South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2511, 7 April 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1881.

The South Canterbury Board of Education is composed of three branches —the journalistic, political, and clerical. The rest are merely twigs which suck their nourishment or inspiration from the branches. Yesterday the annual and farcical ceremony of electing the head limb came off when there was barely a quorum. The assistant secretary presided for about three and a half seconds, while the political branch moved that the journalistic limb be re-elected, the clerical branch seconded the motion, and as the solitary twig from Waimate had nothing to say, the resolution was carried unanimously. Of course the recipient of the distinction resumed his accustomed seat, and then looking benigniently from right to left at the minister for Geraldine, and the member for the same district exclaimed “ Bless you, my children.” Possibly it may have been due to this paternal and preliminary blessing that the clerical and political limbs, who since a recent political meeting appear like the two-headed nightingale to have contracted a sympathy and affinity more close than natural, displayed a feverish activity in proposing and seconding motions. And perhaps it was due to the fact that the blesser was fortified by the blessed —that ho had the representatives of Church and State for right and left-hand supporters—that when serious allegations against the conduct and integrity of the Board were read, the communications were summarily and contemptuously shelved. On past occasions the Board has displayed a good deal of disregard of the provisions of the Education Act and the privileges of School Committees, but yesterday when the manufacturing and endorsing of resolutions was practically delegated to the clerical and political limbs and the other twigs merely nodded their assent, the Board fairly eclipsed its ordinary efforts. It carried its autocratic pretensions to an extreme which, if not ludicrous, was decidedly undignified. First, with regard to the question of the recent elections, some telegrams from the Education Department of a significant nature having been read, the political limb intimated that some evil designing individual was in communication with the successor of the never-to-be-forgotten Minister who “ addresses his bullocks in Greek,” and was trying to upset their applecart, but he did not think it could be done, and all the other twigs cried “ hear, hear ! ” and nodded approvingly. Then when an adverse legal opinion and a dignified protest against an undoubtedly illegal and most discreditable piece of electioneering card

shuffling was submitted, the. twig chiefly affected having expressed unconsciousness of anything shady or doubtful, the clerical limb in jerky, wrathful monosyllables gave vent to his indignation at the proceedings of an immaculate body being questioned, and a perfect storm of approving “ hear, hears ! ” and “ ccrtainlys ! ” gave a point and emphasis to sentences which, in moments of exasperation, are usually rounded off by that peculiar mispronunciation of the letter r which immortalised Lord Dundreary. But although the Board, at the instigation of the political limb, refused to entertain cr discuss the protest they need not apply the flattering unction to their souls that the question has been disposed of. If the clerical branch is so inclined, there are secrets respecting the way in which this election was manipulated that would illustrate a discourse on morality, such as lias never yet been heard from a Geraldine pulpit. There are doings in connection with the late election of which the public are still in the dark, and concerning which nobody is so well capable of being the virtuous exponent as the clerical branch of the Education Board. Will the liev. George Barclay respond to the invitation or must somebody else undertake the disagreeable duty of stirring the hidden mud to the surface ? Wc venture to say that when the hidden hand that was so skilfully played at the late election is disclosed, sumo rather startling revelations will he forthcoming. The clerical branch of the Board has had ample time and opportunity for going into the details and offering an explanation, but he has failed to do so. Perhaps some kindly prompter will come forward to his assistance.

Not content with over-riding the Education Act and being a law unto themselves, the Board has lately adopted a flippant, arrogant, and dictatorial bearing towards tbe School Committees of the district generally. A few weeks ago the clerical member of tbe Board effected a burglarious entrance into the North Orari School for the purpose of holding divine worship, and when the Committee remonstrate they are insolently told that the statement of their Chairman is “ wholly unfounded,” and as the result of a second remonstrance the Board decline to re-open the matter. The Washdyke School requires a teacher, but the Chairman of the Board is suddenly seized with a most unnatural aversion for the root of all evil, and declines to advertise for applicants. The Board approves of this action, and as the result of a virtuous harangue from the member for Geraldine on the wasteful expenditure incurred in advertising constantly for teachers, the unfortunate Committee is imperiously told to make its choice at once from tbe few teachers on hand, and in the event of their failing to do so the chairman is authorised to make the appointment himself. We are not perhaps warranted in saying that patronage is being corruptly brought into play for political purposes, but it will strike a good many as something very significant that the two-headed nightingale —the clerical and political limbs—should have wrung their hands over the overcrowded state of the Temuka school, and that although they have hardly a shilling for tbe repair of any other school in the- district, they are about to prepare plans and specifications for a new school in the very township where the member for Geraldine was recently hissed from the platform. The doings of the South Canterbury Education Board are already engaging the attention of the Education Department, and it is to be hoped if it cannot be reformed, its insolent, arrogant, and shameless pretensions will receive a severe admonition at the hands of the Minister for Education.