CASE OF MISS PARK

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1922, Page 1

CASE OF MISS PARK

PETONE SECONDARY SCHOOL. PUBLIC INQUIRY AWAITED. - . w \ 1 v r WELLINGTON, Dec. 31. Considerable interest was manifested in a special meeting of the Petone District High School Committee, held to consider the suggestion of the Education Board that Miss Park, of Carterton, should be appointed as assistant in the secondary ■ school. There were present Mr 6. Silbery (chairman), Mrs Jones, and Messrs’J: Ashby,' L. Powell, J.' Wright, W. ,t. Taylor, F. AY. Ashman, and J. Kyle. The chairman explained that lie had received a communication from the Education Board appointing Miss Park to the vacancy, and asking for the approval of ' 'the committee. ’ Miss Park had high qualifications, and was, he understood, one Of the finest teachers in the employ of the board. It was only fair to 'Miss Park to say that lie had been informed that the charge of disloyalty made against her had'been unreservedly withdrawn by the Carterton School Committee. “A SECRET INQUIRY.”

Air Ashman moved: “That the board

be urged to withhold the appointment of .Miss Park til] ' after the public inquiry had been held.” Miss Park had been exonerated at a secret inquiry held by the board. In mating the inquiry secret, the hoard,'lie considered, l a'd done a wrong thing, and now, when a public inquiry was pending, it was not a fair tiling to ask' the committee to endorse flic ' appointment made by ilic board. At the ! same time lie belifevdcl the 'board had made a thorough inquiry, and lie 1 refused to believe'’that-the members of the board

would uphold any teacher who was tainted with disloyalty. Personally, he considered the charges made were a bit of moonshine.' In justice to all parties concerned, the 1 "appointment should be withheld until after the inquiry, which he believed would entirely , clear Miss Park. ' | Mr PoyeH: If the charge of dis--5 loyalty is withdrawn, will there he an ! inquiry? i The chairman said lie understood ! that other charges than disloyalty were ' being made, principally matters affectj ing Miss Park’s attitude towards the {department. 1 Air Powell seconded the motion, and j endorsed the leinarks of A'|r Ashman. I Air Kyle considered that the com- ’ mittee was adopting a right attitude, taking into consideration the present ; high tension of public opinion on the ■ subject.

Air Taylor said lie took it that Miss

Parle, as a result of the inquiry, was coming without anything against her. He would vote for the motion if it was

understood that it meant that if the charge of disloyalty were disproved the committee would approve the appointment.

“AN INJUSTICE.” Air Wright thought a lot of injustice had been done to the lady. Too much notice had been taken of children’s yarns. Air Ashby did not think nine loyal members of a committee at Carterton Mould make a charge without some

. foundation, ’{.’lie committee should take no action at all in the matter, and j leave the 'responsibility to the hoard, j The motion presumed that Miss Park 1 was guilty. j The chairman: Not so. We are eni deavouring to safeguard .Miss Park in the matter. It would be a cruel thing to bring her here to suffer, if the in- ' quiry went against her. It would he i much better that she should remain at I Carterton till the question is settled. | The mover and other members of j the committee also denied that there ! was any inference of Miss Park’s guilt • in the motion, which had been moved ! in justice to Miss Park as well as the householders they represented. MINISTER AND “A 1 ! r m F MAGGOT.” fn reply, Mr Ashman said ho hoped the motion would he carried. Owing to the secret inquiry, some suspicion had been cast upon Miss Park, and it was only a fair thing to wait the decision of the public inquiry. The public ought to be proud of its teachers that they had the courage of their opinions. There was no more loyal man in the room than himself, but if their teachers were going to he made mere machines it was time to cry halt. TT " held a high opinion of the .Minister for Education, hut with all due respect to him, lie thought Mr Parr had “got. a little maggot” on tin question. It people were against our present economic system they were considered quite wrong. It was the idea that ‘ the State could do no wrong” that gave Germany its first impetus towards the cruelties perpetrated during the war. The motion was carried with one dissentient (Mr Ashby).