BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 6

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

MEETING AT CHALMERS. ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTERS (From a Correspondent.) ' ' • ' \ Dunedln, Julv 17.: Last night in the Chalmers electorate a remarkably successful meeting in support of the Referendum Bill wae held in the Presbyterian Church, Port Chalmers. Although the weather was very stormy there was an'attendance of ahout 150. The Rev. W M. Grant, Congregational minister, presided, and there were also on.the platform the ministers of the Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist Churches, and the captain of the Salvation Army. The chair-, man spoke in terms of the highest' praise of the Australian system of religious instruction. As the result of a long experience of the system he referred to its fairness and absence of sectarianism. The Rev. W. A. Keay gave a most forceful. address and referred to the system as he had known of it in Queensland and in New South Wales. Ho referred to , the loss from the moral standpoint of education without moral training, and religion, and dwelt upon the inorease of juvenile offenders as the reason for improving our system of education • The Rev. R. Wood also ipoke. The Rev.' H. L. Goertz moved a reEohition in favour of the Referendum Bill, with its one clear issue, and called upon the member for the district to have regard to the fact that between two and three thousand of his constituents, had signed in favour of the referendum and Bible in schools; and requested him to regard the wishes of his constituents and to support the BUI in Parliament. _ The motion was passed with enthu; siasm, without dissent. ■ . , ' NOT A PARTY MATTER. REMIT AT REFORM LEAGUE MEETING. A remit forwarded , by the Auckland West branch, bringing under notice of the General Conference the urgent necessity for favourably considering the request of the Bible-in-Sch<-oh Eeague'j for a referendum on that question, was ruled out of discussion at tho Reform - League Conference' yesterday on the ground that it was strictly a rron-party question, and that it was unwise to have the "matter discussed in a conference primarily assembled for the purpose of improving the party organisation...' ■■'..' BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS LEACUE • DEMONSTRATION. A demonstration in' support of the Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum Bill is to be held in the Town Hall on Monday, July 27, at 8 o'clock. Tho Hon. J. G. W. Aitken will preside, and amongst shakers will be Mrs; Harrison Lee-Cowie, world's-missionary of the W.C.T.U.; Mr. L. de Berry, M.A., Rector of the .Hokitika , '- High School, and .a members of the Teachers' Institute: the Rev.. J. Paterson, M.A., of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch, who, has recently arrived from New South Wales. Representatives of the various Churches supporting the movement will also take part in the proceedings. The Salvation Army Band will be in attendance. A choir of some hundreds of voices will lead'the .singing, which will-be of.a congrega,-" 'tional nature, under the, direction of Mr. Kerry, organist of St. John's Presbyterian Church. Willis Street. ' PETITIONS OF PROTEST. Petitions of pro'test, against the passing of the Religious Instruction ■in j Schools Referendum Bill were presented to the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. J. S. Dickson, the Hon. W. H..Herrios, the Hon. J. A. Millar, Mr. F. Mander, Mr. G. Hunter, Mr. A. S. Malcolm (for Mr. Speaker), the Hon. R. Sl'Kenzie, and Mr. T. Buxton. The total number of signatures on 'these, petitions was 5346, making a grand total of signatures on petitions presented to'date of 56,411.' WHAT ORANCEMEN EXPECT. (Bγ TelefrraDb.—Pre«e Association.) ■ Wostport, July 17. At a largely attended meeting of the Orangemen of Westport district: tonight, it was unanimously resolved to telegraph Mr., J. Colvin, member for the district, that.he is expected to support the Bible Reading in Schools Referendum Bill.