BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3407, 11 August 1913, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

GOVERNMENT HAS. NOT YET CONSIDERED MATTER. DEPUTATION TO MR. MASSEY. fBT TELEGRAM—PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Aug. 10. A very large and representative deputation, bearing the credentials of the New Zealand National Schools Defence League, and representing also the teachers of New Zealand, the W.C.T.W., various churches, organised Labor, and other bodies, waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday to present a case against the proposals of the Bible-in-Schools League. In reply Hon. W. F. Massey'said: ‘'l would just like to say how very glad I am to meet this large and very representative deputation and to hear the views of the speakers on this very important question.” Reference had been made, he continued. to what was called political agitation and to the operations of the ;.B ible-in- Sc hoo] s League. He wanted the deputation to thoroughly understand that the Government had never / been approached unofficially or officially, diroctlv or indirectly, by the League with the object of Influencing the Government on the matter of .Bible in schools or that of taking a referendum. The question, Mr. Massey said, had been raised in the House in the form of a query to him (the Prime Minister) from Mr. T M. Wilford, asking whether it was intended bv the Government to introduce legislation this session to enable a referendum to be taken on the matter of Bible lessons in schools. The answer he gave to that was that the Government did not intend introducing legislation this session to enable such Ti referendum to be taken. He (Mr. Massey) had not the faintest idea of what was behind Mr. Wilford’s mind, but his question was a straight one, and he had given a straight answer. (Hear, hear.) Then, the deputation asked the Government what attitude it intended to take on this matter next ■ session. That question seemed a little unfair, hut he could tell them the matter had never been considered by ■ Cabinet vet in any shape or form. If they wished to find out the Government’s mind, he thought the proper thing was to think of the attitude of individual members of the Government. “If you do not know my attitude on this question you ought to,” declared Mr. Massey. “Mv attitude is simply this: I have stood for free, secular, and compulsory education before I entered Parliament twenty years ago, and I stand for it now.” (Hear, hear.) Probably he was not as good a Christian as he ought to be. (Laughter.) It was not a joking matter, but he believed in the I3ible and he stood for the Bible every time. He was utterly opposed to yrhat might be called sectarianism in the schools of this country. The question had not yet come before Cabinet, but he thought that he had good reason for saying that so long as the Government remained in power nothing would be done by Cabinet which would not be consistent with the prinicple of the free, secular, and compulsory education system in tke Dominion. (Applause.)