The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3328, 20 October 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1873.

Although there was not a large attendance at the public meeting, convened by the Dunedin School Committee, to arrange for a fourth school, we believe we express the general feeling of the people of Dunedin when we say that they concur in the necessity for one being established. It seems somewhat strange, too, in the face of such an evident requirement, that the Corporation should have acted so timorously as to render a public expression of opinion needed. The necessity for a fourth school is so apparent, and the duty of the Corporation in the matter so plain, that it might fairly have been concluded, instead of hesitation in granting a site, they would have taken the lead in offering a suitable one. From what has transpired, there can be no doubt had the Provincial Government still retained the reserves, not the slightest difficulty would have occurred. The Corporation reserves are held for purposes of public utility, and in appropriating them so as to confer the greatest benetit on the City, the Council is fulfilling its highest duties. They are not asked to part with a site on frivolous grounds, or for private advantage merely. They know well that refusal to grant a site is equivalent to refusal to have a fourth school; for the Government has no fund at its disposal to purchase land, nor any unappropriated land suitable for the purpose. But, apart from this, as the Education Board have means voted to erect a building, and are prepared to do that part of the work which is the most expensive, surely it is a small thing to meet the offer by providing ground for it to stand upon. We can scarcely avoid surprise, too, at the amazing increase of conscientiousness manifested in our City Council on this matter. The school is an unmistakeable want--nobody can deny that. On all hands it is acknowledged that a school, in itself, is a good thing ; there is nothing doubtful about its goodness. There are people crotchety enough to babble about the wrong of the State providing the means of education ; but as during the historic

period of the world it has been proved if the State does not see to the people being educated the majority remain ignorant, the fine-drawn theories of those very few eccentrics need not be taken seriously into consideration. Perhaps the education provided might be better; perhaps it will be of a and higher better character, when the world finds out what men and women ought to be, and how to make them so. But, at any rate, nobody doubts education being a necessity, and since the three schools are overcrowded, a fourth is included in that necessity. How is it to be accounted for then that the Corporation should hesitate so much about the patch of land for a site for a fourth school, and yet be so open-handed as to vote ten thousand pounds for drainage a fortnight back 1 There is something very doubtful about that drainage. It is doubtful whether it would not do much more harm than good; it is doubtful whether, at a much less cost, different means might not be adopted, far more effective as sanitary measures; it is doubtful whether, in trying to get rid of noxious miasma, the spending of ten thousand pounds in making the drains proposed is not the most direct method of concentrating its deleterious energy, and producing the very evil proposed to be avoided. The testimony of science is in favor of such a view • the experience of Dunedin, so far as drainage has been attempted, points to such a result; medical men, engineers of high reputation, and, to our minds, common sense, warn the Corporation that they are rushing upon an experiment which however skilfully carried out, L*. of a most hazardous character. The possibility before them is that of creating an unmitigated evil for the purpose of doing very partial good ; and yet there was no hesitation in voting ten thousand pounds for the work, while, with the certainty of good resulting through the erection of a school they hesitate to provide a piece of ground not worth half as many hundreds. There is an old proverb that seems to us very apt in its application to the conduct of the Corporation in this matter, Mr Cargill very charitably said : “ One purpose of the meeting was to back up the Corporation ; to encourage them to give any land at their disposal for a school site.” He has only just returned to Dunedin, and is therefore not up in the proceedings of the last few weeks ; or we are disposed to think, on comparing the Corporate conduct in the drainage matter with their action as to the school site, he would have marvelled that so august a body should so “ strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” In the one case there is just reason for doubt and hesitation, in the other there is none ; in the one case the course of duty is doubtful, in the other it is very plain ; in the one case the step taken may do infinite harm, in the other it must do incalculable good. Yet they can rush on to the doubtful course ; but, without being backed by the Citizens, they dare not step on to that which is secure. It is said that even Corporations never act without motives revealed or concealed ; and that many times that which is revealed is only a blind for what is concealed. So long as there is nothing doubtful about what is done, curiosity is laid at rest; but when inconsistency such as we have pointed out becomes apparent, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that there is something behind —a powerful motive that has not yet been expressed —haply a miniature imitation of the interchange of services of the House of Representatives, “ Claw me, and I’ll claw thee.”