CHILD EDUCATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 52, 17 March 1937, Page 6

CHILD EDUCATION

l— Presa Association.)

tiemovai ot rresent Disabilities MR. SAVAGE'S* ADDRESS

(By Telegrapl

PA'LMERSTOiN N. This JDay. "I want children, whether in Convents Aor State schools, to have the best educational opportunities," declared th© Prime Minister, Rt Hon. M. J. Savage, when opening the Convent garden party yesterday. The Prime Minister said he wanted children of today to he relieved of the unnecessary discomforts which had attended education in the past. The ■ wide lawns and picturesque shrubs and gardenfc provided an ideal setting for the garden party. The function was organjsed by the Sisters of Mercy to augment funds .for the erection of a new' church at Ashhurst. Mr W# Laird, capably carried out the duties of secretary. Mr Savage was welcomed by Monsignor McManus, who congratulated Mr Savage on the achievements of liimself and" his party in recent years. They had been actuated by kindlinese to humanity, and ahove all to the section of humanity which. stood in greatest need. They had put money into circulation as the surest way to rid the world of its depression tragedies. But if Christian civilisation was not to perish, something more than §n economic fabric was needed. Np purely economio system could survive. To.-day no less that 1900 years ago man could not live by bread alone. There was no soul in a material system ; as the inortar .was to the edifiee" so was religion to our culture and economy. It bound the fabric together. While he would-be the last to say a New Zealand Government should tmdertake reiigious instruction, it was the duty of a Government .to provide every assistance possible to those who undertook this vital communal function. : It was fitting, said Monsignor McManus, that a Labour Prime Minister shotxld follow the footsteps of Seddon, >rho was called the working man's hope. He trusted that Mr Savage's ambitions would be realised and that under his guidance New Zealand would become- again God's own country. : Mr J. Hodgens, M.P., adding to the welcome to the Prime Minister, said he had confidence that Mr Savage would ,do no injury to any person, young or old. In 25 years he had never let a friend down, and it was his pledge to-day. to. be the friend of everyone in-'New Zealand. • The Mayor,-;Mr A. E. Mansford, introduced Mr Savage to the gathering. ; - The very cause represented by the gathering was sufficient to justify the workers in. joining together to raase funds for th© new church, said Mr Savage. . The . Sisters of Mercy, whose w.ork was 'Well known to kim personally and- to most people, deserved best thanks. They were constantly carrying on a great war, not only for the children but for the adults. In opening the gathering, Mr Savage expressed his best wishes for its success. He suggested that th© funds might be obtained more tapidly if the services of Mr Hodgens ,were enlisted as collector. Addressing the children, Mr Savage said it was his great hope that the Government would he able to remove the grav© disabilities under which many teachers in Convent and State schools were at present labouring. He recalled vividly conversations he had had with Mr Shelley when the latter was advocating a national conservatoriuin oi music, The Government was intent on eft'ecting such improvements, realising aA it did the absolute need for a greater breadth jn life. That could best be obtained by making bright the lives of the children, who were the rulers of to-morrow. • An etching of the Convent, done by one of the sisters, was presented to Mr Savage by Audrey Fuller. mmrnm—mmmm