Correspondence

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42747, 13 July 1905, Page 2

Correspondence

»Ve do not ho’d ourselves responsible fo tho opinions expressed by our correspondents. , To the Editor. Sir, —May I beg that you will oblige me by “ wigging” the comp, who set up my last ? I could almost believe, that you had entrusted it to ‘ Freedom ’ Inasmuch as I have refrained from directly replying to his first effusion, that individual appears to be troubled in, shall we say, his mind. As the operation of dissecting,him, though of no importance, may be amusing, I may undertake it at my leisure. Meanwhile I intend to proceed with the orderly development of my argument touching the original statement cf the To Aroha West person The proposition that I desire now to establish is that, assuming undue seveiity to be alleged against a teacher, it is not usually desirable to discuss the allegation in the columns of a newspaper. In the first place I note chat there is no need for such discussion. Recognising the right of aggrieved parents to proceed against a teacher, the law provides that complaints against him may be heard by the School Committee, which,, having considered the available evidence, exonerates him, or censures him, or even recommends the Education Board to remove or dismiss him. Should the lecision of the Committee fail to give, satisfaction, recourse may be had. by way of appeal, to the Eduotatiou Board. Generally speaking, reasonable persons will be content to abide by the decisions of these bodies. But, let it be noted* a remedy may, with or without reference to one or both of these bodies, invariably be sought by common process of law. Surely in all this there is provision sufficient for eviry case. If a complainant, failing to exhaust his remedy, or having vainly exhausted it. continues vehemently to protest that the judges are unjust and that the defendant is desperately wicked, unbiassed persons are inclined to regard him as a fool or a knave or both.

Having shown that there is no need to iuvoke the aid of a newspaper in a case of alleged severity, [ am justified iu claiming that on my opponent lies iho onus of proving fiat an unnecessary course of procedure should jet be followed. Unfortunately his literary methods preolude the possibility of* believing that be has any knowledge of what in logic constitutes a proof. My next point'is that public discussiou of alleged poJagogic cruelty does iiitiiiito harm. That a case subjudice should not be counneuted upon is a legal maxim universally admitted. Suppose, then, a case has been de onion. Discussion will follow only where tho complaiuant is dissatisfied with tho decision—the decision of impartial judges. Experience proves (1) that wise and instructed persons, realising tho many serious difficulties associated with educational and disciplinary topics, if they discuss these topics in ft puplic print, do so only in a general and impersonal manner ; (2) that tho dissatisfied complainant who airs in a porsonal manner in the columns of a nowspaper, his grievances against a dominie, is usually an illiter ate follow incapable of presenting a temperate and accurate statement of hia ease. Ifo grabbles it and exaggerates it. Peoplo unacquainted with the facts often accept without question what has appeared in the paper. They discins'it,tunny of them,in the presence of theii children. The elder ohildren read it themselves, and, at least the off spring of the malcontents, rejoice to know that old Blaulc is getting a time of it, and fix the date when he is to bo “ kicked out.” The influence of a lonchor, discipline, the work of the school, all suffer. The children are eno nirngod to degenerate into insufferable little prigs. Everything is at sixes and sevens, and months i lapse beforo the school can resume iho even tonor of its way.

Granting for the sake of nrgnment, that an accusation is true, a thoughtful puioou does not hud in that fact a justification for the publication for an ex parte statement of it, since, although tho accusation is true, such a statement of it is open to the objections already urged. The perfoimances of thieves, wife-boaters, and murderers

are usually reported in an abstract and impartial manner, without passion or prejudice. Why should a teacher receive worse’treatment than they ? Nobody suggests, a conspiracy silence in the case of teachers. All one asks is rational reporting, lor example, Mr Blank complained that his child had been punished with undue severity and detailed the circumstances. Evidence was given by so-ind-so, and the committee arrived &« mcha decision. The affair is coni, lucted in a quiet and decent manner,, . and decided with the least possible friction, Usually th«e cases are dismissed even more shortly or ignored altogether by the great dailies. The liberty of the press has counted for much in the struggle for freedom (of the genuine sort), and knowing something of the historical and political arguments on which, that liberty is based, I am able in a rational manner to uphold it. But Iby no means .. believe that every foo.’s or even truthful accusat on, is to nnd expto3oion in a new»p pr. It J* sufficient that where a p incipal is at 9take, the press holds the right or publication. The wise journalist con eiders every case on its merits andnever hesitates, wh«*re the evi a >»f publication outweight his benefits, to exercise a prudent reticence. If tb® fool is dissatisfied, he may set up hia own press, and go on his way xa . r criminating till the law of libel bids him halt. —I am etc, . JusTITiA.

(To the Editor). , ■&■?- Sib,—l think ‘ Justitia ’ is trying to : smother the truth with a lot of flowery writing. In the first place who criticised the Te Aroha West school teacher ? Then ‘Justitia’ does not keep, to the truth, for he says iu his letter of luly. • 11th, ‘However, to judge from the writer’s style, the word ‘deal’ is no • doubt used to signify the use of personal violence,’ then he says ‘he does not jump to conclusions.’, But tho. tenor of his letters means that no one has a right to write to the paper but. , himself, and he may 'slash round with a brick at the end of a cord as much as he likes. ‘Justitia’ quotes scripture ; let me do the same. Prov. 20, verse 3, ‘ltis an honour for a man to ~ cease from strife; but every fool, r will be meddling.” If ‘ Justitia’ had minded his own business (that is if he has any) the case would have been forgotten. Being so egotistical, and wishing to put people right, he could not let the chance slip of airing his - knowledge at the expense of the To Aroha West correspondent. It is like a puddle of dirty water, the more he ' stirs the bigger stink he will make, but with all his palaver, abuse, and in-, suits, he cannot got over the facts of the case as stated by the Te Aroha West correspondent.I—l 1 —I am, etc., Freedom. [This correspondence must now 1 cease. —Ed. News.]