The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-07

The Dominion Commissioners who
have been to Manitoba to try and settle
the school question have returned to
Ottawa, without having arrived at any
definite understanding. They are hope
ful, however, that some sort of a settle
ment may ultimately come from this
conference. The commissioners insisted
| upon a separate school system for the
Catholics and made a proposition OF
that kind, but it was promptly rejected
| by che Manitoba representatives in a
memorandum which after setting forth
the objections TO the Dominion PROPOSE
tion made the following alternative
propositions.
First-Should it be aocpeted as a salts
| factory measure of relief to the minority,
| and as removing their grievances, we
hereby offer to completely secularize the
| public school system, eliminating relig-
| lous exercises, and teaching of every
kAhd, during school hours. We desire it
! to be understood. in connection with this
proposition, that it is made as a compro-
mise offer, and not as embodying the
policy which the government and legis-
| lature of the Province are themselves de-
| sirous OF pursuing. We are willing, how
ever, to adopt such measure in order
to attain settlement Of the dispute.
Seoond-In the alternative, we offer to
repeal the present provisions of the school
! ct relating to religious exercises, and to
| enact in substance the following:
mo religious exercises or teaching to
| take place in any public school, except
as provl ded in the Act. Such exercises.
| or teaching, when held, to be between
half-past three and four o'clock in the af-
| ternoon"
If authorized by resolution of the
trustees, such resolution to be assented tu
| by a majority, religious exercises and
| between g. so and O'Clock in the after
noon. Such religious exercises and
teaching to be conducted by any Chris
tan clergyman, whose charge includes
any portion of the school district or by
any person satisfactory to a majority OF
the trustees, who may be authorized by
| said clergyman to act in his stead.
| The trustees to a1lot the period fixed
for religious exercises or teaching for the
different religious denominatious, to
which the pupils may belong, in suOh q
way as to proper ton the time allotted as
nearly as possible to the number of pupils
in the school of the respective demon ina
tions.
| Two or more denominations to have
l
| OF such religious exercises. If no duly
authorized representative of any of the
denominations attend, the regular school
work to be carried on until four o'clock.
| N pupil to be- permitted to be present
| at such religious exercises or teaching II
the parents shall object. In such case
the pupil to be dismissed at 80.
| Where the school room accommodations
at the disposal of the trustees permits,
instead of allotting different days of the
week to different denominations, the
trustees to direct that the pupils shall
be separated, and placed in different
rooms, for the purpose of religious exer.
| cises as may be convenient.
We believe that the foregoing proposal
will remove every well founded grievance.
If the objection of the minority be that
the schools are Protestant, as alleged in
some of their petitions, then the objeo-
ton can be fully and finally disposed of,
| by complete secularization.
If the real objection be the desire to
have, along with efficient secular educa-
ton, proper religious training, hen the
second plan proposed offers an effective
method of attaining the object desired.
The second plan here proposed is some
thing like that tried at FaribauIt, Min
nesota, which succeeded quite well at
first, but afterwards became distasteful
to both sects and was dropped. 1t would
probably succeed no better in the long
run in Manitoba and at most would
prove only temporary solution.