WAIAREKA SCHOOL.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8167, 23 April 1895, Page 4

WAIAREKA SCHOOL.

■ received any ; I am not now asking for any favor, and expect none. But I have a right to claim fiom it ovou-handed justice, fair and square and abovo board. I do not boliovo that members of the board, vrhon it is pub to them, will do mo, and in my person all tho teachers of Otugo, 11 dohborato injustice. It is easy for a member coming prepared to spring a motion on tho board, and for it to bo passed without a member noticing or intending tho sling of a seemingly inoffenhivo word. I hope tho board will not dcom tho suggestion disrespectful to itself, but I cling to tho belief that tho heart of almost every member of tho board boats true to our common British instinct of "fair play." 1 respectfully submit that tho resolution is wanting in fairness. Tho board ought not to kill by an insinuation ; if it means to strike, lot it strike straight. With regard to tho inquiry already ordered, I encloso copy of correspondence betweon tho convenor of committee and myself. It explains itself. 1 need only say that my telegram to you dated 22nd ult. was sent in tho belief that the board had altered the place of inquiry. Tho Wniaroka School Committee tho same morning hold a special meeting, when for tho first time I laid before them tho letter of tho 19th November. They oxprossed unbounded surpriso at tho delay in holding tho inquiry, and they wired also to you tho following words : ll Waidrt'ka School Committee hopes board will reconsider decision and ho.'d inquiry in school hero. District is anxious inquiry bo hold on spot." In addition to tho j telegram sent to me, tho convener wired to tho committee thtit as th« inquiry was I tho result of my own accusations ho could not penaliso tho inspectors by bringing them to Oamaru at their own expense. I loavo that judicial deliverance to tho judgment of the board, bolieving that it will not expect me to appear before a judge who has thus publicly prejudiced tho cise. As the board's committeo have declined to proceed to Wnhreka is directed by the bo.ud, I respectfully requebt it to ask homo competent tribunal to undertake what seems so distasteful to some of its members— a searching public inquiry into tho whole circumstances connected with tho inspector's report, and tho actions of tho committeo b*Bcd thoroon. I still request tho board to hold without accepting niy resignation till tho report of that tribunal shall have been received. 1 trust tho board will not deem anything m this letter disrespectful to itholf. Any appoarftiico of tho kind belongs to tho circumstance and not to the intention. No act of tho board or hostility of any of its members will induce mo, while I am in its service, to treat it other than with deferonco and rospect. But there is bomothing duo to myself as a servant of tho board and :i teacher in a noble profession, and I will neither bo wearied by delay nor be terrified by threats. 1, thoreforo, again appeal to tho board to proceed immediately with its inquiry, and by giving mo fairer treatment to inspire tho confidence in tho humblest of its teachers that tho board, and not its oflicials, are their final mastets, and that the only thing a man has to fear in its service is to do wrong. — I have, etc., P. B. Fraskk.

(Copy.) Wcßton, April 15, 1805. Mr P. B. Fraser, M.A., Waiareka. Dear Sir, — \Vo aro in receipt of yours of March 27, tendering your resijjnation of tho head teachorship of Waifireka School, and in accepting the samo wo ftssuro you that wo do so with regret. Youi 1 kindly references to us as a committoo wo sincerely thank you for, and the good wishes you express for tho welfare of the school and tho scholars we very gratefully accept, for wo know that tho voi y best feeling exists between you and tho pupilsi In parting wo bog to offer you our bost wishes for tho health and happiness of yourself and family, and greatly desiro that you fihould have very much success in tho high and honorable calling which you luve chosen. Wo are, doar sir, yours very sincerely, Alk\. Ihdai-k, Chairman, ltoiibKT jACKhON, Secretary, Waiareka School Committee.

On tho 22ml Mirch Mr P. B. Fraser telegraphed protesting against ft secret inquiry in tho board's oflico, to which Mr ,j. b\ M. Frasor replied saying that tho inquiry would not bo secret; that tlie committee would accept declarations of « itnesses ; and that if Mr P. B. Frasor did not attend they would give judgment in his absence. A letter wuh sent by Mr P. B. Frasor on tho 25th March to the secretary of tho board objecting to the in* quhy being held in Dunudin, a 9 ho could not attend in time with his witnesses.

(Copy.) Waiareka School, Weston, 25th March, 18!)."). J. F. M. Fruser, Ksq., Oonvoin.r of Board'd Cominittce. Sir,— l was rather startled on Friday uftornoon to receive a long tolegiam from you, written in language I shou'd have hcuu out prised to got by the ordiiMiy cliannol of the post, bub which coming through tho telegraph is a form of discourtesy 1 was quite unprepared for from iv judge in this caso and member of the board to one of its teachers. I beg to s.\y that thero is nothing known to mo in my position or In yours that warrants my receiving, or your sanding me, a ihreA 1 ening und insulting telegram. Vom telegram is in reply to a respectful though urgont one of mine (o the chairman, intended for consideration of tho bo.ud, winch 1 look to bt) still sitting at tho time iof wiring. No doubt if tho board saw lit to decline my request it would ha^o convoyed iis refusal in language consistent with its own dignity and not in language of menace You acouso mo of wilting what I "perfectly woll know " to be contiary to fuct ; you contrive to wor.l y«'ur telegram so as to make it appear addrcsbed to a person seeking to u^capo justice, and afraid to face a judicial inquiry, the result of his " own accusations." You then deliberately threaten to givo judgment without hearing evidence if 1 do not comply with an impossible condition sot up at tho list moment, after three months' doluy— a delay, moreover, for which I am not responsible. Permit me to reply to your telegram : At tho outsot, I hope you will do mo the justico to believo that nothing c.vi be farther from my intention, as nothing is further from my interest, than e\cu to appear disrespectful to you as convener of tho board's committee and a judge in this matter, Any appearance ot iho kind I trubt you will aßarjbo to my feeling of unfair treatment in the wording of your telegram. Ju iho tiiat place, I never write auy-

I The following correspondence on tho subject of the proposed inquiry was reiul by the Hon. J. Maogrogor at the meeting of the Education Board : Waiaroka School, Oamaru, lGth April, 1895. Tho Chairmnn Otago Education JJoard, Sir,— On the 19th March I addressed a letter to you informing tho board that) I was shortly to resign and requc'itinfir it to proceed forthwith, bofore its next meoting, with tho inquiry, ordered by ib three months before, into tho matters arising oub of the lato coinmitteo'a application for a change of teacher. Since then, on tho 28th ult., I have received a memorandum from the secretary dated 25th vlb,, (beariug Dunediu post mark 27th), forwarding copips of two resolutions passed by the board in answer to my letter referred to. The first resolution directs " the committee to proceed with tho Waiareka inquiry at once and to report to the board at next meeting." The memorandum then says : u Regarding the school committee's application for a change iv the head teacherahip of the school, tho board decided — ' That in view of the announcement of Mr Eraser's early rctiiement from the board's service, the board see no reason now for acting on tho request of the Waiareka Committee.' " Iv ignorance of this lnsti' osolution T had posted my resignation to the board on tho 28th, in which I requested the board, if it had nob come to any decision regarding the late committee's letter of the Bth Octobor, and my letter to you dated the 19th November last>, to hold over my resignation till tho board had come to a decision regarding them — that is, though I am leaviug the board's service, I requested it to retain in its hand the power to dismiss me, if on inquiry it should fiud anything in my conduct or sbutoinents to warrant that penalty. Trusting thus to the honor of tho board, that it would inquire boforo judging, and that it had for six months delayed inquiry thab ib might judgo with equity, I received with much surprise tho secretary's memorandum stating that the inquiry was at onco to proceed, but that the board had passed a resolution, ingeniously worded to say little and mean much, which T regard as tantamount to my dismissal. Why the board, on receipb of my letter asking it to proceed with the inquiry, should have passed such a resolution I do not know. The late committee's letter is dated the Bth of October last. That committee made its request to the board without informing the district of its action, without explanation from me, without complainb from a human being, and in its procedure, in direct contravention, known to its chairman, of section 72 of tho Education Act. Tho moment) thit that committee suspected that the board would nob act with like secrecy and defiance of law and justice, and that light would be let in on their proceedings, they immediately resigned. The board called for a fresh election Tho result of thab election the nevr com" mibtee directed me to forward to tho board which 1 did in a letter dated 14bh January lasb. In that lebter I said " that only three members of the late committee — tbe chairman, secrotary, and Mr J. J. Williamß— pub in an appearance. Tho chairman waa requested to take the chair at the meeting with a view to giving an account of tbo committee's actions, bub declined to act ; and nob ono word did <»ny iv them give to tho meeting. Nob a solitary individual was presenb n supporb of them, and none of them were proposed for re-election." Thus that committee and all its roso« Inbiona dissolved, and lefb nob a wrack behind. In all equiby I was bhen entitled, in these circumstances — 'specially as the board pasied no resolution ab bhe bime — to assume thab ib was satisfied there was no ground for tho late committee's requesb. Now fiix moths after, when I am leaviug 'he service and requesting the board to Fettle another mabter, in apparenb resentment at thab requesb bhe board takes up this dead requesb of a dead and di«credibed committee and pasB69 a resolution which, inconsequential in itself, and ab this dabe and occasion apropos of nothing, has the apparenb ellecb of giving a teachor who has served tho board for nearly 10 years, with qualifications surpassed by nob many in its service, a sbing to his feelings and a slap in his face. Dub the board cannob do anybhing of bho kind with dignity or with effecb. For an acb of the kind is beneath bhe dignity of the Otago Education Board, and ib can have effect only where tho condemnation is deserved. Tho apparently intended sting of the resoln. tion is in the "now": "tho board now sees no reason." If it saw any reason six months ago, I am entitled to say the board ought to have acted on ib bhen, whon the labe cornmittoo made the request, and whon the personnel if the board who firsb received ib wag unchanged, Whab makes it all the more extraordinary ia that this reaolubion, passed in response to a practically secret roquesb of a defunct commibteo, and agreed to in commibtee, of the board, is sent to ma alone and nob to the presonb Waiaroka Commibtee, representatives of the peop'e, who by the terms of bhe memorandum and resolution are mado spor\, j sors for the whole business, Whab 3m Ito do with the resolution ? Am I myself to hand it r<j the commibbeo, or keep ib as a heirloom and testimonial for nearly 10 years honeab service, and as a sample of whab teachers may oxpecb if bhey venburo bo toll tho truth aboub an inspector. Ib looks like a case of shooting one "bo encourage tbe others." The true sentiments of tho Waiareka Commibbeo are expressed, I am happy to say, nob as implied in the board's resolution, bub in tho accompanying copy of a lebter written from thab commibteo, many of whoso members have been connocted with this school for over 20 years, and who ore tho representatives of the people of this district. I have never asked the board for favor and never

(Gvniimi m hi P<qt,)