TREATED AS OUTSIDER

NZ Truth, Issue 1185, 16 August 1928, Page 3

TREATED AS OUTSIDER

Young Beveridge Found College Snpbbery Intolerable

'•* ' (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.) ' White Nev> Zealand boasts of its advanced methods of education and of the success in hich its brilliant academicians have attained both here and over\seas; are the authorities doing anything to negative the inevitable [class barriers which are being cultivated m our secondary schools ?

"THOUGH much .has been .said and 1 written In defence of the sohobls "■•' and their masters, and the argument advanced that uniform dressing and' equality., m every walk of school life tend to stultify the. growth of class barriers, very illuminating incidents occasionally appear on ■: '. the , surface where .undoubted cases of class distinction have reacted detrimentally on the progress of some of the less fortunate members of the community. Perhaps 'it is only the natural bo-quence'-of* each and every boy knowing the heritage of his class mates, but m countenancing the growth', of such distinctions . between boys whose opportunities , are supposed to be equal : — no matter what their heritage might be — secondary schoolmasters ' are, consciously or unconsciously, tolerating a state of affairs which is not safe for democracy. ' ' A little light was recently thrown m the Dunedin Supreme Court on secondary school methods, when three boys appeared for sentence, having pleaded guilty to a number of charges of breaking, entering and theft. The boys were. David Bruce Beveridge, Francis Sincjair Ward and George William 'Uren, whose escapades m Dv n c.d i n and ■':■ '- ■' '

Oamaru were reported m a recent issue ' of "N.Z. Truth.". It was alleged that Beveridge, was

the ringleader m the hectlo aid venture, and the evidence certainly supported this assertion. v . • The unfortunate^ life' history of Beveridge, however, forms an interesting ! stu.dy--.of the pitfalls which beset such a young man^ endeavoring to hold his own against those blessed with a more fortunate parentage. • . His counsel,' Lawyer A. G. Neill, m the course of* his pleading to Mr. Justice Adams,' made some - pointed remarks concerning, the treatment Bev--eridge allegedly, received while .a. "boarder at the : "Waitaki Boys' High School. , ■/'"•' ,Beveridge never knew the real meaning of home life. His mother died a fortnight after . his. birth, and his father, who was suffering from a dreadful scourge, became blind and died. . : •-,,.- ' . : . Young Beveridge ■ was consequently, placed under, the. care of. a guardian, who, actuated no doubt by the best motives, m what he thought the boy's •interests, sent him ., to Waitaki as a bbarder from the proceeds of a legacy made m favor' of the boy by his . mother's relatives. t , • • On" account of Beveridge's circumstances m life, this action was „' a doubtful .blessing, as oxtraots from a. letter written by Beveridgeto hjs guardian will show. . , The letter, which was read by counsel m oourt,- was as follows {, •

Heartbroken Pie? ■ '■ ■ ■■•' ■ ■ v. ■ ' ,■

"Dear Mr. — — , — Please send "me home, as I cannot stand this school: All the boys are teasers, throwing water overt you m bed.^.. . . They, twist your wrists and neck and are stopping .me from doing my " work, which is too hard.. Their language is terrible. . • . "I have done my, best, but cannot get on. 'I am learning very little here; only algebra and commercial; ' •. ... r"I can't Join m the games, as they have special • sections and yoUv have to give your name. "I very much- miss the freedom ..;, . .... and to think my old friends are, so far away. ' .".. ; .;: "Please", won't youlet me. go home? I have made no friends here." That Beveridge'. should become revengeful, -if the . grounds of his .letter were true; was only natural. > It was. stated that on account of his weaknesses, the boys made fun of him; He was reported to have retaliated by attacking the offenders with stones and a knife, and, to have been expelled for attacking the rector. ' '■•'_ ■ : . /.'"' This treatment by a. pack of young bloods, who will, m years to come, proudly boast of Waitaki as their alma, mater, was the subject of some" pointed remarks by Lawyer Neill. •'. ! Counsel submitted that Beveridge ■' " , had never been

given a chance, . even though his school , r e.c.p-Td's disclosed r that he had made most definite and' 'pro- j

nounced improvement. ,No mention of any waywardness m Beyeridge'.s behavior was made m any one of the rectors term reports to \the boy's 'gtiardiani his conduct m each report being good, very, good; and, m the!terms,before his eipulsion, excellent. ": The rector commented m several of his reports that he was satisfied Beverldge was trying arid that. his work was showing consistent- improvement, while at the end of the third term 'he topped the class m commercial, was third m science arid >flfth m "another subject. . ■' ■": ■■, :. .1 . .':: Two ' terms later • he. was/ top ■ m science, second m -commercial and third m mathematics. "'.. * ; , / Yet nothing could.jbe said 'm ;favor of the accused by the police; and no effort was made, except by his counsel, to point out the tremendous handicap Beveridge labored under m his effort to make good among a team of boys who regarded him as ah outsider. For his subsequent folly Be.veridge has been committed for five years! to an' institution where humane 'methods of reform will probabiy .bring him "to understand'' the duties of a citizen and a man. . , ': - .. ' : - .• ■■ .. , { . ; .;. ' • . His accomplices, Ward ahd : Vren, were sentenceid to four years'.reformative detention .and :twd v .yeara' Borstal, treatrnfent respeotiveJy. -;. - ' ',■ '■.■•■ .