THE ASHTON SCHOOL QUESTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1439, 23 December 1886, Page 2

THE ASHTON SCHOOL QUESTION.

TO THK BDITO3. ?ir, —I fully agtew wi n yoar dec sion that aolfitieut h*« been sad in tnis matter, nor had I any intention of referring to it further bat for an onjustifiabln personal attack made on myse fby your last corresponden - , sigoed “James Croy ” I hope, therefore, as a matter of justice, you will allow ms the privilege of reply in order to clear myself of each an an just accusation as he prefers, and also to show how far sash a man’s statement can be relied on. Without taking any notice whatever of the greater part of your correspondent’s letter, which Is undoubtedly only a repetition of the old adage “you s« rat oh my back and I’! 1 scratch yours,” I will come to where J. Oroy chaig-s me with drawing up a petition and wuhh lding it from being presented for a month. Now, as to who drew up the petition. Mr Oroy knows nothing, and he is simply drawing up <n his imagination, and as to the withholding of it for a month, and as to its being only signed by four members, I can only characterise this as entirely untrue. No particular time or date was ever mentioned by the Committee when the petition should be seat in to the Board, and I certainly cud have no interest farther ti»n that is should have the approval of the Committee. Now let mo briefly note some of Ja nes O-'oy’e past actions in regard to the Master, and your readers wid be able to judge how far they agree with hif present Iq the first place, he urged me to send in a report to your columns of the result of the annual examination in order that —to use his own w rda—•“ the master might ba shown up he (the master) having kept one of his (Mr Oroy’s) b iys, together with several others back from being presented in Standard 1, when hey were qusl fled to be presented. This, I declined to do. Then w.j '• avft him complaining to 1m Committee that one of his boys had been oojus'ty punished, bo much th-t the nails on nis hand had been blackened. Further on we hav- this same man stat'ng before the Committee th*t one of hi.a lads had been -aid up in bed for a day through the effects of excessive home work, and that ha had t mod his boy on one occasion and found he had t»k >n two hours and twenty raihute* to accomplish the home tasks set for him He also ba came wroth before one of the meetings stating, as was given in evidence, that ho, (James Oroy) was going to give him (meaning the master) pepper. This pungent spice was employed by Mr Oroy'a h iving the Master called in at bis request when he (Mr Oroy) stated that h« had a resolution to move in the matter to bn forwarded to the Board of Education.

I have taken the trouble to show up the?* - matters to sea how fir they agfre with Mr Oroy’s letter, #nd submit that this evidences not only the duplicity of the man the Committee had to work with, but also t e dual ospaot y in which he has acted with them and the Master. As to the majority of sympathising parents having children at the school, their number can be counted on one hand and the sympathy of J -mes Oroy must necessarily, after what. 1 have shown, be very genuine, seeing that he took the initiative in brlngmg about Severn,! of the charges which were latterly brought against the Master.

In conclusion I would say it is painful to roe to contemplate the spectacle of one who ouaht to know better and practice bettor things, using bis pen to slander a n*iphbor in th-i exercise of his public duties One can guard against the wolf when he appears in his own proper character but he Is a more dangerous enemy when ha cornea disguised in sheep’s clothing. With no Intention of troubling you more in this matter, and thanking you for the courtesy of allowing me the opportunity of vindicating the truth, I remain, etc., Georgs Gilmodb. [We had intended to close this correspondence but deem it only fair to give Mr Giitnour his reply. We cannot, bowe er, give further space to this discussion,—Ed.]