LITTLE AKALOA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 437, 28 September 1880, Page 2

LITTLE AKALOA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

To the Editor.

Sib, —Will you kindly allow me Bpaco in your valuable paper to reply to a letter which appeared in your issue of the 21st inst, where my name seems to flourish, and signed "H. V. Chichester ? Now, Sir, he says that I said his report was a pack of lies ; I did say ao, and do so now, and his report of the meeting on the 18th is worse. He says tho report has been read by three Committeemen, who pronounced it a fair report.

Now, Sir, these are the threo gentlemen he (Mr Chichester) is trying to instruct in School Committeo business. He first gets them into a scrape, by telling them the Chairman can occupy the schoolmaster's house, which he does in defiance of the School Committee. He then tells them that the Chairman can retain his seat on the Committee, and his wife hold the situation of Sewing mistress at a salary of Ll2 per year. Ho then goes on to sound his own trumpet, which he should have left to some one else : ho calls himself a thorough gentleman, and me a liar and worse. The only reply I can give him to the former, is that there are, too many such gentlemen as Mr Chichester in New Zealand ; to the latter let the public judge for themselves. He now says ho is no novice at the reporting business. Well ? perhaps not, but I should say he has done more at hill sticking, than reporting at a meeting, because he is on his fsct all the time running from one member of Committee to another —I mean these threo pots of his, telling them what to say, and putting them further in the mess.

Now, Sir, a few words about his reporting fairly. Why did ho leave the room the last meeting of Committee, when these said three Committeemen left? Why did he not stop until it was finished ? Does this not seem one-sided ? Why did he not report what Mr 11. Bennett said when that gentleman was trying to explain the Act, by telling us we could not rescind a minute of-a former meeting, but we could pass another resolution on the top of it ? Again why leave Mr Mcintosh out when he told us the former meeting was illegal, because there was only six members present, and there should be seven to.form a quorum ? I think, Sir, there are two very important clauses the public should know. Again, sir, is it customary for a reporter at a Committee meeting to interfere with the business of the meeting and get up and speak and tell a Committeeman ho had as much right to speak ns he had ? In conclusion, Sir, I should advise Mr C. to mind his own business, and not come here to make mischief with old residents and School Committees, he only being a new chum, and only six months in the Colony, —I am, etc,, JOHN B. BARKER. Little Akaioa Sept. 271