OUR LETTER BOX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 72, 29 March 1904, Page 4

OUR LETTER BOX.

,—» (We are at all times willing to publish correspondence on matters of public interest, but it must be distincl ly understood that we are not identified with the letters of our correspondents.—Ed. Daily News.)

ATTENTION, COUNCILLORS ! (To the editor.) Sir,—l was at the waterworks a few days ago, and visited what is known as the picnic grounds. A more charming spot I cannot imagine, und i am surprised our borough councillors are not more alive to the potentialities of this wonderful asset they possess. But what I chiefly want to call attention to is a, perhaps, unknown danger to visitors. While sitting there reading, and smoking my pipe, I was considerably alarmed by a great lump of vegetation falling within a few feet of me from an overhanging tree. Out of curiosity I examined it, and found the weight of it to be more than I could lift. Imagine this falling in the middle of a picnic party ! The weight of this mass of vegetation must have been over two hundredweight. I also discovered oh wandering through the grounds that my experience cannot be unique, for at various spots I found similar masses lying about. And from appearances there are lots more of these curiosities to make their descent, for the trees are simply swarming with clusters of vegetation. I certainly think our councillors might see to this matter, or a serious accident may happen some day.—l am,,ete., VISITOR.

SCHOOL TEACHERS. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Under the above heading you had a leading article in you paper commending the board for instantly scouting the promotion idea as enunciated by the town school committee in conaection with the Centra) School. But there arc two sides to this question, and I will point out that the committee was appointed for a special purpose, viz., to look out for the interests of their particular school, and it Is none of their business to study the Interests of any other. They may sympathise with the country school teacher in his other lot, but beyond that they cannot go ; and In this case their action was to look out for the well-Ueing of their school. This they did in the recommendation they made. They, however, did not move in the dark iii this matter, as they found out from the board's 'officers that the teachers indicated were not only eligible but fully competent, as anyone can see by perusing the inspector's reports. And again, in this promotion plan they really took their cue from the board, who were anxious that committees should fall in with a promotion scheme, instead of always advertising the vacancies,'and in this the committee's ideas and those of the board agreed ; hence the recommendation. You say that the previous promotion was made with fairly satisfactory results. How do you know 1 In fact you don't know anything about It, as there has been no report on their work since the promotion, so that I consider your "ifairly 6aWsta(ttory" remark is a reflection on the teachers, who are doing first-class work.

You say, also, that if tho promotion as suggested took place, the staff would be weakened "by teachers unfitted by want of experience" being promoted. The headmaster's and inspector's reports prove the contrary in the cases under review, and the committee would not have made the recommendation had they not fully satisfied themselves on the question of suitability.

And you say the plan adopted by the board of calling for applicants for the vacancy will give teachers in tho country schools a chance. Nothing of the sort. Their chances are more remote under this plan that by a promotton plan, which, if committees would only agree to it, (he board could make general in its application. As it is, the selection committee of tho board, and also the school committee, other things being e<|ua), give the preference to a\>plicauts who can show that they have had experience In a similar class of school. So that in the absence of a general plan of promotion In tho district, tho committee were doing quite right in looking out for their own teachers, especially when their teachers were giving satisfaction. You say "if this parochial mannor of promotion is allowed, etc." There is no promotion scheme in vogue in this district, and it was to help to inaugurate such a system that the committee made the recommendation thpy did. In fact, your leading article as a whole shows that you were, to a certain extent, barking up the wrong true, and if you had only taken the trouble to find out you would have ascertained that the committee are quite willing to fall in with a general promotion plan, but in Its absence they were doing their duty In looking out for No. 1., in the shape of the Central School. As you will now find, the position being thrown open to the colony, and their own teachers here barred, it is quite probable that nn outsider from some other district will get the position—l am, etc.. W. A. COLLiS, Chairman If.P. School Committee.