BOARD AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1943, 22 February 1919, Page 3

BOARD AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

THE PIANO PURCHASE QUESTION. SOME REMARKABLE STATEMENTS. ', ' INDECENT PICTURES PREFERABLE ! THE BOARD’S JURISDICTION. The controversy that has arisen in connection with the purchase by (he Foxton School Committee of a German piano for the Foxton School resulted in further discussion by the Wanganui Education Board on "Wednesday night. The chairman (Mr Fred Pirani) moved: “That the Board inform the Foxton School Committee it will not give its consent to a piano of German manufacture being placed in the Foxton School.” Mr’Fraser said feeling was very strong in Foxton in regard to the matter. Over £3OO had been raised for the school, and if necessary £IOO could have been spent to purchase a British instrument. Some people were asking if the Board was pro-German.' Personally he considered the instrument purchased would not inculcate patriotic sentiment in the children. The matter was a scandal. .

Mr Mclntyre considered the Board should not override the committee, who should ho the best judges of their own action. Ho questioned what power the Board had. An article bought in the open market before the war should not be depreciated because it was now in the hands of British soldiers. Personally, he had a German piano in his home, bought before the war in the ordinary course of business. The whole war was caused by an act of tyrannous distortion, and the Board should not emulate it/ The Board was always tilting at centra! control, and the Board was now going

outside its province. Mr Collins condemned Die purchase, and said children should he, ■ . * taught to encourage British inanu-

factures. Mr Freeth considered the Board should not intervene between the Committee and the Fox ton community. It was a product bought by British money, and intrinsically was not a German piano when it came into their hands. The school teacher had no right to interfere with the matter between the committee and the public. The chairman: lie raised the money, and it was spent on a German piano. Mr Freeth: I understood (he public raised it. The Chairman: The headmaster started and the public helped him. Mr Bruce supported the motion, and said the committee did not treat the headmaster honestly. They should have given him an opportunity to express Ids mind. It was a semi-public matter. British industry should be supported, and a serious mistake had been made.

Mr Pilkington said every effort should be made to inculcate loyalty in the children. The incident might lie a blessing in disguise, as at the. next election in April the Foxton people could endorse the action of the minority of the committee.

Speaking with feeling, Mr Pilkington added: ‘‘l hope the piano will he burned, and that it will kindle such a beacon that it will illuminate not only the playground, but wit! throw a tight all over New Zealand, it: is astonishing that the people so soon forget the offences of the

Germans. The Chairman; Hear, hear!

Air Fraser said many people who subscribed for the school would not have given a penny if they lin'd known a Berman piano was lo have been bought. Members who had supported the purchase would never get back on the Committee. It was said the school staff was not unanimous, hut oulv one member had “trimmed.”

Mr Bryant condemned (he purchase and said he was a German antipathist.

The Chairman condemned the Committee’s action unreservedly. It was a deeper matter than appeared on the surface. The whole point Avas jhe effect on the children. Personally, he would never he a party to alloAving articles of German manufacture to be put into tiie schools. Child life was the most impressionable stage. A German piano would have a malign iifflueuce and even the children would scoff at marching or singing to the instrument.

Mr Pilkingtou: Fancy them playing “God Save the King” on it!

The Chairman: Supposing it had been an indecent picture? Couldn’t avc prevent it being put up?

Mr Mclntyre: That is not a parallel case.

Tlit; Chairman replied that he would sooner see lifty thousand indecent pictures in a school than a German piano. They should make every effort to dissociate themselves with the word “German.” In the interests of the children the Board should take a stand. Hr Fraser said the Committee would thank the Board for forbidding them to put the piano in the school, as they were sick of the whole thing. The Chairman's motion was carrje(i.—Wanganui Chronicle. [An amendment to the motion to the effect that the Board should express its disapproval of anything German-made being introduced into the schools was lost on the casting vo te of the Chairman— Wanganui jlerald.]