WRATHFUL SCHOOLTEACHERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2234, 4 July 1908, Page 2

WRATHFUL SCHOOLTEACHERS.

BISHOP NELIGAN’S STATEMENTS CRITICISED. THE BISHOP CHALLENGED. [Special to “Times.”] AUCKLAND, July 3. The recent utterances .of Bishop Neligan in England have been the cause of a lavish expenditure of eloquence aiid newspaper correspondence. Tho latest protest comes from the Auckland District Institute of the New Zealand Educational Institute. Miss Sliewsbury. in bringing tho matter forward, said she -understood from tho newspapers tha,t .Bishop Neligan had stated that the name of God was not allowed to he mentioned m New Zealand schools. She wished to know whether this'assertion had received any contradiction from the Institute.

Tho President (Mr. C. It. Alunro) replied in the negative, and added that lie -thought the best they could do was to treat such -remarks with contempt. Miss Shrewsbury was of opinion that the Bishop’s remarks on paganism, etc., might well be ignored, but the other matters to which she had referred seemed to imply that there was a regulation forbidding all reference to the Deity, the question of Bible reading in schools, and paganism, hilt in view of the present controversy in England such an assertion might be used, against tlio Education Act. Under the circumstances sho thought -it would he well for them to authorise the New Zealand Institute to make a definite denial •to the Bishop’s statement. She would like to go further and challenge Bishop Neligan- .to substantiate his statement, for it was evident that he knew nothing about the New Zealand Education Act, schools or teacliers. (Applause.) In common fairness to the Government alone, under which they worked, his statementshould not pass unchallenged. -Mr, ‘Warren, a member of the Church of England, said he was in a position to speak. lie was not afraid of Bishop Neligan, and he proceeded to express his opinion of the Bishop’s utterances in somewhat unparliamentary language, which was received with laughter and applause.