THE MANGAONE SCHOOL.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 155, 25 June 1891, Page 2

THE MANGAONE SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITOK OF THE STAR; Sib,— l have read the letter in your ' issue of the 20th inst. signed by Robert ' Lankshear, chairman Mangaone School Committee. Sir, Robert Lankshear, although he may perhaps have' signed and ..forwarded you that letter, he rfever wrote it. lam quite sure no person reading your paper who knows Robert Lankshear would belieye that it came from his brain, in the- pure. No doubt; sir, I was in error in saying that the settlers subscribed £ for £ to build the school house, what I should .have said was "to provide the site " and pay" for the transfer of same, because this they did do. Mr Denshaui, when he came here to take charge of the school, first occupied a two-roomed cottage belonging to Mr Murphy, there being at the time no other school residence or other suitable house for the teacher to^ccupy. This being so, Mr Denshatn- himself agitated for the residence, and his ideas then were that if a residence were' built close to the school that the master would be better able to look after the children and also the school property. Well, we obtained the site and the residence was erected, and now, because Mr Densham wishes to " run a farm," it appears the money which.it cost the Board to build the residence with, is to be really thrown to the winds. I consider 1 , and I am sure that all .unprejudiced- persona will also agree with me, that having, through' his own agitation, induced the committee to obtain from the Board, the present residence,, it is the duty of the teacher to occupy it. The author of the letter lam now answering, has asked me to point out one 'instance where Mr Densham has neglected his duties'! -Well, here it is, straight from the shoulder ': Mr Thomas Shortall had a daughter who was a cadet at the school, and was studying for a pupil teacher. Mr Shortall, sir, com^ plained to me that his daughter was not being taught' by. the master, as was his duty.. The committee had the . "matter brought before them by me wheaMr Pearce was '- chairman, when it was resolved to remit the matter to the Board, this was done, and the Board reported that it was the master's duty to teach the cadet one hour per day.' Mr Lankshear had all the papers handed over to him by the late chairman, and he might, had he examined them as he should haye done, been full} aware of at least this one act of neglect oi duty' without calling upon me to expose it. — I am, &c, J. H.'ASHWORTH.