NATIONAL SCHOOLS DEFENCE LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2320, 30 November 1914, Page 9

NATIONAL SCHOOLS DEFENCE LEAGUE

At a- meeting of the executive of tho National Schools' Defence League, held on Saturday, the '"ollowing report was adopted:— •

Tho reports of the recent discussions of the question of Bible-in-Statc-School which , took place at tho Methodist Conferences and in tho Presbyterian Assembly make it abundantly clear that thero is no approach to unanimity <n tho subject even among the clergy of two of the churches, which have been claimed as whole-heartedly in favour of the Garland objective. The Rev. Dr. Irwin's statement that "the price the Presbyterian Church had paid to tho Anglican Church for the policy was the right of entry,; Tho Anglicans wanted entry into the schools for no other purpose than to teach their denominational Srinciples," should open the eyes of fonoonformistß to the real source of the present. enthusiasm for the cause of Bible-in-Schools by the. Anglican body that'has never made any serious attempt to avail itseif of the great facilities that already exist for teaching the Bible to the children in the schools. Is was decided that the circular recently issued by the organising secretary of the Bible-irf T Schools Leajue to the ministers' of tho Anglican Church (in which that church is referred to as "The Church"), should bo printed and forwarded to ministers of tho other, fifoirches. A very pleasing feature of thoso discassions in the Church Courts has been the vehement protest, not only from clergymen opposed to, but also from olergymen in favour of the objective of the- Bible-in-Schools League against' any attempt to dragoon members, lay or clerical, into placing their votes and influence, contrary to their conscientious convictions at the service of certain political candidates, no matter what their moral or political qualifications may be. \ . The Defence League lias issued circulars to all candidates tori Parliament asking, for detailed information as to the attitude of candidates on the question of (1) a referendum or plebiscite; (2) the separation of the issues on tho ballot-paper—should a. referendum or plebiscite be agreed to; (3) providing a conscience clause for teachers and the League finds from the replied received a deoHed majority is against a plebiscite on a religious issue; while practically all are prepared to separate the issues and provide a conscience clause for teachers,' should eventually a Plebiscite Lill be introduced into the House.

_ The executive notes that the Bible-in-Schools League through official, church organs is attempting to discredit thp report of the Education Committee of the House and to treat with contempt the attitude, of the House itself. These organs also are trying to convince 'themselves and their readers that the case for the "defence" of our national schools before tlie Parliamentary Committee was little other than a\persoii?l attack- on tho prpqnising secretary of tli9 Biblc-oi-Schools League. As the Rev. Canon Garland took the earliest opportunity of thanking the representative of ths Defence League for the courteous way in which he conducted the cross-examination of himself (the Canon), the injustice of the suggestion will readily appear.