Correspondence

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 May 1914, Page 3

Correspondence

lOur correspondents' opinions are their own; tlie responsibility of editorial ones makes sufficient ballast for the editor's shoulders.l AMERICAN LAWS CONCERNING 13IBLE READING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. (To the Editor;. Sir,-—I visited America two years ago and noted that the Bible-in-schools question was a very live one there. In the majority of llic Stales

some provision is made for a simple reading from the Bible by the school teacher. Last year (1913) the State of Pennsylvania, whose population numbers 0,000,000, passed a law "Requiring teachers in public schools to read every morning ten (10) verses from the Bible without comment." Any teacher objecting to be dismissed. Catholic schools do not receive •State aid. The following are .States in America where the Bible is read in the public schools:—

The comments ore supplied by the superintendents of public instruction : —Maine, "Bible daily read in school for 270 years": New York, "Read daily for 250 years": New Hampshire, "Head daily sine.e 1.023": Vermont, "Wp encourage bible-reading in schools": District of Columbia, "Bible read and Lord's Prayer repeated"; Kentucky, "Generally read": Tennessee, "The Bible is our rock of public safety"; Alabama, "Custom in our schools neither enjoins nor lorbids"; Illinois, ditto; Mississippi, "The Bible is not excluded and is generally read"; Michigan, ditto; Arkansas, "Head in part of our schools"; Texas, "Head in some schools"; Oregon, ditto; West. Virginia, "No law - prohibiting Bible-reading"; Florida, ditto;

Delaware, "Bible-reading universal"; Pennsylvania, "The Scrip-

tures must not be omitted"; New Jersey, "Read in nearly all schools"; Georgia, "The Bible

cannot be excluded"; Connecticut "The Bible has always been read"; Massachusetts, "Bible has been read in schools for 278 years"; Maryland, Head daily in our schools"; South Carolina, "Generally read"; Rhode Island, "The Bible shall not be excludel": South Dakota, "May be read without sectarian comment"; Virginia, "Read in nearly all schools": Ohio, "We thoroughly believe in it, as if has a good influence upon our children": Missouri, "Optional; oharacfer-build-

mg is an important factor with us" : Nebraska, "Encourage moral culture: generally read": Kansas,

"Read in part, of our schools": "Wyoming, "Left to local boards to decide": Colorado, "Read in some schools'': New York City, "Rule observed for nearly three centuries: in New York all schools are opened by readinar the Bible."

As the Bible in public schools question is looming larsye in the political horizon, T thou orb t the above would be of interest to my fellow New Zealanders.—Yours,

etc., S. PEARSON. 253, Cuba street, Wellin orton