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EDUCATION BILL CAM-1 PAIGN.

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EDUCATION BILL CAM- PAIGN. Great Meeting- at the Albert Hall. Building- Packed Brilliant Array of Talent. Sir Geo. Newnes, Miss Dillwyn, and Rev. Hollowell, Orate. The X wiicon t orniistv of Swansea nad a fieid-uay. or rather night., at the Albert Hall on Tuesday evening, when the eldeis and tiie young of the chapels a,nib led to protect iigaii'st the Education Bill of the present (iov- ernm nt. The proceedings "were announced to commence aL half-past seven, and by that time the area and balcony weie uncomfortably full, while some children and a sprinkling of adult* in the gallery looked in wonder on [ile scene below. 111e proportion of the fair sex in the audience wa a feature. Possibly, the statement, that female teachers were to be banned under the new Act had something tr. do with their presence in force. Leaflets with vei><.s on "the fight" were distributed broadcast. and sang later on to a familiar chaw! air. Tile Noaeouioimistsf o Swansea. had matters all to them- ^e'.ve^ on Tuesday night, and there were er-ougj' pats on the back to the defunct Crom- well. and "na-'ty ones" for all the Cardinals cf Pome to rejoice the heart of the faith- ful. Maggie Jores assisted to while ivav the tedium of waiting for the stars of the evening's entertainment by playing in fine stvie the overture to "Zanrpa on the big organ, was i ,1.,t mastering the opvning movements of the grand march, from "Tann- hauser" when the music was rudely bioken into bv the appearance ut Miss Dillwyn and George Xewnes on the platform. Wag- p<-r m impossible ait-r that. Behind tue chairman, the Bev. W. H. Webber (who read a letter of apology frorll Mr. Cory xeo 101 absenc/; and the speakers were mustered 111 the choir the elite of the Nonconformist* oi the district, who supplied the bulk of the ap- plause. and kept it going when tilings appear- ed likely to quiet down. Theie were pre>nt on the platform: Sir tTeorge Xewiies. M.P.. Mr. Ac von Thomas. ")I.P.. the Rev. J. Hirst Hollowell. Alderman Howei W at kins, Coun- cillrrts M. Tutton. R. Martin. t. Morgan, and • I. A. Rowlings. Miws Dillwyn. Mis. Morgan B Willianis.°Mis^ Brock. Mrs. R. Martin, the. Revs. James Owen (ex-president of the Baptist Union of England and Wales). F. Samuel. J. Da vies fCadle!, W. E. Prytlievcii (president of the Free Church Union). J. IT. Oust.<11. J. M. Phillips. Evan Jenkins, (4. Penar Griffiths. R. Tlwm". D. B. Richard". W. Gibbon, J. Matthews, W. P. Williams (president of the Baptist Association of South VVales), J ,Harris. J. Higman. Dr. Williams. Councillor B. Thomas. Messrs. Chiis- tcpher .lames, J. Devonaid. C. H. Perkins. F. Roeke. C. W. Slater. J. Roberts (the Secretary. D. Ro!>erts it-ha:iniau of the School B iarcM. Augustus Lewis. J. M atthews, W. E. Karris. Walter Watfein>. W. Davits iMiaristoni. J. L. Owen. J. W. Jones. J. T. Jones, and others. At the outset a telegram was read from Mr. F. Cory Yeo. who is it: Germany, and who tiad announced to preside over the meeting. Mr. Yeo said he hoped the meet- ing would oppose any compromise involving de- parture from recognised principles. (Ap- plause). The Chairman said they were face to face with the greatest crisis which had arisen in our history for the last 250 years. He hoped they might be able to face the crisis with the same courage < r.d firmness and Godly resolute- ness that our Puritan forefathers showed. The Bill would inflict great injustice upon Nonconformists, upon women, upon pilreuts, and upon ratepayers, and created many serious obstacles to progressive education. (Applause.) The Bill aimed at the destruc- tion of the fittest. It was an attempt to stamp tiie nation witLt littleness. Nonconformists had long endured inequality, and by the Bill the inequality was to be perpetuated and other grievanees imposed upon them. (Ap- plause.) it was not a- Xonconformist griev- ance only. It was a matter of injustice to the rate-paying public. The Bill violated the principle of civil and religious liberty. School Boards were to be destroyed, and the cost of education was to be provided out of public funds, and yet the public were only to elect one-third of the managers. Such a retrogres- sive measure must be resisted to the utmost. (Applause.) Sensible Liberals and Noncon- formists could not accept the Bill. which ignored the rights of the people and disre- garded the principle of popular control. The Bill sought to destroy the schools of the people and establish in their place schools of the priest. Whether Home Rule was dead or t!ot. they did not want nor would not have Rome rule in England and Wales. (Ap- plause). The Rev. James Owen submitted the first resolution. It read: "That this meeting pro- tests against the Government Education Bill. because it denies men and women who have hitherto been elected or served upon Seliool Board* of the constitutional right they have tor over 30 years enjoyed: because it lshes direct popular control of the schools for Tvhich the people are rated and taxed; cause it weakens the guarantees of effic'e.icy progress and liberty in national educati >n and because it proposes to levy local rates everywhere in support of sectarian dogmas. ■ ecclesiastical tests for teachers aud clerical management. This meeting expresses its in dignation that the Government, without man- dak or authority from the electorate, should ptopose to destroy School Boards, and to ^terive«a'1UH 8cho<>1" :i chargt' uP°n xj ii hi;™' i was Ilot surprised at the Blll„ ^nl.mtr^ced. because of the Con- S+'7'1 lioulrl*' u" House of Commons, and should himself, wer- he an Anglican Churchman, hail lt. with satisfaction and tnaiiktuliie.s. it was very natnr-i] th-it Anglican Churchmen and iWiamsts' ,houkl desire that the children of the nation should be brought up in the knowledge and belij of their respective doctrines. He' should like them to be all brought up m his Bantist •faith—(laughter! —but not by means of rates and taxes. (Hear, hear.) If AngUcans j wished it for themselves let them do so at their own expense. Fie- Churchmen were not opposed to religious education, for they 1 knew that "righteousness exalteth a nation," but they protested against sectarian teaching in schools supported out of public tunds. The Bill, in the place, dtrroyed. School Boards, whose only crime had been rlia& they had been a magnificent success. Ihen it v.olated the principle of liberty, ainl scli- governmenf. "Why. you say. the ratepayers- will be represented." the rev. gentleman went on. "They can appoint, one-third of the managers of the schools, (hie-third We know what that ma11. Like many other similar devices this is but a mockerv and a delusion. If the public have to pay' for the support of schools, then the public must control them." (Hear. hear.) Another ob- jection, the speaker proceeded, was that the 1 Bill wa.s not introduced so much in the in- terests of education as in the interests of de- nominationalism that desired to inoculate the children of the country with Anglican and ■Romanist doctrines. What safeguard was there againrt the atmosphere that was seated in the schools? (Hear, hear.) Th; Ii ^erefore. was an attempt—a. scheme- -to 1 • education of the cliildren under the pri-t. Their fore fat lie z-s had a e. against the same spirit in davs of yort and he anpealed to his hearers to be wo « ot theil privilege, and uphold the j T thlt been transmitted to then.. Hear henr.) Then the r- lai stat-d further objectiou A V oice "Cut- it short." The Re v. James Owen paused, and went on to sav of Commons had not had the manxlatc fd.the peapJe uvt.l. the Edl(. cation Bill, bi.t _ot, an altogether ditferent. is.sue He had, towards the conclusion a dissolution of I'arliam nt, and predicted wlint tiie result would hi-. Sir George Xewues. 15,ut.. M.P., weii received, .seconded the resolution, j said he had nev. r in his life rwulV, ^solution that he had so jileasure in conding as the one thai had hei ri .*»o splendidly proposed. If it was to he a Hglit between th.. Church of England ana ¡ 1,. F 1, c Churches, it was not of our seeking. Tbev had recognised recent Ylttl" th' greater hainionv of eo- operation rn ;dI rh, Chu:ehe<. Surely ther. was e.ioiigli vice, lnremperance. and im- morality in the world for them to fight 111- i ofsquahhIiIJ over ecclesiastical dogma. I (Applause.! He (Sir George) was t/I ,t an ♦•nemy of the ( inneh of England, and thev ail recognised tie; gone wmk 11"11" \1;" Church of England. Many of its clergy were amongst his most intimate friends. and he had whenever he could given practical support to the work of the Church. The enemies of the Church were those within its borders, who -•.ought to violate the consciences of those who did not believe in their dogmas. If one man lifted his hand to strike they could not blame another for raising his arm to protect it. (Ap- plause.) It was not a people's Bill. It was a parson's Bill. 'That was the christening, but he would take them to the birth. In 1931 a meeting of the delegates of the Con- vocation of Canterbury and York was held, and a number of resolutions were passed, stating what the wishes* and requirements of the clerical party were in regard to the educa- tion of the future. Everyone of those re solutions was embodied in the Bit!, which had been engineered badly, as a railwayman would say. because the permanent way was un- sound. (Applause.) Sir Gv-orge said the Bill had been engineered by Mr. Talbot, M.P., who sat behind Mr. Balfour, and wheii^ques- tioi'.s were raised was asked what Convo- cation would like. (Laughter.) Mr. Talbot had said, I make an earnest appeal to Churchmen not to throw away a chance which may never occur again of allowing the Church of England the splendid opportunity of con- turning to be the religious instructors of the people." The Bill was that the clergymen of the Church of England should continue to be the religious instructors, not to Churchmen, but the- people, l'hat had been confirmed bv Lord Hugh Cecil, who might be called the High Priest of the Salisbury family. Lord Hugh Cecil had said. don't care about the iialf-hour s religious teaching. We vrant the whole atmosphere of the school to be the atmosphere of 'lie Church." "Yes." continued George, "and then want us for it and endow the atmosphere. It is now very clear it 1, not enough to endow the Churcn. but the atmosphere. (Laughter ;11 applause.) W ? wanted the atmosphere of those schools to be the fresh ail of liberty. and the invigorating breezes of freedom, and it we do not get it the atmosphere would be one hurricane and tempest. There were 13,090 schools, including some of the We* ieyans. Roman Catholics, but in the main Church chool, which had cost 14 millions to build. The State had paid 1 millions of that. Those schools were not built for se- cular education only, but for the work of the Sunday school and parish. Wre wanted to use them for State maintained schools, but that was really a question of the rights of property. That question could be met by buying them out. It would cost about ten weeks longer of the late war, but that would not be too big a price to pay for religious iibertv and freedom. (Applause.) We could not buy them out because the Church want them for their Sunday schools and for the other work ot their churches; it would not be fair to ask them. and it was right they would not wish to part with them. Surely the State might pay a fair rent for the five days a week they used them. (Applause.) That would recognise the rights of the pro- perty. and would let the State start fair in the education of the children. We did not want to collar the schools, as Mi. Brodriok had said, "but you want to collar our child- ren," said Sir George. Sir George spoke of the grievance of religious test. Nonconform- ists were not irreligious. We want. the Bibh taught in our schools, but we did not want any dogma. The Bill repealed four Acts of Parliament and parts of nine others; it swept away School Boards at a blow. De- pencl upon it, said Sir George, there is no hope in this Parliament—no hope whatever. (Applause.) The only hojie lay amongst the people. Their forefathers had refused to pay rate, and let the bailiffs collect them. Many thousands of respectable and responsible citizens of this country had determined that they wOlcl take the course. (Applause.* In defence of that he would quote the words of Mr. Chamberlain in 1872. "It had been said he (Mr. Chamberlain) had encouraged re- sistance to the law. At all events he did not encourage an active resistance. They were not going to fight the bailiffs, they were going to submit in their way, but an alternative was provided for them. They would never resist the bailiffs, but preferred the Hoard should collect the tax by that means." tle was going to resist in that way. (Loud applause.) He should consider himself an unworthy son of a worthy sire if he did not do to the new Church rate what his sire did to the old. e Want all to help us in tiiis struggle, continued Sir (reoige; wo want the Liberal Unionists, the moderate Church- men—the Churcft of England was rapidly going towards Roman Catltolieism--the La. hour party, and the women, too. (Applause.) fT was essentially a working mail's question. because the schools were ^working men's. (Applause.) Worreu by the Bill were ex, cluded from being elected to educational bodies. They were going to have some sort of co-opted woman, (daughter.) Sir Geoflge proceeded to say we want all to unite. It was a great crisis in the history of Nonconformity, and he had told them he was going to resist M. (Loud applause.) There had been no question that had arisen in his time that was so important as the one under notice. Non- conformity lwd had to suffer in the past. Let the Church ot England pjroselytise amongst giown-up men and women who could take care of themselves, but when it came to the little ones—-we could even now hear their voire calling—we say "No, ltO: no." a thou- sand time "no" are we crying "hands off our children." (Applause.) Aid. J. Aeron Thomas. M.P.. endeavoured, he said to meet two objections that were made by the supporters- of the Bill. The first was the expense that was saved by Voluntary contributions. and that the saving m the buildings was so great that tliis country could rot afford to give education to the children without this aid. In Swansea the voluntary contributions were just over two per cent. of that revived in Government grants, so thev would see what that saving was in Swansea. In the country generally, the cost of educa- tion was roughly twelve million pounds and the voluntary contributions amounted to only three-quarters of a million. As to the build- ings these were subscribed for by other than Churchmen. The other point was that it was claimed that the new Education Authoiity would have control over secular education, but this he denied when two-thirds of the managers of voluntary schools would be re- presented on it. Although the Bill might be thrust upon the country, the cost, to the Established Church would be not only the dwng away with this iniquity, but accelerate be time when we would have religious emia.l- vr .'Hear, hear.) >18s Biiiwyn at this stage spoke, and sh ^Ln;°St e&thusiastk-ally received. IVr. f<principles, she said, which were never safeT^t e^'rnaI lav™ "f nature, and them was expressed °1' „Vpr TV,™ .A a homely saving "Vk ho- ?" tbe "nil''to rail tl« h«v fi S il ,W lit- to %«■ "ra- ti*? ci,kl n0t' Ul™ let tt*™ nut bJ In- any advocacy ot it. however brilii;un. tu, ,r hear.) Hiey would read, no doubt. the paper on the morrow liaiit aflvocacy by Mr. Balfr.u?. U|1 was. she believed. speaking that night at Ma nchester. "hln they read it, beware Of it. (Laughter- and near. hear). "lw wa* there that night as. a. member of tlw Church of England lifelong member of the Church of Eiigh'iah bom ,111,1 hrd HI it, and she hoped to die in it-IJU sue wished to join with the other denoiiiiuatiot! 111 protest- ing against the Bill which set at nougat that, principle of which had mentioned, and also desired to unite with all her follow towns- people in declaring that they put ju,t! ,1w- fore cl/enominationalis-m—-(applause)—arnl t-nat they did not wish to favour their own or any- body else's denominational religion at the- x- of justice. In fact. she thought, sh" might say that neither she nor any of then) wanted to have an unfair pull for their de- nomination. (Hear, hear.) She thought very strongly of the other objectionable fea- ture in the Bill that was mentioned bv Sir George Newnes. because they might have, a co-opted Ulaa. but not a co-opted woman. And whereas now. if thev did riot like. the. School Board, which was their education au- thority. they could kick the members out at the next election but if thev wr-e en-opted or nominated they had to kick out, the II bur, County Coun« ii. They eould not get at Jr. education authority exevp'- through the '^nittty Council*, and yet in other ni.-t.t1 ers j ey might be doing good service. She had T,r said there was no alternatives to rhi- sli i thev njTi#»t pti^s this Bill or notliin J ^that. Why could they not Of eont^!(Hear hear.) would taake tt T'e,,t' J»dgmcnt itm slightiv. v,-S:rs;r'to lim< *v. r the pupil teachers' centres under that judg- ment would have to be transferred by the School Board*?, which only eontroHed elemen- tary education. to the higher education au- thorities. But even with that alteration, she still thought that. the present system would be better than one which did not give- public control with the public money, and f which did not give them a directly-elected i, authority. Mr. Brodrick said at Whitehaven, j that the country must choose between the Bill and the Government. Well, she should say let the Bill go and never mind the Co- vernment. (Laughter.) It seemed to her that the rejection of the Bill was more im- portant to the vountry than the retention of the Government. (Applause.) At this stage the audience sang to the tune "Dare to be a Daniel" a battle song composed by the Rev. J. Hirst Hollowell. The opening Ver,. ran: "Englanrl. rouse thy legions. lire it be too late Foes of right and foes of light- Would storm the school-house gate, le v. T. Hirst Hollowell then supported the resolution, and he at once said the Bill would destroy School Boards, and put sacerdotalism into the local government of the country. If they ailowed the ineasuie to pass, they, in fact, municipalised sectarianism. Why this attack upon School Boards*' Why, because tiiey had been educating the people too welh He ridiculed tire Niiggestion that the Volun- tary Schools were voluntary, and quoted figures showing the number of parishes where there were none other than Church Schools. He finther state 1 that Neath, with a popula- tion of 27,000 p -ople, would have no educa- tion authority of its own under the Bill, and yet many other smaller districts would have seme kind of education authority. Mr. Bal- four had (slid that the present chaotic coulu sion of tiie education system was a by-word and a reproach to all nations, while Sir John Gorot had stated that the peasantry of Eng- land were so badly educated that they were behind the peasantry of Denmark. The Bill the gentleman said, would, if passed, make our educational system still more cun- fus-Ltl. while in reply to Sir John borE-t he quoted the historian. John Richard Green, who laid the igno:ance of the peasantry at the door* of the sectarian teaching of the Church of England. He further took excep- tion to another of Mr. Balfour s statements that the grievances of the Nonconformists wi i.ld. ii'HU r the Bill, be enormously mitiga- ted. and then coming to a recent, speech of the Archdeacon of Carmarthen, who had said that tiie new grant, under the Bill, to Cardi- gan -hire would be jsuificient to pay the whole cost of maintenance of all the Church Schools ill.276 to spare. There were three blun- ders in that statement, the exclusion of the rate for sectarian higher schools, the fact that the cost of education under the ttill world not be stationary, and because it hlTd been laid down that Parliament wonid eever find more than ihree-fourths of the expenses to the local authority. A passing opinion that the Government did not know how the agitation against the Bill had re-awakened Cromweil brought the rev. gentleman to two further local references. He had seen it stated in a local newspaper that somebody had been. saying there were three ditferent schools in England—one for the Church of England, another for the Church of Rome, and the third for the Free Churches. tie iouk exception to the suggestion that the Boord Schools, to which any children might go, belonged to the Five Churches. He was surprised to see, he went on, that the Vicar of Swansea had made an attack on the School Board system, which was utterly unwar- ranted. He sail the Church defended the Bill because religion must be taught by those who believed it. and they were refused that principle. Did he mean to say that the Board School teachers, who read the Bible to the children, did not believe in it Did he mean to charge them openly with hypocri"r If he did. then they (the Nonconformists) flung back the charge against him. The Vicar said it was simply a matter of loyalty to Christ. He (the speaker) denied it. As a, class ih", Board School teacher was just as loyal to Christ as Church-people. They could have religion without sectarianism. Towards the conclusion, he compared our educational sys- tem with that in the United States, and said the Nonconformists meant to kill the Bill either as a, Bill or as an Act. at the same time saying that he would not give manv veals' purchase for the House of Lords if thev did not throw out the measure. rhc resolution was carried ucatuiuously. Mr. David Roberts then proposed, and Mr. James W ignail seconded, the following reso- lution That- this meeting earnestly appeals to the members of the Borough and County Coun- cils of < damorgan to do their utmost to pre- vent the preset:* Education Bill Lom be- coming and als-o ask them to det'-r- mine, should the Bill in its jn-esent form be foiced upon the nation, to refuse to admin i:-f,er the Act. This was adopted unanimously. The following resolution, moved by the Rev J. M. Saundeis. and seconded by the Rev. Griffith, was also adopted: That this meeting desire* to express its sysnpatuy with all who are resolving tor conscience sake, to submit to distraint of goods rather than pay the rate to be levied according to this Bill. It also pledges itself to use every effort to secure the establish- ment of a system of national rrnsect ir'rn education. A vote of lb..iik» havfng Uen accorded the • hiinnau. on the motion of Sir Georee Ncwues. ihe proceedings concluded with the Xation.;i Anthem.

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