EDUCATION BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3059, 2 December 1908, Page 5

EDUCATION BILL.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

L OP FINANCE. I TO D^_ CUSS ? DMR RUNC^k\f D THE cathgWV • Ifeisived December I,'.® j LONDON, In connection with the ec'VC&tidf} question. Hhe KigM Hon. W. man, Preaidfent the Board of Education,. hias ; agreed to discuss* the question of finance with Catholic education experts.CHURCHMEN ORGANISING AGAINST MR: RUNCIMAN. Received December l r 8.40 1 a.m. LONDON, November 30. The Bishops of Birmingham' (Dr. Gore) and Manchester (Dr. Knox), Lords Salisbury,. Newcastle, Sbafesbury, Halifax, and Hugh Cecil, Bean Wace, Dean of Canterbury, and other advanced churchmen are forming a strong committee to oppose the future stages of Mr Runciman'a Education Bill.

THE BILL BEFORE THE COMMONS.

FIRST£CLAUSE CARRIED

AJN ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE.

PARTY BICKERINGS.

PRiME MINISTER AND MR BALFOUR CROSS SWORDS.

Received December 1, 9.55 p.m. LONDON, December 1. The House of Commons passed the first clause of the new Education Bill, giving State aid only to publicly controlled schooia, abolishing tests for teachers, and making the Cowper Temple system of teaching compulsory for three quarters of an hour hour daily, by 238 votes to 144. There was p sharp and acrimonious debate. Mr Asquith implied that Mr Balfour was trying to wreck the meas-

Mr Balfour declared that Mr Asquith dare not us 3 such offensive language if the Committee were not working under a gag, and urged the Government to say whether a complete understanding had been reached with the Anglican Catholic hierarchy regarding the adequacy of the Government's financial terms.

Mr Asquith denied representing the Bill as the result of a complete argeement, and said he regarded the principle of the first clause as representing a concession from the church made to nonconformity in return for corresponding sacrifices in later clauses made by nonconformity to the church- He was anxious that the right of entry should b6 safeguarded adequately, and considered that contracting out was an efsential feature of the compromise.

The Exchequer would pay to contracted out schools 85 per cent, of the cost per child, leaving only 15 per cent, to be provided by subscription.