TROUBLED WATERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 6

TROUBLED WATERS.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE V. HEAD . MASTER.

"ASTOUNDING DOCTRINE. ,

JUDGMENT OF THE HOUSE. i^ , HOLDERS.

|fc'.;: Last;;evening 'the householders of the j>11; Wellington 'South' /school. district, definite-, i V : : W; '-.settled tie deadlock between" the head? [jig master (Mr.- G.;]?lux),;/and the .'committee meeting April .last—a deadlock .which: had, culi; pinnated in -the -refusal. 1 of ■' tho , . committeo fgito':carry on—by electing .a hew. committee. t &f);Th'e:: meeting; /.which ■:was'*;. attended' by 'iir-.over/a'jhundred people,- was held in.tho RSinam.'hiill'Ot', the' school;. Mr.:.A..,-Banks-, v';i\pfesiding. /Thore .'■■ were -.. one ! or'.. two* SW'ftickets,"-including ipne by.'the.Bible-in-£;!;schools'party.-.// yv"/-///";' , t l!i\i At the/ outset,*Mr.'; Flux. desired to.make .^aistatement-ot'-his 'side, of; the. case;, but .7C3 several, objectionsi /were /raised,the/speak-; jyiSrs'being of'6piiiion : that" what : had hap- : S;4; : rpetfed',in; the'.: past, should;,"be; relegated to f ">!* oblivion. ' -.However, .it'.-was-., at ■■•' length' ;:s-vagreed -that. Mr.'-Murshouldibe. heard;;.-...-

f:*^"Sheerv StubborrinessVand s Cussedness'.V ■ fe"j*s/By.-;way WiJ^ished'-to make.. itv quite': clearX^that/ho i-iidid : -not ;;desire' "to'ascribe. any nhworthy ifp'Diptives to -the" late■'■:committee' , , in .regard: i'iEltb'.Tthe. differences.- ■between '■ it Vand/. hiinP^eeiiJ!'--"!^ 'he'-said, ', p^luctidn : has been'^the/result-of sheer, ciisseilv |>jvr.ness/and.stubbornness, , and a desire to 5At-bring:me;to myVknees/'./ , -;; J-lji-V-'-Oh?".'' came aisatifieal,voice;./.::•■'."/;',' -v ;Mr/ ;Flux -said • hf> /d/sired f0 tbi.say. J nothing: in- :.bitterness, .;but .simply. l-^ineetihg.-to/s'judge/'as , .to/.wh'ere" "liiy :.the. ■Jy r blame.;.-:The ppsition,:as*,it.;stepd,',was an j %% intolerable»/ Ei-:;' , tight , be'. aßle :'"t6N cairyXon' without" cpn r J :strain"/ and ■-, worry; V! '"He , ; : was /sorry. i=; $■ tP "Mβ. that'-, the q'uestidn:: pi' urged;; them";iiot"; to' ,; jeopardise,, thisi |fement of 'tho imain, question /side/issues. , ,:*:;.; i:' ,1 /; , ;';;:.,;^ , ';:

E^g^:: ( ]?lnx f thei/referred'.:tp/the;.matter. |>i;; ■ the^late•:;coinmittee| rViffanU ahimselfTrthe supply,? .'.of: •' : school;., sta-; fcStip > nery;^%:γ:•:^*j^^ij,^'- ;;i ''^o l i ; :;^■•i ,, V;v;;v:'S

f?sft"SrThS;.Comrnittee'S;Economisirigi;;;;iV.; sSS'STHe' , '■' cpiisniitteo.' > contended \ .that '-the' $$ 'icKqpl; ) ordered': K-/ ; '^oiuigli"?,them,^'aS:;.libyj;!thpnght;vthßt ; 'it: pifeqiildi be," purchased Vat .assaying 1 ,6£:£8,' .or ■ per•:cpnt.-" : pver;.the.previous; KS^st;:-/rhe I c6mmiHeeVinentioncd'ttei;'name; : |;i:Wofia''pity.;flnu, ; : ; and^stated'.tHat'a'.:rßpftj- : l;fe ; .genfative; of/ the:;-'fiimj;.wouldjcallVal;:: the': K;"^MlVpnjße.'i^weQklv?iHe''agreGdv;tp i ;,tliis; |yftßuggestibn;'aiid:igav6i'an order -accordingly,! ipSbutiwhen ■s6me'<five'weeks,>passed without pijany;\appearaiice*'of-:;tne: ■stationery?■•firm's, fcs : ;V^resentatiVej<jmv'^W! : ;bffthe\\inc6iiTeniri [|jl:'inty^(ausedi : 'he\''iskedVtte'--;'cpminitte'e'\to; '^■authorise "him Jtcypricnre local .supplies; %,which" could''..bey.pptained ';at .the..;'■same ;,;He";r.eceived -iipi-reply,Sbut .attei; ;ir.;fuith"er'v:negoH^^ isSie'VrepliedJ;.th!alii;tKe' attitude: of ?. the: cpm- : so .inexplicable ;I:haOe,liiid-'de-t/JKcidedS to?-, makei;,iluinsel£ ■■■ respOEsiblefffpr:: E'Tijthemrthat he;proposed'^o'.organise an eh-,' fe'li'tertauimeiit . '/at .?.ths. lend ,;of Iβ■ prpieDds '■• to 'sbtfl partly ■)} deyotedS;tp;:-sta-|;oltioiSery;:.partly;ioi-repleni^ing-the,,'Ec]iobl-, P'is : -3ibra^ , ;Uwhicli-./-'liad-;nqt':vbeen,->'added'>.l6 E:/0/fbr.:years), 1 fViiihe':school...funds:i',-iHe;'was'; then asked■".to L 01 ; 'of- /the ;(c6inmittqe,. i#;Tegretted \ that 'he: could not; .do \ so, "as, .botn B^jnpc%'s.thevissiiefat li'Sjfeaay\-'! , atfejtt^ei.S.!piiec'meeting,'. and;' vlia'd allowed:ite ;J;i v.take ! aV certiiiir c'buf sei -but ■ had : ; beenVcon-. £■;'•■ t Bistently' refused; 'V-SThe '• committee Jthen Si'.;resigned,',":the'-matter'was referred';to tke : |V[?it parties, invited } to confer.' mftiThe. 'Iconiinittea ;!declined,";[and..'.the -v chair- 5 Sf3;man;;of s-the jboard-i subse^uently ; informed; pv':i'im-''t]iaty : the'Vcommit(!^;jhaid.:cpmplaiiied v ■ "Wfrsu'cli'Va: quarrelsome; fellow, RtMt4theyj. : coiUdtf i'sA relations his-'staflj'aiid with thelate .f i School , Jsjjatp';disprove'■'that¥statenieht: :^' ; i: .;; '* i" I'.S;'WTheire.;.is '"■ one;junpleasanty feature:.in oJcbnnecHon:mthv.thisV6tationery, : .businesSi". |;£ ; ;;obseryed:;, , Mr.'" 1 Flui;: ■■in) conclusipnAllThe; |■^iiinsinnaHon^;had^ : ■w-hom/ that: h'erieceived; comm'is-p!f-l(aye;''np't-'stinKrsd ;: v lpw- , -'.as ■that,';;he:said.; fefigbil'and 3n.; the'; iiame lo£ \ all; h'bn-; KKOuraKle;- don'tvlet.-us'hit■belbV.the!belt;"; p.-vmth.;the.(. alienation' , 'of • ■ a;-.' sum'; ioi■■ money KJvraised vfor i;the;/Bchool c"j>--which : 'siim:;wAs:;spent'..'on the'school : picr of f faiths with'- the;; i'ad ;■! supplied: .'the /.money i for .'aO-cle-" fe'ifiSiti; purpose. >.;': On<th'is' ; ;'mitter; t':hafre. pSthat;; a" committee vhaisja :perf ect'iright : £':S?'' ?^'OTd-!'it"'pii;:'-wh^fr/tKBy i te-jyery^:dbubtfjil/legal' , rigKt;'..l)ut' what-about; pjTthe/moralityiJpf,/it?":o^.S.';S'^"'?::. ; .;/'!' ';f :: i f fcfl;:;fttThe the' Committee.-; '■_ \ p } iVwas Tvagreed ■?s.' : ,to'i i .>-;aUbwX' / -:''llr.'--| : >the:?.case'"-■ fo; Jebmmittee J i\ :Mr. •-iWhitelaw:; vwalked Mp; ; Sij-and; aisured'i'tlie. meeting,that'/lierhad-'not'. Kitfa ? of :;animbsityi: towards |?i : 5 i>l J■' of,' stationery I ;;'and'';in : . taking''up : ; the. K^jpoffltipnytt;'^ KV'.vieV.a 'saving : 'of .'about/'K. per ;cent,,;was \y;:i^-perf ectly?'\rithin'■ its;rights;;.4Ab <.to ■'the' I 'Mr i o'Fliix ; 're'ceiyed l ''comr f']L%."missioii > :pnV.theVs^esV : pf Vstatibnerjj';.'heJ disl,f i;"i:laimed-' such' ■: a : and ■: he ;■; felt ify.iyeurW'tliatv'eyeryone'else' did..;'!He, iipweyer,' Mr.';Flux.;had' beenXvery -■. 0 J obstinate 'jiiivthis ;• uiatter,:ahd.. ha'd.-1-taken'. "committee do-the;!thing his'way;;he'would; ■K..^o;it.himself^ : Againi'.when'the:c6mniitteesV'6jaggested:that'Mr. .Plux/shoiild; organise p{;'aS(»n6ert:inJaidfof-'funds-' ; li'e'!'dbjected"-.on' jWvV: the ■■ground' .that;, the '-work of the'-.school 0)1 -would.'be■.interfered .with. : " : ; Te't'he ■■was pEii quite/prepared :to .'get upaconcert in-order , carry::,but-vhisi/ownc-.ideas';;about -the p;iVstationery.y.;.This:K(lisputej=was really' 'a; |y:; matter;-if or- ''the 'board," Vand : ; that;. body., |i; 'r had-; i.tpld-Vthe': committee; 1 tjliat'. they.. : were. K,Snght,' f: and;'?tfi'at 5 ;Mr; :- ife-ii-yrrong. , - .'.The'boar'd 'had,, further^told the py-committeertKat ;Mr;.VFluxvwbuld;.be'-wrife" [ : iVv"cbm'mittee. tojreturn. to /offico. .']What was. f-i:; the;'; : nse: of:'returning ;■ to; .office rat the' oVS'Tfe^.pf^ r .--?'l! ls 's i 4ttitnde?'-'i:-v''. , -"-- : -':'--..' V: '. : ' Pri& : k i-i \Y.': V ''iV' : -:'^:;' ''■.-<,'';<•■■ : J ,'O r-:'!-i^r?^''.----v':K----feW':J!Again';',-Mr.,uHiix'''--hiid.".stato'.that>'a! cer-; |WJ.fein.;;suin^had;; ! bben .'l' f>" -VMr;' Mix■: ';-I;iaid' alienated-H-misapplied.' K:3 ; ;:Mr:;. Whifcl aw v; What's.'! the. 'difference ? fk}.! (IJaughterO-Vl'roceeding,- theVsptoker said f?o/ ; -that m:;cpnhectipn: : with'the;school picnic,K.;'Alr;.\':riuk! thought-; that:, the [- ; .< : i'Bhould-pay .their...footing.'; The comniittep j>; .thought. otherwiseprit, should'pay for the JVi;j'cWldren:.'. : :.'■';■■'■■'■ :, •:?..■:■:■':;-'.• v- ■ .■.-/:,■'.•■■.'/:■■;

i ?C- ,5-Mr. ; .]?lux:. Not', but; of funds. set aside •;.;£tfor'a definite/piirpose. I ' . Out of your: own if you-like. V-': ■■-•■ :=V V'• ■■''■.-., '■"■ ■■■■ ■■ jsv-;'-Mr.; i Whitelaw:' "■ The ■ chairman'; of. tho I;fflbdard told us that■ ive: could do. what we

'■■:)■>■-::■,'-:--]:;■:":■ '.. :-'■•■■-;.■ [K-α- Mr;; Flux: Yes. 'I know.- That;is what f.-y. Intake strong.-exception'to,' and if it is [J 'Ceo, I shall certainly never assist: to raise p funds'in ;". :V . . v .•'..''. ■ ''; ■ ! ; ;In reply to a'question Mr.Whitelaw exr:. plained that the .school.funds were made J,;' : up from various sources—concerts, capiK tation grant, etc.-, : ':■■■ ■:■ ' : ■;:,:■.; ?■:■;■;. '■.•'Mγ. Si B.'.Giiise asked whether, it .was f}, : - a;{act that, a member of the committee, W:'\ two years ago, had Teceived an [-order for J;; .';'certain '. frames, and although his account fe> was passed. for payment, tho frames had •;:• never been ■'delivered... ; '."■• ■'•'.'' ■ ■' . <:C, '■'■.■ ;Mr. Whitelaw : admitted that, that was- : I': 60..: They had since-been delivered., l>.. .••. Mr.. Flux: No; never. . ; '~ -

Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon asked . what : the cost of the stationery requirements were annually..': '.. ■. ■":■'• ."■::..?' ;Mr. Whitclaw: ... ; --, ,'. , , ■ ... Mr.' Fitzgibbon: Then if .you' 6aved £8, at".the rate of 25 .per cent, .you- must have spent over. i£3o! (Laughter.)'• ,'■ J; Mr.. Whitelaw.:;:Xou're a smart fellow;

you are. ''You ought to bo on the committee. (Laughter.) ,/: ■■ :■,:..;::■ ■ .This ended, the 'discussion, and the election was then proceeded with. As ■ a ; result an entirely new committee was elected as:follows:—Messrs. P. C. Watt .•(chairman), J. E. Clark; It. J. Barnes, 'J. H,, Woodley,. A.- B. Duff,. W.: T. Morton, ■ S" J.-'.Howan.E.' :A. Ferguson, and E. ,C. ■■':. •■;;'.""'. *."■'■.■'•, -'■"-■'.'■ -'.'','■■ : : '■ "■ ■'•