THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 181, 26 June 1869, Page 5

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

ON- Wednesday evening a public meeting was held in the Provincial Hall for the purpose of considering the Education Resolutions recently passed by the Pro vincial Council. About 40 persons were present. The Mayor, having been voted to the

chair, opened the proceedings by stating that he had convened the meeting upon the requisition of several of the inhabitants of the town, who considered the Resolutions passed by the Provincial Council, and since presented to the Assembly, most unfair. They would certainly make a considerable alteration, and greatly affect this district. He then referred to the importance of Education, remarking that the uneducated were not so alive to their general interests. Printing and books were cheap, and education more easily attained in the present age. The difficulty, however, was to see how any scheme could be equalised for the benefit of all; we were not blest like Nelson with a Trust Fund for aiding Education. When that trust was formed it was thought better to create a central college, but he had always thought it would be better to have two or three ; we wore then a part of Nelson, and the School was concentrated in Nelson, so that we did not participate in the advantages as we ought to do. It would have been better to have had a High School in this distiict, so that we could educate our sons without sending them to a distance from homo, and it was possible that at a future time such a school might be founded here, if, as we ought, the town had the entire management of its own schools. By the Resolutions before them it was proposed to divide the Province into four districts, one of which—the Wairau—would be bounded by the Top House and the Wairau river on the one hand, and the Clarence on the other. The district would elect a Board of five members, who would have the control of Education. By the 23rd clause it was proposed that Wairau should devote one-fifth, of .the Land Revenue raised in the district for the support of schools, which would amount to about £490... The household rate in 18G8 was about £7OO. for the whole province. Ho could not learn how much Blenheim had contributed; but from enquiries of the master he learned that Blenheim and the Bush combined paid about £45.Q ; takingoff £IOO for Bush would leave £350. Ho would therefore be justified in assuming that Wairau paid mote than half the whole sum, and it was consequently unfair to give us but one-fifth of the Land Revenue. Under the Resolutions Blenheim alone would contribute as much as the share of the land endowment for the entire district.

Mr. Hae said he was filled with a deep sense of the importance of the question. It was needless for him to enlarge upon the importance of education. Ignorance was the cause of crime, and it was the duty of the Government by every means to promote education, and take means to dispel ignorance. It was not their duty to interfere with religious education, but it was their duty to provide a sound secular education, as children were the property of the State ; but he looked on these Resolutions as unsuitable, unjust, and calculated to prevent the people from obtaining it (hear). As a working man, he knew how hard it was to procure bread and butter for his family, let alone education. By these proposals, the Government would be overthrowing the very thing they ought to promote, and therefore wo ought to send our wishes direct to the Assembly ; and he would propose a motion to that effect. Various suggestions had been made as to whether the Borough should be a district to itself, or should extend two miles round it ; and there were reasons in favor of both views. The Government School would receive all within that radius, but there be a difficulty in providing for the enfranchisement of persons living outside to enable them to vote in the management of the school; but he was persuaded that this difficulty could be met. Was a good school established, he believed the children would attend it, even if residing at such a distance. He was decided in his belief that the Legislature should be petitioned without delay, and would move—- “ That it is advisable that the General Assembly bo petitioned to constitute the Town of Blenheim an Educational District in itself.”

Mr. Sinclair seconded the motion pro forma, reserving the right of speaking afterwards. The difficulty, he felt, was that the persons present appeared to bo all on one side. Mr. Silvius wished to know what they would be called upon to pay under the proposed plan ? The Chairman explained the third schedule remarking that in case of a family of three children, it would amount to £4 10s., but there would be no household rate, as at present. He could not tell what the fees would be if the motion before them was carried.

Mr. Rae rose to explain that it was necessary, before any other business, to appeal to the Assembly, and over*' aw the

Resolutions of the Provincial Council, taken were now on the table of the House, but which might otherwise become law, ami the high rates therein laid down perpetuated. They should first decide to take action, and then appoint a committee to carry out the opinions of the meeting (hear). Mr. John T. Robinson said a very important question had been raised—as to what we should have to pay. He had opposed the Resolutions in his place in the Provincial Council because he considered them unfair, and especially so to the working men, and calculated to remove the burden of supporting education from those best able to pay, while taxing the poorer classes. He contended that the impost ought to be in the form of a Property or Income Tax; and if the country was divided into separate districts it should be on the amount of property held by each. (Hear.) The question was important to the working classes, as by the proposed arrangement, the wealthier would have no rates to pay whatever ; they would send their children to private schools, or keep tutors, and so evade the rates. The household rate was objected to by many persons, but it was much fairer than the plan of the Council, under which many families would have £4 10s. to pay annually, whether they sent their children to school or not —more than any poor man could afford to pay. It would be better to shut up the Government School to-morrow than thus oppress them. He could not see any argument in their favor. Instead of keeping our own school they wanted to take our money to support schools elsewhere. Many country people could better afford to pay than the bulk of the townspeople. The working man must pay the fees because he could not afford to send his child to college. If the motion was carried he would move the recommendation of a Property Tax. He could not but express his surprise that the Local Education Committee had not taken steps to place before them the necessary data. Pie was opposed to a small local committee as a present; a larger body such as the Council was not too large to look after such an important question as this was. While he did not think the Assembly would pass an Act on such a basis as this, yet the Resolutions were all the evidence it had before it, and the voice of the people ought to be heard against them. He had heard it said by one person that we ought to assist in the education of the country districts ; well there was £490 of Crown Land Revenue, and he would not object to that sum going for the benefit of the country districts, but he demanded that the money wo raised among ourselves should go to improve our own school, and be spent on ourselves. Large centres always held a number of poor people, and these as a rule required education more than those in the country. A good school in Blenheim would be better for country people than sending their children to Nelson. The object of the Resolutions was, he really believed, to create another little province nut of the Wairau, at about the same expense as that at present existing. The framers saw that its days were numbered, and so were providing another little scheme for schools and roads. (Hear.) Small districts could be managed without expense, while large ones would be costly, and require salaries to be paid. He did not see that they could collect more than £1 from those living outside the town. He had no wish to set Blenheim against any other district; all they wanted was to manage their own concerns, and that was a thing we had a perfect right to do. (Applause.) Mr. Hutcheson agreed with all he had heard from the previous speaker. If they were inactive and did nothing in the matter, the Resolutions might pass into a law. He thought the fees named unjust, particularly to the poor man. He had one boy at school in Nelson, and if these proposals took effect, he should be disposed to send another or two, and so have nothing to pay. On the other hand, if we had the disposal of our own funds, with the fees and land endowment, wo should be able presently to have what in the old country was called a grammar school. Now was the time to strike, and urge the justness of our cause. Mr. James T. Robinson would support the resolution before them, urging that the schools ought to be under local management.

Mx\ Sinclair could scarcely consider this a public meeting, inasmuch as there was no one to oppose. What had been said by others previously, was in accordance with his feelings as expressed in the Borough Council. The motion before them had his entire good wishes and goodwill, but he felt it hard to kick against nothing ; but he would go a little further, and say time was of every importance in the matter.

Tin's was not a question of detpfi, embracing all the points they wished to see altered. The Resolutions could not affect him individually,'but that should not prevent him doing his duty as a citizen to those who. elected him as their representative in the Council. The question was a broad and important one, more so than all others which could come before that Counci 1 . Upon sifting the resolution, they showed that they were aimed at the root of a ll education, and meant its extinction. ?*lr. John Robinson objected to them in the Provincial Counci l , and so he was muzz l - d by being made chairman of the committee. Tie considered them to be cruel in the extreme [ interruption ]. His justification for wishing them discussed by the Borough Council was, that there a speaker could be listened to. The motion before them was important, and it was urgent that they should lose no time in protesting against it, otherwise they would bo supposed to be consenting parties. The Government talked of a Land Endowment, but they said nothing about the .£4,000 due to the Education Board, in respect of the one-thirty-second part of all surveyed land. The real substance of the district were ordinary men, and the bulk of thorn could not send their children to distant schools. The very body which had cheated us cut of our £-1,000, instead of giving us the value of our own fees, wanted to take them from us. The town would pay one half, and get a fifth ! They talked of giving ns an endowment fund, bub they had no money to give us. One family might occupy a piece of ground the size of a parish, and yet ask ns to support it. Wc had a claim for a portion of the £I,OOO, but nothing was said about that in the Resolutions of the Provincial Council. The Government were themselves but paupers, and could not command even that they proposed to give us. Blenheim should be a district in itself? he did not say they should have a pro rata shave according to population, but the outscttlers were well able to assist themselves. Why-not ask us to find them in roads, dresses, <kc. Were they in need of our sympathy and help, he would assist them. They should ask for the Resolutions to be modified, and the scale of fees to be elastic, xrot fixed at such an extreme amount, but so that in case of large families, they could be largely reduced (applause). Upon bcixrg put, the Chairman declared the motion past, but a division being demanded, it resulted in 15 for and 3 against. Mx-. Fitzgerald thought outsiders ought to keep their carriages if they liked. He would like to propose that those who sent their children to school should pay for them, and left to please themselves whether they sexrt them to school or not. Mr. John T, Robinson said the last speaker showed that outsiders wanted to manage their own affairs, and that was all we wanted.

Mr. Sinclair moved, “ That the proposed Resolutions of the Provincial Council are unfair, and unworkable, and that a petition be drawn up by a committee consisting of the Mayor, Councillors Hutcheson, Nosworthy, James T. Robinson, Sinclair, and Messrs. John T. Robinson, and C. J. Rae.” Messrs. James and John Robinson, and the Mayor withdrew their names; Mr. James Robinson declining to act as a councillor.

Mr. Sinclair said this motion was to give effect to the one just passed. The committee would only propose what was fair and reasonable. As a Council it could meet more conveniently, and he could not accept the demurrer of his colleague, as ho was sure no one would bring forward a more outright, straightforward opinion. He would accept an addition to their number. They wanted to take nothing from the outside districts, but to do lor themselves; they did not want to be crutches for them, as these abominable Resolutions provided; and which were calculated to crush a poor man who could not submit to their exactions. Mr. Fitzgerald seconded the motion, and suggested that the words, “ with power to add to their number,” be appended. Mr. John T. Robinson saw no provision in the motion for reporting to a public meeting; and while he believed they wore all working for the same end, he could not but observe that as the motion now stood, a very nice petition could be got up. Mr. Rae moved that the words be added, “Such Committee to report to a public meeting of the inhabitants of this Borough, on Wednesday evening next, for its approval of the petition drawn up.” Mr. Sinclair opposed the amendment, because it was a matter for the district, and he found that many people were ready to hold up their hands at a meeting, and

then objected to action being taken. He thought it might be entrusted to the Committee, and then submitted to the people for their assent, and every opportunity given to sign it. Those attending a public meeting might be non residents, and he did not think it right for anyone not living in the Borough to interfere. Those present did not represent a tithe of those concerned. He did not mean to reflect on anyone, but as they did not seek to impose anything upon them, they should not interfere. It was purely a local matter for the burgesses. He did not mean to deprecate public meetings. Mr. John T. Robinson, in seconding the motion, said he did not mean a public meeting of the Province, but of those in the Borough. A different course would form a bad precedent, as, of seven committeemen, half might be totally opposed to the petition as presented for signature, and there was no provision for representing the minority. He had certain ideas on the subject, but was not sure he could carry half the committee with him, as to a property rate, for instance. Country people ought to allow them to ventilate the subject, and to decide as to their own interests. It would be advisable to get the sanction of a public meeting, and every question ought to be submitted to such. Mr. Sinclair was at one with the last speaker, but the calling of a public meeting would waste time, which, in this case, would be valuable. Mr. Hutcheson rose to explain that Mr. Robinson did not mean that the petition should be signed on behalf of a meeting, but afterwards by the burgesses. After some further remarks by various speakers, the motion was amended, and carried. A vote of thanks to the Mayor as Chaiiv man, closed the proceedings. J