School Committee Meeting.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 79, 25 April 1918, Page 3

School Committee Meeting.

To THE Editor, Sir, —Your unavoidable absence from the Mataniatn school committee on Monday evening for many reasons was most regretable. In the debate that arose out of the proposal to petition Parliament to strenuously oppose any attempt that might he made to secure endowments for the support of denominational schools in the Dominion, there sprang up many phases of thought that would have interested you. It goes without saying that, in an intelligent community like Matamatu, the proposal was carried without dissent. With your favor, sir, it indy be slated that some of the speakers were solemnly humorous and dreadfully in earnest, while they dilated and swelled out on the fearful consequences that would follow denominational endowments if they should ever become the accepted policy of our democratic Government. You, sir, would have felt awed and inspired had you been present, and your imagination would have carried away a picture of Mataraata with live or six denominational schools, each presided over by “ a clergyman and a weak woman.” Now, sir, you can easily understand how it came about that the Matamatoodlers voted to a man against the possibility of such a direful eventuality. Of course, if there had been any ladies present there would have been no such heroic eloquence about “ weak women,” and if the wives of these orators had been within hearing would they not have winked at each other and laughed up their sleeves as they listened to their brave spouses discoursing on the weakness of their feminity ? I am, etc., OBITER DICTA. Soldiers’ Memorial. To the Editor. Sir, —As I am not a member of any local body, and was not allowed to voice my opinion at the meeting last Saturday, I would like to suggest that our local bodies treat the proposed memorial of soldiers’ scheme in the same manner as the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce did. Every spare penny we have now should be used to stoke the flaming iires of the War Loan, and to help to crush the Huns for ever. When the war is over we will be able to discuss whether it is to be a club at Hamilton or a building in our own township. Surely the memory of our fine young fellows of this district, who have laid down their lives for their country, will not be forgotten by the people of Matamata. Let us erect some public building in the district where thoir familiar faces will be forever remem 1 bered. For my part no memorial will be required to keep our hero’s face before us. He is with us always. Yet, I have been sorely grieved to think that we have been asked to contribute towards building a club at Hamilton, when our own town has not even got a Roll of Honor. Are not those brave young fellows’ names and the date of their deaths worthy of being placed in a prominent position in the town ? Quite recently I saw in an English paper a wayside shrine and a Roll of Honor, and the village children were adoning it with flowers to commemorate the anniversary of the death of their late beloved school teacher. This picture appealed to me, and it recalled to my mind how little we honored the fallen heroes of this district. But, for the present, we must not dwell on spending large sums of money. The time is too critical, and we must be the stokers to our war loans and bear our responsibilities. When we have crushed the Germans and peace reigns supreme I am sure everyone will willingly contribute to an everlasting memorial to our fallen heroes, whether it be decided to be in Hamilton or Matamata. —I am, etc., ONE WHO IS INTERESTED.