THE DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Evening Star, Issue 3109, 5 February 1873, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

To the Editor . Sir, —Had not reference been pointedly made to me in the letter of your correspondent, “ One who tias been on the Committee,” 1 would not have interfered in the discussion between your contemporary and the members of the Dunedin School Committee. The paragraph in your c letter, which, I take it, refers to me, is the following Tilt this new Daniel (that is the writer in the Times) came to judgment in the columns of the Times, the question (that is of paying Mr Hardy a salary) was never raised, and now, even after all the outcry in the annual meeting, and notwithstanding the fact that one of the lead-rs of that outcry, and a member of the new Committee is a ‘cute 1 lawyer, the new Committee propose to have a Secretary, and to pay him a safary.” I am astonished that “One who has been on the Committee” should have stated that the question of paying Mr Hardy a salary was never raised until the new “Daniel c ane to judgment in the columns of the Times." i raised the question at the meeting held on the llth January, 1-809 ; and, in corsi-queiicc of ray then raising it, Mr Hardy failed to be d- cted a member of the committee b/ the ratepayers, Mr Dick, however, resigned, and the remaining members of the Committee elected Mr Hardy as member of the Committee and as secretary. I then offered to act as secretary without salary, but my offer was declined. ’Again, on the 10th January, 1870, I opposed the employment of a pad secretary, moving the following motion : —“That the Committee now elected be requested to dispense with the services of a paid secretary - for the eusuing year.” This motion was, however, opposes by all the members of the Committee, and lost.

What the Committee did last year need not be again repeated. The fees were raised, and, instead of the Secretary generously offering to do the work for nothing, he got L2O more for the performance of his duties. At the Committee meeting, held ou Monday, the 27th January, this year, I moved that the Secretary’s salary be L3O, stating, however, that I believed the duties might be d -ne without any charge ; but, as some me übers of the Committee thought that there should be an office in town for the convenience of teachers and others, I consented to move that the salary be U3O. An amendment was moved by Mr Robin, who had been on the Committee for the years 1871 and 1872, that the salary be L? 5. This proposition was supported by all the old members ; aud seeing that some of the new members desired to fix the salary at LSO, I reluctantly withdrew my motion, for if I had not done so, the salary would have been L 75. From what I have stated, I think it will be seen that I have not, as your correspondent suggests, changed my opinion regarding the paying of a salary to the Secretary of the Bchoo. Committee, aud that the outcry I raised has at any rate led to the saving of LSO per annum,—l am, &c., Robert Stout. Dunedin, February 4.