POKENO

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 337, 11 December 1917, Page 1

POKENO

STRIFE AT POKENO ROLL OF HONOUR DISPUTE RIVAL FACTIONS Around Pokeno and particularly in the neighbourhood of the Valley school no little excitement, in connection with the Prime Minister's (Mr Massey's) promised visit to the district next Friday has prevailed as to whether the right of preparing and presenting a Roll of Honour for those who have given their services to their country should belong to certain private individuals or to the public as represented by the Pokeno School Committee Arrangements, it was found, had been made without the knowledge of the School Committee that the ceremony of unveiling the Roll of Honour, as executed! for Mr and Mrs Lippiatt (the local schoolmaster and his wife) and intended for erection in the school, should be performed in the private grounds, known as The Springs, belonging to Mr and Mrs J. Pyne, in conjunction wi'h a garden party organised on behalf of the Red Cross cause. To protest against what the School Committee considered a slight on themselves as a local body representing the people, the Committee convened a public meeting, which duly eventuated in the Pokeno Valley School last Friday evening, the bills announcing the meeting conveying an invitation to residents to /"Come and try to unravel the mystery why lhe Prime Minister was asked to unveil this Roll of Honour in the Pokeno Valley School and which now is advertised to take place in the private grounds of Mr and Mrs Pyne, The Springs, Pokeno."

The attendance at the meeting numbered about 100, including many ladies On the platform were all the members of the School Committee, viz : the Rev C. A. Vaughan (Chairman), Messrs C Leatham, C. O'Leary, R. Munro, and Sam O'Leary (Secretary). ' Prominent in the front seats were Mr and Mrs Pyne, and Mr and Mrs Lippiatt and among others present were Mr A. J. Hall (Chairman of the Auckland Teachers' Institute) and Cr Hille. The proceedings were commenced with the singing of the National Anthem in which all parties loyally joined. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN Some delay was caused in the election of chairman. Mr R H. Mackenzie was first nominated for the position but Mr Lippiatt objected on the ground that Mr Mackenzie was not a householder of Pokeno. It was finally suggested that the Rev C. A. Vaughan (vicar) should act as chairman'and no objection being raised that gentleman took the chair amid applause.

THE COMMITTEE'S CABE The Chairman explained that the School Committee had called the meeting in its own defence. They did not want any side issues brought into the matter, though many attempts would no doubt be made to introduce such matters, especially relative to Mr and Mrs Pyne. As a Committee they, however, had nothing to do with Mr or Mrs Pyne or their garden party. At this stage a letter received from Mrs Lippiatt, in answer to a communication from the School Committee, was read in which she main tained that she had no intention of ignoring the School Committee. At the time, she said, the arrangements for the unveiling were first being carried out by Mr R. Lyons was County Councillor for the district and in that capacity he was asked to welcome the visitors at the station, the idea being that the School Committee would naturally take charge of the proceedings at the school. The Chairman next read three letters received from Mrs Pyne, the first dated Dec. Ist, stating that as the outcome of what had occurred she had cancelled all arrangements for the gathering. The second, dated Dec 2nd, suggested that the unveil of the Roll of Honour should tike place in the school and the g-tiden party in aid of the Ked Cross Fund, which she had promoted, in her ground*. The third, dated Dec. 3rd, notified the Committee that she deeded to adhere to the arrangements she had made for the Ked Crofs garden party.

The Chairman went on to claim tliat the School Committee by virtue ot tlieir official position ought to have been consulted in connection with the preparation of a Roll of lion ur He emphatically pointed ut that ail the members of the *;hool Coirniiuee were ni'»st loyal mid patriotic and had no objection to a R .it ot Honour On th« contrary ns a commit-re <>ud as individual.--they recognised the self saerihc' iiifide by <-o nauy nf iin-ir " boys "We want a it! oi H-nuU-," Haul KpMaker, •' "Ut «e wa.it h prop-rone wnicli *dt iejTe-eut the whole nuhod district and not a tmp.jt aifiirgotup b, the Lippians " (laughter and Continu ing, the Chairmy.ii sai 1 he had been informed on good authority that Air* Lippiatt ha'i stated 'hat "we were no geutlemeu butouly a In of c>w punch' r.i." Alis LiappUtt: Who said it ?

1 he * hairmau : Mr i -yl >r. I he rev griil. man went on to remark t li it. hr had for iimuy years re Ce ved ui"ie consider ui "' from u •« punch-rs ih-n from th • s If-tyl d aristocrats of the district (laugh rr and applaua-) The « hairinan uext complained that the School Committee had been ignored and he added

that although Mrs Lippiatt had stated that she had been working for 12 months in the interests of the Koll of Honour she had never communicated her wishes to the Committee until a meeting in October, when she asked for a grant of £1 towards the expenses connected with the reception of the Prime Minister and other visitors. The Committee were not in a position to make such a grant but promised financial help. Immediately following this a notice was posted on the school gate inviting householders to attend the unveilingof the Roll of Honour at the school. A protest was mad* by the Committee at the attitude adopted and as a result the function was cancelled. The Committer had intimated that they, in their official capacity, would take no part in the proceedings'as they had not been asked but the Roll of Honour gathering: could have proceeded although officially the Committee would not be represented. The Chairman went on to sav that the next development was the receipt of a let er addressed to the Chairman of the Committee from Mr T. W. Rhodes, M P. in which he stated that he proposed to attend the unveiling of the Roll of Honour at the Public School. The same day as he received that letter he (the Chairman), however, learnt that these arrangements had been cancelled and that the function was to take place in Mr anc- Mrs Pyne's grounds. A volumious correspondence, the Chairman remarked, followed, and the district was scoured by Mrs Pyne and Mrs Lippiatt, and the Committee were given a very beautiful character (laughter). The Chairman next mentioned that the Committee had communicated with the Prime Minister and a reply had been received from Mr Massey to the effect that no arrangements would be made to attend the unveiling ceremony until after he had been informed of the result of the meetitg that night. The Chairman, in conclusion, stated that the Committee desired to carry out the proceedings in the public school and had made every endeavour for Mr and Mrs Lippiatt and Mr Pyne to meet them for a consultation but without success. The Committee desired that the Roll of Hfiiour should include all " boys " who had been associated with the school and not merely those who had been under Mr Lippiatt. (Applause.) At the request of the Chairman, Mr S. O'Leary (the Secretary of the School Committee) reed the minutes of a Committee meeting and correspondence relating thereto. Following on another meeting, Mr O'Leary, said a visit was paid him by Mr Lippiatt who asked him "what is the matter with the Committee," to which he replied " what is the matter with you." Mr O'Leary then mentioned that he complained to Mr Lippiatt of the Committee having been ignored and remarked " I told Mr Lippiatt what I thought of him " "That ends the first part of the drama," remarked the speaker amid laughter. Mr O'Leary added that Mr and Mrs Pyne next approached him with regard to his assisting them in connection with the lied Cross garden party and the unveiling of the Roll of Honour there. As the result of this he asked that any wish for the Committee to take part in the function should bepu', in writing and sent to the Chairman.

OPPOSITION AROUMENTS Mrs Lippiatt was the next speaker. Reading from manusciipt, she stated that she had been accustomed to organizing concerts for various objects in the district and had never previously been found fault with. As to the arrangements for the unveiling of the Roll of Honour and also the proposed garden party she did not think it necessary to seek the help of the* Committee as she had her own friends. The Chairman; That is why we (the Committee) contended we have been ignored. Mrs Lippiatt, proceeding, said the reason why the Committee were not consulted was because the Committee had informed them that they officially refused to have anything to do with the Roll of Honour.

Some cross-quessioning at this stage took place between the Chairman and Mrs Lippiatt as to whether arrangements had been made for the unveiling ceremony prior to the receipt of Mr Rhodes' letter. Mr J. Dean objected to the questioning on the part of the Chairman and suggested that it would be more satisfactory if a strati ger occupied t he chair.

A voice (to Mr Dean): You would not have a stranger before. The Chairman : You put me in che chair although it was my wish that someone else should occupy the p feition. Mrs Pyne next read her statement of the case. She stated that he Koll of Honour was in the poss sion of and belonged to Mr and Mrs Lippiatt for presentation to the soiiool and it was intended to cover tlie period (19 years) since Mr Lippiatt had occupied the position of Lead teacher.

Mr Lippiatt followed and explained that there were two funds in existence, viz: (1) the School Committee's fuDd and (2) the Head Teacher's School Fund. The former co Id only he used for certain specific purposes, while the latter was a lund lor use by the head teacher as he liked find from that fund he had puruuased cer'ain things for use by the children, the Committee's funds only be.ng available for specific purposes. The Chairman intimated that this

matter had nothing to do with the question why the Committee had been ignored. Mr Lippiatt contended that if the head teacher had funds he was not bound to consult the Committee as he could use the money as he pleased. The Roll of Honour had been paid for oat of his fund but had since been paid for by him out of his own pocket. That Roll was now the personal property of his wife and himself and they wished to present it to the school. The Chairman: No one has ever seen it.

Mr Lippiatt mentioned that Mr Rhodes, MP., had seen it and he (Mr Lipiatt) asked thati t should be kept in the district. The Chairman: We want a Roll of Honour to include all the district. Mr Lippiatt replied that he would be pleased to see two Rolls of Honour hanging side by side in the school. He contended that when the Committee found that he and his wife had been working hard for the Roll of Honour for 18 months they (the Committee) wanted to get the credit for it. Mrs Lippiatt, said Mr Lippiatt, as an act of courtesy went before the Committee and told them what she intended to do.

Mr Lippiatt proceeded to dilate on the functions of the School Committee but the Chairman interposed and told Mr Lippiatt that tie Com • mittee wera well aware of their duties and functions.

Mr Lippiatt claimed that the reason the Committee had not been consulted officially was that they had turned the Roll of Honour down. The Chairman: We turned the Roll of Honour down officially because we were not invited to the ceremony. Mr Lippiatt next dealt with some controversial points relating to the notice which appeared on the school gate and to a rumour that was current that the Committee intended to put Mr and Mrs Lippiatt in their place. He suggested that a campaign had been worked up against them. At this stage some * interjections took plack. Mrs Pyne argued that the Head Master had a perfect right to use the fund under his control. After some informal discussion the Chairman remarked that it had now been stated that it was a private Roll of Honour although the original scheme was for a public Roll of Honour and in all the arrangements the Committee had been ignored. With regard to the Head Teacher's fund Mr Leatham asked Mr Lippiatt on what basis the Head Teacher's fund was formed as it was not recognised by the Education Department. Mrs Lippiatt replied that it was a private fund controlled by the Head Teacher.

THE COMMITTEE UPHELD The Chairman at length submitted the following resolution to the meeting, viz.: " This meeting of Pokeno householders agrees with the contention of the School Committee that they have been ignored in the matter of the Koll of Honour, and considers that the Committee should themselves erect a 801 l of Honour that would fully represent the school and be a credit to be district." Mr T. Gordon seconded. Mr Dean moved an amendment " That this meeting Hoes not agree with the attitude adopted by the Committee seeing that Mrs Lippia.t asked them to a special meeting to explain what she had done." Mr McPberson seconded.

On the amendment being put nine voted" for it and 27 against, the majority of those present not voting. The original motion was then carried.

Mrs Pyno questioned the right of the School Committee to call a public meeting and to conduct tbe meeting as had heen d ne. Mr Graham expressed regret that there had been so much squabbling over the Eoll of Honour, to which Mr O'Leary replied that it was for them now all to co-operate to get a Roll of Hopour which would be a credit to the whole district. The Chairman then announced the meeting closed.

RAMA RAMA For many months past the pupils and friends of the Kama Rama school have been busy preparing fancy work, and children's clothing, collecting toys, getting donations for the produce stall and working generally in a most whole-hearted manner, to make their Garden Fete in aid of the Red Cross funds a success. The function takes place on Saturday the 15th inst and given a fine day the promoters are assured of a most successful gathering