THE EDUCATION BOARD.

Kumara Times, Issue 1718, 1 April 1882, Page 2

THE EDUCATION BOARD.

[to the editor.] Sir—There was no uneertain sound in the footnote you appended to my former letter, and that expression of opinion no doubt had its effect in dragging the Stafford vote from its hiding place, and so placing a representative of your district—and a good one—on the Central. Board. I dare say it will be some time before so paltry and mean a I

mck is attempted again, l.nt teally suoh extraordinary length of rebels taken by certain persona in the G.e'y'nWth officp, that it is often dehafcd amongst us whether it is h ; st to cut it short, or to let them linve the whole of the hemp, aud thus hang themselves, I vdky mention that this is not the first time that a Tetter, the property of the Board, has been made away with. Mr,Lord sent in a written resignation to the Board, but the resignation was mcohveinenfc and so the letter was quietly spirited off. It has never, seen daylight since; Farther, I may inform.jou that the writer of this letter would have been a hiember of the Board since Ib'Bo, onfy for a precisely similar trick., A liie piece of impudent chickaoery lias'led td the filling-up of Mr Hamilton's vacancy, nearly nineraonths after he had left the district. During the whole of thai period the inhabitants of Westland have been wilfully and dishonestly deprived of the represeutatidn on the Board to which they are by law entitled as & matter of right. Need I call your at tentioii to the various other acts of ttis unscuipulous body? At a time whett many small schools were in need of urgent repairs, which could not be effected for the want of Funds, the purchase of the residence of the Chairman of the Board was entered into. This property will soon, I predict, be sold again, and I am confident it will not fetch one third of the price given for it; With the the inspector and other officials were hurried away. Altogether a wilful wanton waste of at least £ISOO was incUrred: The carjpenter that packed the gdods is unpaid to this moment. If the. Government grant an" inquiry into these proceedings and transactions, aud if the whole business is completely traced (aa we kop'e sooner or later will be done) some peculiar revelations will be made. Even wharf rats were amazed at what tiiey wit nessed when they saw the goods and chattels shipped away on the Waipara: The formation of a number of new Committees and the abolishing df others in ; Westland was another disgraceful dodge, without one single ei*cnse or palliation. , The thing was done in secret, and was totally arid wholly' unjustifiable from any fair or honorable point of view. The consequence of the proceeding is this—that until merit gives us district, the majority of the Westland'schools, Westland teachers, Wesfclsind Scholars; and Westland pirents and householders, a're absolutely deprived of their due share of representation on the Board. After the next meeting of the Board"; public attention will be called to hear other remarkable doings of the tyrannical trio of tricksters, who} for A. yfeir, by the grotesque and cruel irony of fate; have made education in Westland a laughing stock and a reproach out the colony. Such must ever be the result when so all-important an institution gets into the clutches of a ring of vulgar, ignorant, and shameless selfseekers j totally unscrupulous; totally empty ; totally oblivious to all sense of right; or honor; or fair play. A CostMITTEE-MASr: