EDUCATIONAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1849, 6 July 1918, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL.

IT would appear that the correct method of getting elected to the Wanganui Education Board —or any other Education Board for that matter —is for a candidate to provide himself with sufficient nomination papers and to send one duly signed to each committee, with the request for nomination at an early date. Very few committeemen would refuse to sign such nominations, and when so committed, it handicaps the support of a candidate who subsequently comes into the held. Of course, it does not follow that a committee is bound to vote for a candidate it has nominated, but is is sure to create a prejudice in Lis favour. In the forthcoming' election for a member

to the Board to represent the Southern Ward, Mr Fraser, tho sitting;, and, wo believe, the oldest member of the Board, sent out nomination papers to committees before the. other candidate was announced, with;,-the result that Ihe early bird may gel the worm. When Mr Fraser’s opponent circularised committees he received several replies to the effect that the sitting member had been nominated by them and they did not know that there was to be an election! 'they were under tho impression that the nomination tilled the. complete bill. One chairman of committee stated that he wondered what the voting papers- were for! In view of such indifference, is it any wonder that the cause of education is at such a low ebb? The present system of electing members to (ho Board by votes of committeemen should give place to a wider franchise, which would result in arousing public interest in educational matters.