: 1 ' .Schblars\;m! : tauglit ;;the/necessity l of( religion 'to mani. i'At seven/years ,ot, age : a.Mohammedan: boy .commences to learn by. - heart; the .-Koran, and tho process, is continued-with-his years. ■ ■ It has- been/stated recently,'that the -Egyptian Government-", has' purchased : a number-.ofvßibles to be used in tho schools , , ..Japan: In all educational institutions .itiJapanj-.-f ro.inßuhiyersitie's'r- > ddivn - to' primary.. schp6ls;Atli6-. directors and. •headmasters : respectively • read ■ tho, following. Imperial' Rescript on education-which■'is/laojcad-up'to. as:the authority; on Japanese/morality.; In its his Mat jjestj'v-m'structs 'liislsubjects "to;:bo filial; : to their parents; affectionat-o to their r.brotliers.'.and: sistersas' friends to'bo: true; to 1 bear themselves m modesty, and moderatidn; -j to extend;: ..their benevolenco to all; to pursue learning and ■ cul'.tiyajfe'''.'art's, ;-ana-therebydevelop . Intel-; lectual .faculties and ' perfect moral • powers; furthermore, to advance public good;;and promotprcom'mon .interests: '-'the -laws,; r' and,. : if '-;emergency .shouldarise tooffer themselves. cour-; ageously to the State,. and thus guard and'jmaiutain.the'pfosperitj'. of 'thelm-. perial Throne coeval- (vith heaven and earth —I am. etc., ' S. PEARSON