THE AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4, 1912.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 December 1912, Page 2

THE AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4, 1912.

FEDERATIONIST ANARCHY

THE anarctists began by upheaving things as Wai hi and : after a few months of idleness inflicted on their dupes and on persons over whom they had no rights whatever they found themselves forced to try and hold their position wiih bluff. The common sense of the rest of the community penetrated that disguise quickand then anarchy took to abuse and boohooing. Gaol —where they need never have gone —-made them boohoo worse then ever. At this point their victims turned and kicked them to some tune, as they fled they howled lies of the most colossal, describing a perfectly innocent set of lambs harried by wolves in sheepskins. Unable to intimidate the victorious enemy they turned their attention to the Government and began by asking for a Royal Commission. But if they have a case the courts are open to them. If they won't appeal to the courts they have no case and they shew their cloven hoofs as anarchists. They wished to end by a grand boohooing of the Prime Minister. But the police were too many for them proving them to be as stupid in the tactics of the field as the

council room. Of course it is possible that the people who turned like the proverbial worm may have kicked over the traces somewhat. If so the fact will have to be established before some court of competent jurisdiction and not by the tainted testimony of the federationist orators. For the present however it is imperative to wait till the disturbances are over before getting to work on reparing the majesty of the law. The main thing is that the power of the law has been vindicated against anarchy pure and simple.

TEACHEES ANNOYED. In its anxiety to overawe the school teachers of New Zealand, says the N.Z. Times, the Bible in Schools League has merely succeeded in arousing a spirit of resentment. That comes of protesting too much. " The League regrets," runs a circular, " that statements are being made that %he teachers of New Zealand cannot be trusted to give these lessons .... that many of them are unbelievers, and that many of them are of uncertain character." This is a typical example of the suggestio falsi and is not a little dishonest. Purely the teachers are entitled to know who it is that is making these ' statements,' or at least for what sinister purpose they are being made ! They are entitled to know what constitutes an " unbeliever " in the eyes of the league and its adherents, and they have a right to demand by what inquisition the " characI ters " of individuals is to be determined if a predilection for Bible teaching is to become a qualification for teacherships in the distant hereafter, when the public has been alternately cajoled and dragooned into allowing the clergy to interfere with the secular system. The uproar and dissention which is being already occasioned by the announcement of a Bible in Schools campaign is sufficient in itself to vindicate the wisdon of maintaining the status quo. The one thing evident about the agitation is that prior to its inception some of the clergy must have found time hanging very heavily on their hands. If the clerics were to spend as much of their leisure in Bible teaching as they do in agitating for handing over the responsibility to teachers who are enamoured of the undertaking, much of the " ignorance" of which they complain would be converted into light and. leading. The''not do as Ido but do as I tell you" attitude is singularly unconvincing.