"JUMP INTO COMMITTEE."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1351, 31 January 1912, Page 4

"JUMP INTO COMMITTEE."

BREEZE AT THE EDUCATION BOARD. A little breeze ruffled the normal placidity of the meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday. A letter had come in from the headmaster of the Normal School on the morning of the meeting, And as it referred to a complaint against the Defence Deportment in connection with alleged vandalism by senior cadets who had been drilling at the- school the previous evening, Mr. J. ■G. W. Aitken suggested that tho Defence Department's side of the case might be heard before the letter received publicity.

Mr. A. W. Hogg dissented. "There's a growing tendency on the part of certain members of tho board to jump into committee and burke publicity when complaints come, before us." Mr. Wm. Allan varriily repudiated tho reflections of the previous speaker. It was not his (Mr. Allan's) hiib.t to burko discussion.

Mr. Aitkcn: I was the person who asked the chairman whether this should riot lie dealt with in committee. Local liodies have frequently got themselves into serious trouble through premature publicity linns given to matters which have come before them. The rhairm.ui of the board (Mr. Rofor. Lee) said that the school lind been used for a purpose which concerned the public, and the public should know how things were carried on. "Quite so," assented MV. Airken, nut the letter onlv came here to-day, and \rt should first ascertain what the Department has to say." (Hear, lwar.) It. was agreed to allow publication of the letter Avhich appears in another column), find reiar the complaint to the Department.