“MINDS MADE UP”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 412, 21 July 1928, Page 5

“MINDS MADE UP”

BISHOP OF NELSON’S COMMENT BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS QUESTION (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Comment by the Bishop of Nelson on the Education Committee’s attitude on the bible-in-schools question was the subject of some remarks in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. R. P. Hudson (Motueka) asked the Minister of Education if his attention had been drawn to statements by the Bishop of Nelson, in referring to evidence given last session before the Education Committee of the House in regard to the Religious Exercises iu Schools Bill, that members of the committee had made up their minds on the subject before they heard the evidence', and that the report of the committee was brought up in the absence of three of the members, and if he considered that there was justification for the deductions arrived at by his Lordship. The Minister of Education, the Hon. R. A. Wright, replied that his attention had been drawn to the statements referred to. Mr. Speaker: It appears to me that this is a matter bordering on breach of privilege. It is rather a serious thing for anyone to allege that the minds of members were made up before hearing the evidence. Air. Wright said that the statement was correct in that nearly all the members were pledged at the last election. So far as those who supported tfie views of the Bishop of Nelson on the question were concerned, it would be correct to say that members’ minds were made up—they were pledged—but so far as the Education Committee was concerned he was quite satisfied that members gave very careful and painstaking consideration to the evidence to see if there was anything in it which would cause them to alter their opinions. The report has been drawn up in the absence of three of the members, two “noes" and one “aye." So far as he was able to judge the absence of these members made no difference. He felt sure if any of tl*e absent members had asked for delay the Chairman of Committee would have invited the committee to hold oyer its report. He was afraid the Bishop had quite unconsciously drawn the wrong deduction from something which had appeared in the papers. On the motion of the Hon. W. Nosworthy, the State Fire Insurance Amendment Bill was introduced and read the first time