South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2881, 20 June 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1882.

The successful floating of the ship City of Perth has naturally occasioned general satisfaction in this community. Four wrecked vessels lying within view from the Breakwater formed a melancholy spectacle, and the dreary record of disaster has gained for the port a thoroughly bad name. Shipmasters avoid us, insurance companies are wary of us, and trade, which once seemed on the point of settlement here, is frightened off. In the meanwhile our neigbors (though in distress kind and generous in the extreme) are beginning to take comfort from the thought, which has become a settled conviction with them, that Timaru is doomed. The natural consequence is that we fall into disrepute, and capital is withheld; the sanguine anticipations of the future in which we were wont to indulge seem doomed to disappointment. We are glad to- see that the Harbor Board, which appeared to have fallen asleep over the interests of the Port, are beginning to wake out of their somnolent condition, and to realise what is their proper course. Of this there can be no doubt, the Breakwater must be pushed on and the harbor formed without delay. When this is completed’ there will be a restoration of confidence ; while it remains undone there remains uneasiness and doubt, and considerable risk of life and property. The only thing which can contribute to restore some of the lost confidence is to have a steam tug always at hand. And this the Board intend having.

The action of the Otago Education Board in the matter of Mr Farnie’s letter to the “Daily Times,” has excited a good deal of comment both in the teaching profession and out of it. The circumstances are, briefly, as follows :—The Board recently appointed to the newly created extra Inspectorship of their schools Mr Goyen, who previously held a similar office under the Southland Board. The consequent removal of Mr Goyen from Invercargill has evoked general regret in that district where his assiduity and ability had won for him the highest opinion of the Board, the teachers, and the public. No sooner was he appointed to Otago, however, than a letter, signed “ A Teacher,” appeared in the “Otago Daily Times.” This letter reflected upon Mr Goyen’s qualifications very severely, showing, or endeavoring to do so, (1) that his professional status was low, (2) that he had conducted only small schools in Victoria, (3) that better qualified men were ready to do justice to the work. The Board, doubtless having some hint of the case, could not allow any of its.teachers to hold office under Mr

Goyen, who had so bitterly assailed that gentleman in the public prints. They therefore were led to ask Mr Farnie, who is a teacher in the Normal School, about the authorship of the

letter in question. Mr Farnie admitted writing it, and the Board, after careful consideration, decided to dismiss Mr Farnie from its service. We have read Mr Farnie’s letter, and the correspondence between that gentleman and the Education Board, and we have come to the conclusion that the Board was perfectly justified in taking the action it did ; but that

while reserving and maintaining, it should have waived its right on this occasion. It must bo understood that we speak with high estimation of the teacher and his office, and with no particular bias towards Boards. We regard this matter just as an occurrence in the Public Service, and we judge it by the ordinary rules which govern the Public Service. Now, if the efficiency of a service is to be main-

tained, there must, to begin with,be discipline, and anything more subversive of discipline than for a’ member of the service, while still holding his appointment, to review the qualifications of a superior officer, and condemn the actions of the common head (in this case the Education'’ Board) could scarce!/ bo done. It is manifest that if every one of the teachers who have

;o work their schools under the

direction of an Inspector were to be at liberty to discuss the qualifications of that officer, the public confidence would bo destroyed and the' authority of the inspector at an end. Every candid man will own this. It L sought to defend Mr Parnio on the ground that he wrote as one of the public, and that what he did was outside his position as a teacher; that he was merely exercising his rights as a citizen. To this wo reply that whether it is done openly or not, the offence is the same. A person given

that peculiar line of writing while holding an official appointment, exercises a certain influence over his brethren, which is prejudicial to the in' orests of the Service. He is the

sea lawyer ”of the forecastle. While he is, in the Public, Service, he may, interest others outside to obtain a reform, but he must himself refrain from attempting to reform, at least, until he has obtained a high and commanding position in the Service ; and then probably he will be very, slow to disturb existing machinery. The Otago Education Board were, we maintain, fully justified in taliing this position; “Mr Farnie,your duties are to do certain work in the Normal School, the institution in which we train young teachers. The appointment of Inspectors is our business. Although you may not approve personally of our choice, we claim that it should be presumed we have not made an appointment, without satisfying ourselves of the suitability of the person appointed. If not, public opinion will soon depose us. In the meantime, Mr Farnie, we beg to direct your “attention to the Normal School as your sphere of action. As, however, you appear, to have taken pare, or been a prime mover in an agitation against your superior officer, we must inform you that whatever criticism the .outside public may pass, we cannot concede to those in our service the right to sit in judgment over their, superiors. We must therefore, with regret, terminate your connection with this Board.” In such reasoning and such action, the Board were fully justified ; we say it in the interests of the public service. There is no service existing in the British dominions in which such a thing would bo allowed to pass unpunished, ■

The “ Herald ” is more ponderous than usual, over the joke played upon it yesterday. It admits the joke was “ rather clever !” It would be a good thing for our morning contemporary to have, somebody on his staff half as clover as the -author of that capital joke. It is the liveliest reading we have fever seen,„,in the paper, which as a rule, serves us with “ funeral ;baked meats.” But the forgery of a name and address in connection with the joke has shocked our contemporary. He shakes his head like a reproachful Burleigh—wisdom and reproof are in the shake. It winds up with hints about the undisclosed treasures of its '"waste paper basket. It then dolefully, with a" tear in its eye, speaks of the shadiness of human nature. Ah ! well, it is not all sunshine in the office of our contemporary, probably. There may be shade (and even shadiness ) there or elsewhere. We think we could touch up our contemporary’s conveniently short rconaoiy. But perhaps the Company will reform things. Meantime the joke goes merrily round.