BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2303, 10 November 1914, Page 8

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS LEAGUE

EXECUTIVE'S DECISION At a meeting of the. Executive held on Monday a letter was. read from the President of tho Methodist Conference, the .llev. S. J. Serpell, regretting his absenee and stating:—"lt is liigli tinie we made our politicians feel that wo are not prepared to bo flouted in the manner • we. have been by the present and other Governments. We are not prepared to see tho crcdenco given to the Roman Catholic Church and the few malcontents from the. other Churches, and the resolutions carried practically unanimously by the governing courts of the great Protestant Churches simply ignored." A letter was also jead from the Primate, Dr. Nevill, intimating -that though from choice he had been a supporter of the present Government, ho regarded the, religious welfare of the country as of paramount importance, and urged members of the Church of England to put first the- Kingdom of God. and His righteousness when considering their political responsibility. The following resolution was carried: —"The Executive of the Bible-in-State->*chools League express, regret at the recommendation of the Parliamentary Education 1 Committee, which was passetL by the smallest possible majority,. 6 to 4, to the effect that the people of New Zealand are not to be allowed by their direct vote to express their wishes on the Bible-in-schools question. , This recommendation is* in., face of the fact that action in Parliament on more than one previous occasion shows that the •subject'is a suitable one for being dealt with by a referendum. The opinion of half-a-dozen men is a different thing from an opinion which the'league asks shall be given by the whole-people— the sovereign tribunal. "The action of the , Parliamentary Committee accordingly makes it all the more—and not the less—necessary to appeal to the constituencies to return members who mil be prepared to allow the whole people an opportunity of a direct vote on the league's proposal. "Tlie executive t assures its 153,000 members that : no'effort will be relaxed until the request made by Churches representing 7-5 per cent, of the population is submitted to the people for decision. The executive urges upon members of the league so to' vote as to secure the return, of only those candidates who. are prepared to allow tho people to exercise the right of saying. what shall be . done in . the people's schools. Schools supported by the people's money and attended by the peo-. pie's children. . '

_ "The executive points out to the public that in those States where the system exists, which the league is advocating,' there has, been political peace on the subject ever since that system was introduced. This is in marked contrast with New Zealand where the subject has been a perennial cause of disturbance in the political arena. A ;position which would have been avoided had Parliament invited the people to express their will on the question. "Without/ going further into the action of the Parliamentary Education Committee, the executive points out one proposal made by Canon Garland to: that committee. He asked the committee that its chairman should send a circular to every teacher in Australia where the system exists, inquiring into its working, the league to abide, by the result. l A request which was received, with significant laughter.' That: request could' have' been carried but very easily by the Parliamentary Committee ; it would have meant nothing more than the drafting of a short circular. and the direction of envelopes. The failure of that committee to make such a simple inquiry lost Parliament an opportunity of obtaining direct evidence in a manner free from any possibility of; partiality on the part of:the inquirers. The recommendations axe therefore, in the opinion of this executive, open to the construction that the, obtaining of evidence on which to base the recommendations was a matter of small concern."