South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2338, 14 September 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1880.

It is the misfortune of many public bodies that the}" occasionally allow themselves to be placed in false positions by adopting the advice of uncultured rashness. The Timaru Borough Council appears to be, in this respect, peculiarly unfortunate. Its members on the whole are well intentioned and kindly disposed and they know when to exercise discretion and practice forbearance. But it is their misfortune to be tractable—too easily carried away by impulsive insolence. Last evening in reply to a respectfully couched epistle from the Chairman of the Timaru High School suggesting that a “ Borough Council gold or silver medal ” might be given to that institution as an appropriate recognitionof the value of secondary education the following resolution was carried : “ That in answer to the Chairman of “ the High School Board, requesting the “ Council to provide gold or silver “ medals as presents for the pupils at- “ tending that institution, he be in- “ formed that the rates and taxes “ collected by the Council arc intended “ and must be spent for purely Municipal “ purposes, and that tiie Council is of “ opinion that if it is thought necessary “ to distribute gold or silver medals in “ order to induce the children attending “ the High School to take the greatest “ possible advantage of the present “ system of charitable education, the “ least the Board can do is to make its <! first appeal for funds to the wealthy “ parents of the proposed recipients, and “ therefore the Council must respectfully “ decline his request.” The resolution which we have quoted is, we believe, characteristic of its mover —Councillor Gibson, and it was accompanied by a speech that would have done credit 'to the “ first Hector of the Dunedin High School and author of the eight hours system of labor.” In fact, between Councillor Gibson, of Timaru, and the disappointed “ Hector ” of Dunedin there appears to be several remarkable points of resemblance. To atone for the absence of controversial talent, nature has bequeathed them something more than the ordinary share of that invective and insensate abuse, the acquisition of which is so carefully cultivated by gipsies and fishwives. There was nothing, therefore, unnatural in Councillor Gibson’s offensive resolution, but we are surprised and pained to find that it had the sympathy and support of the Council. Had there been anything provocative in the nature of the request, we could have understood the uncharitable and absolutely childish bitterness in which the language of the resolution is couched, although we could not have admired the sentiment. But this resolution betrays an ebullition of bad and hostile feeling, which under the circumstances is quite uncalled for.

It is not our intention to analyse the long winded and foolish piece of verbiage which Councillor Gibson succeeded in getting his fellow councillors, in an evidently weak moment, to adopt. Neither do we intend to refer to the mendacious and malignant observations that followed the resolution. We may remark, that if the Timaru Borough Council on calm reflection arc not ashamed of this resolution, they ought to be. Apart from its sadly defective composition it is a tissue of flagrantly erroneous premises and gratuitous impcrtinencics. In stultifying itself by the adoption of such a motion the Council has compromised the good name of the ratepayers. The members were not asked to express an opinion on the High School, or “ the present system of charitable education.” The High School Board merely threw out a suggestion by which they believed the Timaru Borough Council might do honor to themselves and to an institution which, with all deference to Councillor Gibson, is calculated to improve the manners its well as educate the minds of the rising generation. The “ Borough Council medals” were not wanted because of their intrinsic value ; wc are satislied that the School Board would not deprive their civic brethren of the value of the corks that escape at a champagne luncheon. If mere medals are wanted they could bo provided as easily as the special prizes that are about to be contributed for sheep, cattle and dairy produce at the forthcoming Agricultural Show, The “medals 1 ’ were suggested its a means of enabling the Borough Council to mark their appreciation of secondary education. If the members of the Borough Council disapproved of the suggestion they could have simply received the communication ; or they might quietly have declined (he request. But instead of that they allowed themselves to be led iguominiously by one of their number, and passed a-resolution which is an affront not only to the High School Board, hut to every ratepayer in Timaru. As far as the members of the Timaru Borough Council arc concerned, it is quite immaterial whether they believe in what they call “ the present system of charitable education ”or otherwise. If it is true as alleged by Councillor Gibson that the High Schools of the present clay resemble the charity schools that he knew of old, it seems a pity that his ohtrusivcncss escaped their chastening influence. The Borough Council were not asked to contribute a medal or two out of the Borough funds. If they had any conscientious scruples on that point they might easily have overcome the difficulty by subscribing a few shillings each out of their own pockets. But to mark their contempt for .secondary education, and particularly for an institution, which is on the fair way of becoming - selfsupporting, is neither creditable to their good taste or sound judgment. Foru innately the Timaru High School under its present excellent management, is likely to survive tiic Borough Council and its valiant Hotspur, Councillor Gibson.