A PROPHECY ABOUT INDIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 10

A PROPHECY ABOUT INDIA

Sir Herbert Edwardes, who was chiefly instrumental m savin;; Hie J J uujab during the Mutiny, said, in a spcesb. delivered at Manchester: "Till India is lcuveneJ vith Christianity she will be unlit for freedom. When India i« leavened with Christianity she will be unlit for any form of slavery, lioweveiL , mild. . . . England may then leave her freoly, frankly, gliully, proudlj; leave the stately tlitujfhtor' slie lias rcHiwl to walk tho future with a free imperial etep. . . . "I firmly believe that this is what God meant KngUind to rlo with India, and God sraiit that she mnv do it."

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MORALS AND EDUCATION

Sir,—Jly reference Jto Mr. Burton in my letter on "lUoru-Ts and Education" was merely incidental. Tho natural impression from his contribution wud that our system of education had not had an elevating tendency. To rjuoto Air, Burton's words: "Ono might reasonably have expected that fifty years ot free, secular, and compulsory education would have sufficiently improved tiiu public taste to make it impossible for such a large section of our n.eonlo to delight in debasing pictures." The natural deduction from this hypothesis is that our education 6j'6lem has hot had an- elevaling tendency. However, 1 would <1o Mr. Burton no injustice, and if that quotation does not mean what it implies then ho must have a greater gift in subtlety than clearness ot expression. That bo as it may, tho point is that our education system has raised the morals, tastes, and intellectual attainments of our people, and has vastly improved their physical development as well. It* there is anything the matter wittf our education system it is due entirely to tho neglect of the Government and particularly successive Ministers of Education (Air. J. A. Hanan not cxcepted) in failing to give effect 1 to what is the first- essential to improvement in the service—higher -pay and better housing conditions for our teachers. When a council of educationists deplores the popularity of objectionable picture play 6 these educationists are reading their own condemnation. They, in effect, affirm that they have- failed to raiso the public tast&>above "objectionable picture plays." The failure, if any, is not in the educa.tion system, but in tlie failure ot its exponents. , Does our educntiou system go far enough? Does it induco the youth of our day to seek pleasure in literature, art, and science? Aro we attomptiiig too much in varieties and accomplishing too little ill particulars? But,whatever fclio imperfections may be it is wrong to Maine- tho system. One might as well think of attributing the apparent indifference of the people to churchianity and the emptiness of ouv churches to the failure of religion and the plan of salvation. Tho faults of education and religion aro with their exponents. Tho first step to improvement at any rate in education is to make the service more attractive to tho brightest and best. But to allego that' because somo persons mar liko "debasing pictures," the whole nation or even "u large section," to use Mr. Burton's phrnsfy is devoted to that class of picture, is quito erroneous and groundless. X have not seen, theso "debasing pictures." Where are they? Some may be objectionable in parts to good taste and dramatic art, but altogether tho picture films aro mentally and morally quite healthful. (No; I havo no monetary interest in picture shows.). Finally, Mr. Burton says; "Wo aro probably bettor than our forefathers in somo things and worse in others." Wherein are we worse? Why, tho vices of our humblest aro as virtues compared with the doings of tho high, honoured, loved, and.-revered in past generations; and we havo nothing to fear from Him Who sifs iu judgment if those afler His Own heart escape.—l am, etc., J. D. SIEV WRIGHT.