BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 6 July 1907, Page 3

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Wellington, July 5

Most of the school committees in New Zealand have answered the circular sent out bj r the Wellington Citizens’ Bible-in-State Schools Committee with the intention of eliciting something like a representative expression of views. The circulars made it clear that the committee advocated (1) that the Bible be read as a classic; (2) that no comment be allowed except of a geographical, grammatical and historical nature ; (3) State school teachers only to supervise the Bible : eadiug ; any teacher or scholar having conscientious objections to be excused from the Bible lesson. Between 100 and 150 circulars were sent out and the greater number have now been returned. It is understood that the majority of answers favourable to the committee’s proposal is about two to one, though some who gave a qualified support to the proposal contended that Ministers of Gospel and not school teachers should be charged with the duty of reading the lessons.

In a speech in the House of Representatives, Mr Hoinsby invited the Government to set up a Royal Commission to thoroughly probe the grievances prevailing in the railway service, and he would lay some startling evidence before it. If he failed to prove his statements, he wmuld pass out of public life.

“ He hit me in the nose and then in the eye—that was all I could stand, so I closed with him,” said the chief engineer of the Mokoia in the Magistrates’ Court, Port Chalmers, when describing how he had been assaulted by one of his greasers on Saturday last. “ I don’t know what ever came over me,” pleaded the accused in defence. ‘ ‘ Drink came over you ’ ’ rejoined his chief. The Bench told the accused that he could congratulate himself in getting off with a fine of 20s.

The Hon. C. H. Mills has given notice to ask the Minister of Immigration whether, owing to the serious difficulty nearly every mistress has to contend with in securing the services of a domestic servant in this colony, and the consequent home slavery it imposes on women with families, he will take immediate steps to ascertain from the High Commissioner in Tendon if he can send out some respectable servant girls and thus relieve the miserable and unpleasant tension which now exists throughout the country in so many homes.

An old farmer the other day dropped in at a local land agents, intending to resume negotiations for the purchase of a section of land adjoining his homestead, says the Ranee. The price had been fixed, but the would-be purchaser demurred. “Too much,” he grumbled far too much.” “Too much,” echoed the youthful attendant, who had been left in charge, referring to a typewritten document. “Too much, indeed. Now, just let me explain and set forth what you would get for your money. Now, to begin with, you’ll get all that part of the firmament lying between the sky and the superficial area of the said section, including cloud, rain, sunshine, frost, hail, snow, sleet, vapour, fog, mist, thunder, lightning, a certain amount of fair weather and various other climatic appurtenances likewise as well a thousand cubic feet of good yellow loam, and any possible minerals that may exist beneath the said loam, together with the billions and billions of tons of sand, gravel, rock, chalk, and not what lying between the subsoil and the centre of the earth. Why, the section is dirt cheap.” The old farmer, however, on whom this flow of language was entirely lost, didn’t think so, and almost immediately, without making any purchase, took his departure.