ASHBURTON SCHOOL OOMMITTEE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1554, 16 July 1885, Page 2

ASHBURTON SCHOOL OOMMITTEE

Public Meeting. A public meeting called by his Worship the Mayor, in response to an influentially signed requisition, was hold in the Town Hall last evening to re-discuss matters in connection with *he Ashburton District School Committee. Notwithstanding the fact that the Mayor, with a view to give weight to the proceedings of the meeting, had excluded all but apparent householders —persons qualified to vote at the election of the School Committee—there was a large attendance, fully 250 householders being in the body of the hall and a number of ladies occupying seats in the gallery. No members of the School Committee were present.

Hia Worship the Mayor, who presided, ' having read the requisition asking him to i call the meeting, said ha had no doubt i the majority of those present were acquainted with the resolutions that had been adopted at a previous meeting hold in the Borough Schod. Ha had, as requested, forwarded copies of those resolutions to the Board of Education and to the School Committee. He noticed that the “ majority ” of the Committee had also oommuniotled with the Board in respect to the matter, sending a telegram stating tnat the first meeting was not a representative one. In consequence of this allegation, he understood, the present meeting had been called, and it would now be for those present to say wnether the Committee as a whole had done their wofk to the satisfaction of the householders or not He would abstain from making any comments upon the subject, vs he wished to act in a perfectly unbiased manner, and would be gl-d if some one would move a resolution. As it was a serious question, one of grave importance to their children, themselves, and the district, he hoped they would give every speaker a patient hearing, and discuss the matter in a temperate manner. Mr J. A. Oayglll said that as one who had signed the requisition referred to by the Mayor, and one who had taken a prominent part in the proceedings at the previous meeting, it perhaps devolved upon him to set the ball rolling. He would, however, be very brief. They were all probably aware that the “ majority ” of the School Committee had thought fit to send a telegram to the Board of Education stating that the previous meeting had been a hole and earner affair, and should not be accepted as representative of public opinion. On learning of this fact he had at once challenged the “ majority” through the press to call another meeting to discuss the matter. This they had failed to do, and he and others had thought it well to call the present meeting either to confirm or revoke the resolutions, adopted at the first. He moved —“ That this meeting ratifies and confirms the resolutions passed at the public meeting held on the Ist inst in the Borodgh School.” Mr Caygill briefly explained the tenor of the resolutions referred to by the motion, and asked the meeting to confirm them. Mr Diinant seconded the motion. Mr J. 0 Dolman said he thought if Mr Caygill wanted his resolution carried he should give the meeting some arguments i in support of it. Mr Caygill said he had thought it unnecessary to make a long speech on the subject. It had already been sufficiently threshed out, and he had no desire to go over the ground he had already traveri sed again. They were already familiar i with the facts of the case, and he would i ask them either to confirm or reject the . resolutions i The Chairman remarked that the proceedings at the first meeting had been very fully reported in the local papers >• Mr Venables : “I should like to know which newspaper we are to believe, because, I assure you, I never saw a report in one paper or the other for the last two or three months anything like oorrec The Chairman said any person present at the meeting could vouch for the accuracy of the newspaper reports. Mr Venables said that if all in connection with the recant election and the School Committee were published it would be a disgrace to the “ university ” The Chairman reminded Mr Venables that they were there to discuss School Committee and not election matters. Mr Broomfield said that a large number of householders knew notbi ig of the first meeting until it was over. The Chairman was aware that the first meeting, although largely attended, was hurriedly called. The present meeting had been called and extensively advertised in order to give every householder

an opportunity to express his opinion on the subject. Requested by a householder the Chairman then read the resolutions passed at the first meeting, and a copy of the letter he had addressed to the Board of Education enclosing the resolutions. He also read from the Guakdian a report of the proceedings at the last ordinary meeting of the School Committee, from which it appeared that a majority of the Committee had ordered a letter from the Mayor to lie on the table without discussion, Mr Yentbles asked if the Chairman thought it would be possible to obtain a sufficient number of men in Ashburton to constitute an efficient School Committee. They no sooner had one crowd in than they wished to run them out. Why not allow the present Committee to have a chance? They had not had time to show their ability There was something the matter with the whole affair, and it took two or three lawyers to unravel it. Mr Pickford agreed with Mr Venables that something was the matter, and thought that “something” was the cumulative vote.

The Chairman thought the two last speakers were wandering from the business of the meeting. A householder asked if Mr Dempsey was dismissed.

The Chairman replied that Mr Dempsey was still in charge of the school. A householder asked whether Mr Dempsey or Miss Stewart was in charge of the Side School, and was proceeding with a dissertation as to the excessive holidays granted to children, when he was called to order by the Chairman, who regretted his inability to supply the detailed information sought. - Mr J. C. Dolman moved as an amendment —“ That this meeting has every confidence in the present School Committee.” Mr Venables seconded the amendment, stating that he did not think it would be possible to secure a Committee to please them all The motion reminded him of the “donkey arrangement.” The Committee had worked fairly together, and they should give them a “ show,” not “ turn them out at a minute’s notice.” He seconded the resolution on principle. Mr J. O. Dolman said that, as member of a previous Committee, he had had some bard fighting. Mr A. Orr and himself standing s eadfastly together had defeated the majority. Mr VV. Craighead said he had four children attending the sohool under Mr Dempsey, and they were doing very well. He nrged the meeting to get rid of the present Committee and appoint as their successors men with a closer interest in the school—parents of children attending the institution.

Mr Piokford said he had attended the meeting to support the retention of Mr Dempsey as headmaster. Mr Elston suggested that the resolutions adopted by th%£rst meeting should be put seriatim Mr Siimnonds asked what confidence tin ratepayers could have in a Committee that declined to publish a report in r< fer* enoe to the headmaster, but which, they said, was moat damaging to that gentle* wan, ,

The amendment was then pat sad lost, foar hands being held up In favor of it, and an overwhelming majority against it. .Mr A. Harrison proposed as a farther amendment—“ That the resolutions be put before this meeting’separately." Be thought such a course would better enable the householders te express their vieas. Mr Kistun seconded the amendment.

Mr Caygill said he would be very pleased to accept the amendment if it was the wish of the meeting, but he thought the business would be very much expedited by adopting the resolutions en bloc. The amendment was then put and lost, and the resolution was carried with only two dissentients.

teir Oaygill said he did not think it was necessary to inflict the meeting with a history of the whole unpleasant business, but he would remind them that after the first public meeting the “ majority ” of the Committee had sent a telegram to the Board of education, expecting the matter to be disposed of forthwith, intended to convey the impression that the meeting at which the resolutions were passed was a hole-and-corner one, and represented only a small section of the community, [Mr Silcock :“So it did ”] Mr Silcock said it did ; well, he (Mr Oaygill) could only say that he had challenged the “majority”, to call another meeting, and they had failed to do so. [4 voice : “They hadn’t the pluck;”] No, they had not the pluck, and in face of the resolutions he thought it very cowardly and unmanly on the part of the “ majority ”to send the telegram. The “ majority ” evidently thoughr the Board would make an appointment that day, and their evident object was to convey the impression that tho resolutions were not worth the paper they were written on. They thought there would be no opportunity to refute the insinuation. It was taking an unfair advantage of the public, was misleading, and was done in an exceedingly cowardly fashion. He moved—- “ That this meeting condemns the action of the majority of the School Committee in forwarding a misleading telegram to the Board of Education with respect to the last meeting.” Mr Broomfield asked at whose instigation the public meetings had been called. The Chairman, again explained the oircumatancea that had led to the meetings being called. Mr Broomfield asked why a public meeting had not been called when Miss Harband was summarily dismissed. The Chairman said he was not prepared to discuss the question put by Mr Broomfield; but he had no doubt that if his predecessor had beau requested to call a public meeting he would have done so. Mr W. Craighead seconded the motion. Mr J. C. Dolman asked if the present Committee had been eleoted,by a majority of the householders. The Chairman thought the question a superfluous one. The fact of the Committee occupying their present position was sufficient evidence of their election. Mr Venables thought the motion was rather too strong. The Chairman asked Mr Venable to discontinue making ejaculatory comments. The motion was then putand carried with only one dissentient. Mr J. Bradley said they would all recollect that at the previous meeting the householders had requested the School Committee to resign. The majority of the Committee had declined to do so, and ha was reluctantly compelled to move—- “ That a vote of censure be passed on the School Committee{for their discourteous treatment of the resolutions passed at the public meeting held on the Ist inst.” Mr Pickford seconded the motion, and pointed out that the resignation of the present Committee would give the householders an opportunity to re-elect those members that had been found worthy and to “ cast out ” those that had been found unworthy Mr Dimaot, in supporting the motion, said that he was well aware that he was taking up a position that would earn him a good deal of ill-feeling, but that ill feeling would come from those who were opposed to everything fair, just, or generous. The householders who passed the resolutions at the previous meeting had been denounced as agitators ; he admitted they were agitators- agitators for justice to an individual who had been most unjustly treated. Their efforts were stigmatised as a party movement —they were a party, actuated by a desire to secure justice for one who had been unfairly assailed. He bad no desire to refl-ct upon the action of the Committee, 'but it appeared from the attitude they had assumed that they regarded themselves as an irresponsible body. Mr Dimant signified his approval of Mr Steward’s Bill, providing for the abolition of the cumulative vote, and expressed a hope that the motion proposed by Mr Bradley, would be carried by such a majority as to induce the Committee to abandon the position they had taken up and thereby remove “ the most palpable piece of (persecution ever in flioted on a long-suffering community.” Mr H. Friedlander said he qnite agreed with the spirit of the proposition, but took exception to the wording. From the report of the Committee meeting read by the Chairman it w»uld be seen that only fourof the Committee had opposed the consideration of the Mayor’s letter. He was confident it was not the wish of the meeting to censure the three remaining members of the Committee, who bad • ought to give effect to the wishes of the householders. He suggested that the words “ the School Committee ” be expunged from the proposition, and the words “ Messrs J. Orr, 4. Orr, Collins, and S. W. Alcorn ” substituted.

The amendment suggested by Mr Friedlander was accepted by the merer and seconder of the proposition. The Chairman read a letter addressed to the Guardian by Messrs J. Orr, A. Orr, Collins? and Alcorn, signifying their intention not to attend the meeting. Mr Dimant expressed regret that in his previous remarks he had not honorably distinguished the minority from the majority of the Committee Mr Elston asked if the minority had offered to resign. The Chairman said that Messrs William* son, Thomas ,and (Tucker had offered to resign if the other members of the Committee tfould do so, but the majority declined, and thaminority, in the interests of the householders, determined to retain their seats. The resolution was then put and carried with only three dissentients. Mr Bjradley suggested that the members for the district should be requested to endeavor to obtain soma amendment in the present Education Act that would enable the householders to compel School Committees to resign. Mr Venables rose to reply to Mr Bradley, but making use of offensive language was ordered by the Chairman to sit down Mr Yenables resisted the ruling of the Chairman for a few moments, but on being threatened with forcible expulsion remarked, “Oh; that’s good enough,” and resumed his seat amidst marks of derision. On the motion of Mr H. Friedlander, seconded by Mr T. A. Gates, it was resolved— “ That copies of the resolutions 1 adopted at this meeting be sent to the 1 Board of Education and to the School Committee.” 1 A voce of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings. 1