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contribute towards the maintenance of free prisons, free reforma- 
tories, and the workhouse, the close acquaintance of which he 
would probably have no desire to make. Surely it would be 
better to build schools and open them free, and train people so 
that they might become good and upright citizens, morally, 
intellectually and physically—that by and by we might hope to 
do without prisons, reformatories and workhouses, so long a blot 
on our civilisation. The decrease in crime since the passing of 
Mr. Forster’s Act in 1870, was referred to, and it was shown by 
apt illustration how the smaller ratepayers of the town would be 
benefitted by the Free Schools. Emphasis was laid on the fact 
that it would be the larger ratepayers, consisting of the middle 
and capitalist classes of the country, who would have to bear the 
chief burden of the Free Education Act, a burden cheerfully 
undertaken to promote the common weal. After entering into a 
description of the new Act, the reader spoke of Voluntary 
Schools, which, he contended, were called by a wrong name; 
they were to all intents and purposes ‘State Educational 
Institutions,” as voluntary subscriptions towards their support 
were now a rapidly diminishing quantity. In the Board Schools 
no dogmas would be taught, and no catechism or creed of any 
special section of the great Christian Church would be used. 
Practical righteousness, so earnestly desired by the great heart 
of the nation, would be inculecated in the minds of the scholars 
in all the schools, and they would be taught how to behave well 
in the playground, school and home. It was impossible to 
forecast what the result of the Act would be if the demand for 
Free Schools increased largely over what it was now. The Act 
offered a noble opportunity, and its advantages could be secured 
wisely and economically, if all elected to School Boards were 
patriotic, and, at the same time, careful and considerate men. 
The necessity for building a large number of Board Schools in 
any given town, which up to the present had been well served 
by existing institutions, need not, he thought, be looked forward 
to with dismay, as the best of the present existing school 
buildings would doubtless be rented by the School Boards as the 
process of gradual absorption of Denominational Schools went 
on. After dwelling on some of the defects of the Bill, one being 
that of not giving ‘ popular control,’ it was pointed out there 
was an excellent opportunity afforded by the Act for promoting 
thrift, by the establishment of Penny Savings Banks in con- 
nection with Board Schools, which would doubtless largely be 
taken advantage of together with the power derived to further 
promote evening classes and open free continuation schools. 
Continuing, it was considered that the Bill had established the 
principle of Free Education for the nation, and the reader was 
willing to accept the measure as an enlightened, though halting 
