GERMAN BAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 608, 12 May 1882, Page 2

GERMAN BAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

To the Editor,

Sir.—With your permission, I congratulnte myself on being ablo to bring tliree able inon before the public. I will start with Mr Jones, whose maiden performance is not so bad ; but taking into consideration his trainer, whose eloquence can't be beat, I quite expected to have seen him come in bet'er at the finish. For his information, I can teil him that I should not have known one word about a meeting being held if Mr Odell had not told me that such was the case. He likewise told me that lie had so.id to Mr Jolly the meeting had been held on the wrong night, and I fully concurred with him. On Saturday night I wrote the letter that has brought these able ink-slingers into the field, and on Sunday I went to the trouble of goini; to the members whose name.? appeared in my last. I saw all but Mr Harrington who appeared on the scene on Wednesday, and they all seemed to think there was nothing wrong in my letter.. If they had taken a different view to me, the letter would not have appeared in print. I see no reason in my last to alter it in any way. It was not meant as an insult to anybody, but stern facts some people cannot read without being oitended. Now, for the nightcap, I can assure Mr Jones that nothing will give me more pleasure than to accept his kind offer, and I will do my bevSt to get it into a prominent position at the International Exhibition, where I am sure it will be considered aa much a novelty as the Pretender's watch.

Mr Jolly thinks I have been under the influence of the moon, but he must have been frightened by its brightness, or he would not have refused tc havo held the meeting on the night it was full, or at least he might have treated the persona with common civility v ho went to interview him. I can say this much, that when Mr Dauber officiated as chairman I moved a resolution that the Committee should meet on the Wednesday on or before full moon, and as that resolution has never, to my knowledge, lieen rescinded, I contend that it is still binding, and the minute book should show ;t. During 1881 we held two meetings on the night of full moon, one on March !6th, the other on August 10th. He says that he had no necessity to canvass the members, but out of. courtesy he consulted some of them. What is the good of the Committee, I should liko to know, if the chairman can do the business without consulting the members ? I hold very differently. In my opinion the Committee cannot be too careful how they do their business, more especially when there is either master or mistress required, and a ciiae of this sort should not be considered if there are not a full meeting present. He .says I could have easily found out whether it w;is Miss or Mrs. I took the report as it stood : I never had the slightest thought it was otherwise. Mr Jolly says, sore would be the lot of 1:1ir PchooJmai-ieiy if the Committee were all like me, and I say, sore iiuk'ed would -be the Commit-

tee's lot if all their chairmen had such an ' affinity for teachers as ours. J

Ah, the tub ! that's it. Before you start again, go and have a good swill, and get rid of some of yonr rancour, old man, and the public will think more of you. Mr Curry says I put uncharitable constructions on other people's actions ; but, William, if you live in a glass house don't be the first to throw stones. But, Mr Editor, the three letters appear to me to take up the thread so nicely that you would think that they came from one mind. Perhaps they held a meeting in German Bay to consider the best mode of attack ; I heard they were all there on Wednesday morning early. Mr Curry accused me of being an obstructionist. To my knowledge I never obstructed business if it was properly brought forward ; I wish I could say the same of others. I suppose I gained the title of obstructionist by asking for the balance-sheet at every meeting, and it is my intention to keep on till it comes. I shouid be sorry to do as the chairman did, in a letter to the Board of Education, when he stated mine was the only dissenting voice. Neither Messrs Harrington, Hammond, or Odell voted for or against the motion. If this does not look slightly one-sided I am no jndge. Tell these gentlemen this is my last, as I do not believe in the odrls ; all I want is fair play ; and if the game is not played nearer to the rules, they will soon find the committee room empty. An apology is not good enough, Mr Editor, but still it is all I have to offer. Accept it from— Yours, etc.,

E. S. CHAPPELL.