THE STANDARD. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1873.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 34, 12 March 1873, Page 2

THE STANDARD.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1873.

“ We shall sell to no man justice or right: We sliall deny to no man justice or right: We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

WE do not believe that the all-impor-tant subject of Education is held, in so light esteem by our fellow settlers as to require a prologue of apology in reintroducing the subject this morning for their consideration. The Provincial Act has been published in our columns, and we assume that a pretty general acquaintance has been made with its provisions. A great deal of the opposition ctffered to it originally has been withdrawn; still there are many features connected with it that stand out in rather ugly prominence the more they are scanned. From what we have seen of its working so far, there can be no doubt that, although containing elements of improvement , on the system it displaces, a great modification of it must be made, as it stands already condemned; it is not only unworkable in a great degree, but it is unworthy of the Government if they foresaw and premeditated the obnoxious parsimony, which the members of the Central Board are carrying into effect, the direct consequence of which will be that the people will have to submit to extra and voluntary taxation in the shape of a spasmodic and uncertain philanthropy to supplement the funds derivable from the direct imposition. This we emphatically repeat must not be attempted. The substantive and direct principle of the Act involves a dual form already—house and capitation.and if, as the Provincial Secretary and School Inspector explained at the general meeting here, that the Board (they did not say the Government, whatever they might have meant) expected the people to “ make

“the Act valuable,” it is intended to inveigle the committee into accepting respousi bi lilies, and then to leave them in the lurch to find money to pay them with as best they can, we do not hesitate to say it will be a very imprudent course and inimical to the best interests of education, Mr. Lusk threw out his skirmishers with great skill, and they did their work. He reminded the settlers at the meeting of the “ good “feeling which they had hitherto ex- “ hibited in the cause of education, and “ hoped it would . continue ; much had “ yet to be done, for, although the “’Board had lifted certain responsi“bijities from their shoulders, some “ extra exertion would have to be made “ by them” to get even the school-room lined! There’s,little hope, we opine, of the Committee’s recommendation for a sum of £6O being laid out on the school building, being successful. But we believe the Provincial Council had no such illiberal object in view iu passing the Act. It is the Board who are creating all the dissatisfaction that exists by importing extraneous matter into the method of their working it. Mr. Firth at a Board meeting recently, moved “ That for the “ present it must be understood the “ Board of Education will not be re- “ sponsible for any outlay beyond the “teachers’ salaries.” That’s a fine state of affairs to begin with. But the Board (we are quoting from the Neto Zealand Herald} subsequently informed a deputation from the Panmure School Committee that “ the question of pro- “ viding a suitable school-house, and “ furnishing it, was one which devolved “ solely upon the local committee.” Read side by side with Mr. Firth’s resolution, which was carried by a large majority, we are prevented the exercise of a charitable suggestion that, although the Committees should provide these things, the Board recognized their obligation to pay for them. The 6th and 25th clauses are sufficiently explicit on this point, and against the action of the Board. “ For the present,” may, according to Mr. Firth, be intended to be remitted so soon as they can see further through the fog ahead ; but what are Committees to do in the interim ? The proceedings of our own Committee show they are already in a fix. They have not even a rushlight to call their own ; the kerosine they burn at their meetings will require a private guarantee; no one will recognize a Committee without funds; they can establish no credit except upon private responsibility; they are placed in an intolerable and undignified position; they propose creating an indebtedness to Sunday evening Church offerings for the expense of a charwoman ; and in the face of all this they are told by the Inspector that it is expected of them to “ tell off ” fatigue parties from among the pupils to clean the School-room, and to find the stationery necessary to furnish reports and make recommendations to the Central Board for the approval of liabilities which it will not guarantee the payment of! This is very like poking fun at one: it is trifling with business men, and would be rather mirth-provoking, were it not reprehensible and unjust. Whatever good there is in the Act taken as a whole; however much the people may desire to allow a measure, which might have been better, to have a fair trial, we join in the now almost universal condemnation of the line of action taken by the Board, and take leave to remind them that their arbitrary interpretation of their powers meets with general disfavor; and, as they are not supported either by the letter or the spirit of the Education Act, they will stand charged with a culpable frustration of its harmonious working, and to them, more than to the , Government will its failure be due.