WESTLAND CENTRAL BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2038, 10 March 1883, Page 2

WESTLAND CENTRAL BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS.

[to the editor.] Sir—According to ancient martial law, deserters when captured were shot, and cowards who slunk behind hedges and would not face the foe were treated in a similar off-handed manner ; but in some cases exception was taken and clemency shewn by branding the cowards and drumming them out of the army. We have in Mr George Rudkin, storekeeper, of Kumara (speaking of him as a member of the Westland Board of Education only) both a deserter and a coward. Thursday was the day on which the new members of the Board were to be elected, and the day of election, or the forming or constituting of the Board is really the most important of any meeting ot that body. Very often, where there are ties between candidates, the Board have to determine who shall be elected, and those who are elected retain office for three years. Again, Thursday’s meeting was the last ordinary meeting, and the meeting in which tiie question of the Board’s new regulations should have been rescinded, seeing they come into force on the Ist of April. In the report of Thursday’s meeting in this morning’s Argus, Messrs Taylor, Seddon, and Rae were ties. The following sentence explains the rest : —“ All the members present except Mr Rudkin.” The desertion istherefore proved by his absence ; the cowardice, from the fact that Mr Rudkin knew that the voting for the candidates was about equal, and from the fact also that Mr Rudkin voted to dispense with the assistant teacher, or in other words voted to discharge Mr Harre. And yet, having done wrong and having confessed to many that ho had in voting for the new regulations committed an error of judgment, yet he had not the manliness or courage to go and, like a man, undo the evil, but would allow the rising generation of

Kumara to suffer from his perfidy. 'Now the shooting or branding punishment cannot in this case be applied; but Mr Rudkin’s conduct in this matter makes him a target to be shot at by all lovers of justice and upholders of our National system of Education, and in scorn eaoh child could point at him and say truthfully—“ Thou shnfflng traitor! what have we done unto thee that thou sbouldest do ns this evil ? If pressure from Greymouth be so great and heavy upon thee that thou caust not act the part thou wert elected to take, resign! and be not a cringing creature of circumstances j one hour longer innocent children have no right to be the victims of thy misfortune ! Nemesis. Kumara, March 9, 1883.