SIR ROBERT STOUT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2757, 11 March 1910, Page 2

SIR ROBERT STOUT.

MORE VIEWS OF ENGLISH AFFAIRS. Though New Zealand’s Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, has been thoiou,ghly interviewed at various stages during his journey bade to the Dominion after a long absence, he is so keenly interested in a wide range of topics that a “New Zealand Times’’ representative ’found quite a fresh batch of questions to nut to -him when lie reached Wellington. First of all, c?ir itobert Stout- c.eared up the ambiguity <d a cabled account of a statement made in London attributed to him, that there wars a larger proportion of criminality among children in New Zealand during the

period of religions teaching in schoo.s. than under the secular regime. "1 said that when New Zealand was no<under the secular system, crime among children was greater than when the* secular system came into vogue. This was to my mind, I said, positive proof that secular schools did not. as was alleged, lead to demora'isati u of the race. And I have the figures to prove At the Darwin centenary celebrations in England, Sir Robert Stout was New Zealand’s representative. He said that the series of celebrations was mo-t interesting. The most interesting speech delivered was not reported in the ‘•'Times,” namely, the speech of William Darwin, eldest son of the great scientist, in which lie gave personal recollections of his father, which had net appeared in any “Life of Darwin. ' Mr Robert was disappointed with Mr. Balfour’s speech, which might have contained a better general view of the effect of Darwin’s work outside biology. “J think/ 5 concluded Sir Robert, "everyone admits that although there may be different views as to whether Darwin’s explanation of tire theory of evolution can stand its preesnt criticismsome think it can—-everyone admits that Darwin was the first man to popularise the subject and make evolution thought possible. Professor Lancaster thinks that Darwin’s view is still the right view, though there should be modifications. Not that the system is ed. Hardly any scientist ol any standing is anything but an evolutionist. They all admit that the influence of tin* theory has not been confined to biology, and what lias influenced scientific men even more than Darwin’s doctrine is the care with which he approached the subject, and the trouble he took to ensure his facts before he came to any conclusion.

Ritualism has made progress in England to an astonishing extent, explained Sir Robert, in answer to a question. “X hardly care to deal with such a subject within the limits of a newspaper interview,” he added, “and I will probably elaborate at some future time. However, I will give you mv general impressions. It seems to me that ritualism lias made great advances in England, such as we have no conception of in New Zealand. I was in several ritualistic churches, and outwardly you could see no difference between them and Roman Catholic churches —incense, mass, preachers preaching the mass and calling, it so, saying that Christ was present in the mass, and the elevation of the Host, though they did not put it up. very high. The communion service was gone through in these ritualistic Anglican churches, but none of the con greszation communicated.

“Mind you.” said the Chief Justice in a qualifying sense, “there are many churches which are .not ritualistic, and it may he that* the.ritualistic churches are few, but where they exist, only an expert can detect the difference between them and Roman Catholic churches. lam told that confession is fair. iy common in ritualistic Anglican churches. "What impressed me was that- the law laid down by the Privy Council was being violated openly, and the bishops took no steps to make ministers under them conform to the law as laid down. This must have a bad moral effect on the community when,those who are assuming to be the leaders of the people lire violating the law of the institution to which they belong.”