THE TE AROHA SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE TEACHER.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 28, 15 December 1883, Page 7

THE TE AROHA SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE TEACHER.

(to the editor.) Sir, — Accusations having been made that 1, as Chairman of the Te Aioha School Committee, Imvc treated with unfairness Mr Mathesim, the master of the Tv Aroha School, I hund you for publication all the correspondence that has p.is c ed between the Committee and the Board on the subject. I think the letters full}' explain themselves, and will entirely exculpate myself and members of the Committee of having acted unfairly or unkindly to Mr Matheson. I regret having to take this step, but am compelled to do so in self-justification. — I am, &c, James Laveby.

" Te Aroha, Oct. 2nd, 1883. "Secretary Board of Education, Auckland/ u Sni,-3^he Chairman Aroha School Commitle| has requested mc to forward you enelflped returns, &c, relative to Waioron^mai School It appears that i sonr* three ; months or so ago (before I was elected),-»lnspector O'Sullivan when here spoke to the Chairman and Secretary (late) as well as to other residetits hei c to the effect, perhaps it would be well for us to have a higher class teacher for Aroha School. At usual monthly meeting School Committee, held last evening, it was unanimously resolved that the Board of Education request Inspector O'Sullivan to founulate his opinions on the subject, and that same be su bmitted to School Committee to deliberate on, as the subject is to be brought forward again next meeting. The Committee would also be glad of full particulars respecting Mr Mathesons standard, qualifications, &a, no papers on that subject having been handed over to me by late secretary. The Committee are anxious to do justice to the requirements of this rising district. —I hay; the honor to remain, Sir, your obedient servant, " John Ilott, Sec."

" Board of Education, . "Auckland, 15th October, 1883. " Sik, — I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 2nd instant, relating to the qualifications of Mr Matheson, the present teacher, and an application for a higher clans teacher. In reply,- 1 am directed to inform you that your letcer was laid before the Board, and the consideration thereof deferred. — I have the . honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, " Vincent Rice, Secretary. " The Chairman of the Te Aroha Goldfield District Committee."

" Board of Education, " AuckJand, Bth November, 1883. " Sir, — In further reference to your letter, dated the 2nd October ultimo, i am directed to state, for the information of the Committee, that Mr Matheson was for many years teacher of the school at North River, Waipu, and at first conducted the school in a satisfactory manner. After a while the state of the school became from various reasons unsatibfactory. It wus thought debirable to remove him from the district, and he was appointed toltiiiikihi. During hits employment at Kihikihi disputos arose between the Committee and teacher ; and, as Mr Mutheson could not

give satisfaction toe, it, became neeessoryto reinovu liitu* ; He wa^'thed ,apI pointed, on trial to; the TeAroha G-oldfiVu'l School at a time wivn the nninhm's Witc Rtrnill and the piuce comparatively unsettled. The Board did not then anticipate that the School would so soon grow to its present size and importance. Mr Matheson obtained a certificate under the oM iruvinuial Education Act (18571 on wliich certificate he now ciassilioa. After full consideration the Bonrd ngrees with your Committee that the school Ims grown beyond his capabilities, «nd steps will be taken at a convenient opportunity to remove him to a smaller school. — I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, " Vincent Rick, Secretary." "The Secretary to the District School Com aittee, Te Arolia Goldiield.

(to the editor.) Sir,— -As Secretary to the Te Aroha School Committee, 1 am and have be3n for some time past very unjustly charged, not only , by some of the general public, who no doubt have heurd a one-sided story, but also by some of the Committee with having exceeded the duty dovolvingupon me in forwarding resolutions passed at Committee meetings to the Board o^ Education, by incorrectly interpreting same ; in addition to which it has been publicly stated that I must have recommended Mr Mathesons removal to the" Board. lam informed that the correspondence that passed between the Board and the Committee is about to be published by the request of our Chairman. That being so, I think it desirable to write you this letter for insertion in same issue of 3*our paper, for the reason that parties not acquainted with all the facts of the case, would perhaps say from the tone in which the Board's letter of Nov. Bth is couched that sometbiug more " must" have taken place than what is to be seen in my letter of Oct. 2nd to cause them to thus write. And so there was ; between the dates referred to, Mr J. McCosh Clark convened a special meeting of the Committee (at which six out of the seven members present, and expressed their respective views on the subject) being delegated by the Board of the Education to enquire into the matter of report to them. On this occasion the subject was most fully gone into, and Mr Clark personally took notes of what each had to say on the matter. Therefore the Board's letter of Nov. Bth . was not written until after Mr Clark had given in his report after interviewing the Committee, and is not solely a reply 1,0 my letter of Oct. 2nd. Neither at that, or any other m etin,^, nor by correspondence have 1 recommended the Board to remove Mr M..theson. At the meeting over which Mr Clark presided the Committee were unanimous in stating to him that if the Board saw their way clear to send us a more highly qualified tencher, and thought it advisable to do so, whilst they would regret Mr Mathesons removal, still they would not in any way object. Hoping this explanation w ill be satisfactory to those who may hitherto have only heard one side of the case. — I am, &c, J. Ilott.

The Scientific Am rican is quoted as saying that "copal varnish applie 1 to the solos of shoes imd repeated as it dries u.ilil the pores are filled siad th • surface s'n'nes like polished mahogany, will make the soles waterproof, and last as long as tie uppers." On 1 ? of the brst things we have seen for farm boots is an outer sole, or tap, of wood, thorough !\ dried, soaked in linseed oil and screwed to the bottom oi! the boot. It isn't cleg nt, but it do »• ke<>p the cold from "striking thrqugl " the bottom of the boot. The sea serpent is again talked of ; but this time it seems as thou the sunposed se,a monster had been a flight of birds. And because an object a mile or more away, taken for a sea monster, has turned out over and over again («> be sea-drift, or a lot of porpoises, or a flight of liird.-i, or di&tant undulating hills seen indistinctly through disturbed and hazy uir, it of course follows that the long - necked creature which the captain and officers of the Dcedalus saw within two hundred yards, at a distance at which a friend's face could be recognised, urging its way swiftly against a ten-knot breeze, with the water visibly surging against its neck, was seaweed round'a mast, or something of the sort. — Knowledge.