BOGUS INTERVIEW.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1735, 28 April 1906, Page 2

BOGUS INTERVIEW.

ATTACK ON MORALS OF COLONIALS.

By. tdogragh. Press Abd’h* Copyright Received 1.40 a.m., April 28. London, April 27.

The Western Morning News publishes an interview purporting (o be with an unnamed Austral-an Agent-General, warning Englishmen not to adopt Mr Birrell’s Bill, which is Bimply a sop to Nonconformists, All the talk about plain Bible teaohing and about teaching morals without dogma is the veriest nonsense. The experiment has been tried in Australia, with tbe result that the State eehools were not merely unchristian but they were anti-Christian. Another result was tho empty oradle. People here had no conception of the condition prevailing among Australian young people Modesty and refinement had vanished Australian girls and young ladies were very different from thoso in tbe Motherland. The streets were filled with larrikins, with no morals. Thera was danger to the oommunity of a mighty revolution Betting in oar colonies. Parents wore demanding a referendum in favor of definite religious instruction. Wherever granted a threefold majority had beeu obtained. The Agents-Goneral published a signed statement, repudiating the interview as a gross attaok on the Australian education system and the morality cf the people of the Commonwealth. The Western News withdrew the article, and expressed regret for inserting it. It stated tbat the report was received with good credentials, and it waß intended to make further enquiry.