THE WAIWSRA FLOGGING CASE.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 208, 5 July 1878, Page 6

THE WAIWERA FLOGGING CASE.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sib, — Will you kindly allow me space ir. your columns to reply to that wonderful epistle, the joint production of the five worthies whose names are appended to it, and whose object in acting thus seems to be a desire to extend their notoriety 1 So far as the Waiwera district is concerned, it would be needless for me to take any notice of it ; for here the doings and actions of the Committee are so well known that their document merely shows the length in injustice to which its authors can go, and opens up a fresh insight into the depravity of human nature. But for those who know nothing of the cass, ex-

cept what is to be learned from the public print, a few words from me are necessary to show how much — or, rather, how little — reliance ia to be placed on their statements. They say that, not having expressed an opinion on the case of expulsion, 'they virtually support me in that action. If by not expressing an opinion they mean that no resolution on the subject was passed, I answer that the meeting at which the case was investigated being illegal (all the members not having received notice), any resolution passed at it I would be null and void. But from the opinions individually expressed on that occasion, there was no mistaking the sentiments of the members present. Some of their expressions were — " Poor boy ! it's a hard case he's to be deprived of his schooling ;" " Surely the beating he got was enough without expelling him ;" and the Secretaiy went the length of upholding him in his disobedience, saying that " his father told him to go home, and children ought to obey their parents." All this was uttered in the presence of the boy, which speaks for itself of the support afforded the teacher by the Committee, and is a sample of the <c respect and consideration " due to my profession with which they boast of having always treated me. Next comes some cant, after the Pecksniffian style, about their "wellmeaning endeavors to effect a reconciliation between the parties, and so save the scandal of a public prosecution." Notwithstanding their assertion about their vjett-meaning endeavors, it is known for a fact, both here and in another quarter, that but for their endeavors a public prosecution would never have taken place. As for the " scandal " they talk about, no j one has a better right to it than its originators, so I shall leave it to luxuriate on the soil which gave it birth. They accuse me of using " offensive language towards the boy's father." I wish they had stated it, for the only offensive language I can recollect of passing between the .boy's father and myself on that occasion was used by the former towards mo in the presence of members of Committee. I could, if necessary, give the expressions used, but I am unwilling to sully my pen or your paper with importations from Billingsgate. They say that they ever promptly responded to my reasonable requests to the full extent of their limited means. On referring to a copy of a letter written by me to the Committee a clay or two after entering upon my duties here, I find that I applied for a book-case or something of the kind, a blackboard, repairs to the ehildrens' closets and a private one to be erected in the garden, a new fire grate for the dwelling house, and a couple of water casks or a small tank — all reasonable enough, surely. Of these requisitions, repairs to the closets and a blackboard were the only ones granted me. Perhaps it may bo said that to accede to my requests was beyond their limited means. That excuse, however, will hardly hold good, for two members of Committee (the Secretary and the present Chairman) spent nearly a clay — not without pay— over the work which I, from motives of economy, had offered to do if the material were found me. With regard to " breaking down and removing timber from the school buildings/ I took a piece of timber used only for fastening horses to, and without which horses could be just as easily fastened, to make a cow-bail of, the glebe not being of much use to me without it ; and, strangely enough, the mild remonstrance did not come till fully six months after I had done so — a plain proof that what was thus appropriated was

neither much wanted where it was, nor

much .missed when removed. (C With that solitary exception, we never did interfere with you in any way whatever," they assert. How does this asseveration tally with the following letter 1 ? — "Millbank, Waiwera, April 10, 1878. — Mr T. Jolly. Dear Sir, — Complaint has been

made to me that you have taken posses-

sion of Mr Wyllie's stall, to his great damage in being excluded from putting his horse in it on Sunday (the stall you offered Mm in exchange not being to his mind). I hope you will try and clear out

all obstruction to his stall before Sundajr,

Of course you can occupy all the stalls except the three to the west end of the stable, which are let. — lam (in haste), yours truly, War. Littlejohn, Secretary School Committee. " So much for their veracity ! I may say, in explanation, that the stable was put up for the school and not for the public, and that the said stall was the most if not the only suitable one for my, purpose, and well they knew that. The "great damage" accruing to Mr Wyllie must evidently be a chimera, existing only in the Secretary's imagination, for there are always plenty of vacant stalls into

any of which Mr Wyllie may put his horse •,vhen it suits him. . And they still maintain that they havo never interfered with, or annoyed me t But they seem to be capable of saying anything, quite regardless of facts ; so it is not likely that 1 shall again consider it worth my while to reply to their epistles, even should they continue them till the crack of doom. Next comes a list of instances in which they say they might have interfered, but that their doing so would be infringing on another's rights— thus modestly taking credit to themselves for their forbearance in not interfering in what they admit they had no business with. With regard to these instances, I shall only remark that they are as little pervaded by the element of truth as the rest of their letter. Their powers of misrepresentation or misunderstanding (the former seems more characteristic) is well exemplified by their statement that by my showing they " can so creditably acquit themselves 'as a Board of Examiners.' " By my showing they were guilty of '• nothing but impertinence." According to their logic, his Satanic Majesty would make a suitable parson, because he is apt at quoting Scripture, and quoting Scripture is becoming in the pulpit. The finale of their epistle is singularly appropriate, bringing into clearer view, as it does, the spirit which infuses the whple, and pictures to the mind some malignant reptile spitting out its venom at the victim about to escape its fangs. And now I shall leave it with every unbiassed mind to decide whether the Committee have done their rjart in maintaining my authority in the school ; whether they have not taken too much upon them ; whether they have not interfered with and annoyed me, so as to render the place heartily disagreeable ; and whether the v management of educational matters in the school district" of Waiwera is entrusted to a body of men deserving that trust. I observe that a clause has been omitted in my letter published in your last issue. Towards the close, after the words " having no more idea of what is due to a teacher," the clause " than the Waiwera School Committee have" should be inserted. As it is not often you are troubled with a report of the proceedings of the Waiwera School Committee, I take the liberty of forwarding you for publication a copy of resolutions passed at a meeting of the — Cabal, I was going to say, only they might fancy that by my showing they were qualified for a place in the Cabinet, so I shall simply say of the Committee of Five. The resolutions were sent to me the other evening by the Secretary ; and as ' the Committee have set me the example of rushing into print, they cannot consistently blame me for doing so.

lam, &c. , Thomas -Tolly, Waiwera Schoolhouse, June 25.

Qopy of Resolutions pawed at a, Meeting of the Wakoera School Committee, held m Schoolhouse, June 17, 187 S. 1. Tii at in erecting a swing the teacher has mistaken his position, and assumed to himself functions belonging rather to the School Committee. 2. That seeing the said swing is very insecurely erected and likely to prove dangerous to lite and limb, and also to have a very deleterious influence on the morals of the children, the teacher be requested to remove it within three days from tin's date, otherwise the Committee shall do so at his expense. 3. That Messrs Brooks, M'Kenzie, and Wyllio bo appointed a Sub-Committee to see the foregoing resolution carried into effect.