THE STAGPOOLE APPEAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 220, 15 March 1912, Page 5

THE STAGPOOLE APPEAL

APPELLANTS' CASE CLOSED. MR. PIRANI'S STRONG CONDEMNATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmfirston North, Last Night. The teacher's appeal case, Thomas Stagpoole versus the Wanganui Education Board, was continued before Mr. Kerr, S.M., and Messrs. R. McNab and Broad to-day. Further evidence was given by the school children regarding Inspector Stewart's visit to Linton. Some of the children deposed that they were frightened of Mr. Stewart, others that they were not. One boy, aged eleven, said that Mr. Stewart put chalk and his finger into his mouth, and told the class lie would flog them to death because they couldn't tell a story about their reading lesson. He also alleged that Stewart pulled ugly faces at them while they were singing, adding that this was to show tliem how to sing as singers do. > Cross-examined, this witness said Mr. Stewart put chalk into his mouth because he was yawning. The evidence of a member of the 'School Committee was to the effect that the children were more respectful to Mr. Stagpoole than they were to his predecessor, whom they used to call "Whiskers."

Appellant's case was concluded in the morning, and Mr. Pirani occupied most of the afternoon in liis opening address. He said that the case was an important one to education all over the Dominion. An effort was being made to bring, himself and the Board into disrepute. The Teachers' Institute had sound reason to remember both himself and the Board, for it had lost every case brought during his chairmanship, and had had to pay large sums in costs. The case was being brought to some extent as an attempt to punish the Board or himself, and the worst feature was that the whole power of the Institute and the four thousand teachers belonging to it was being brought to bear against the Board. The case was the worst of its kind he had ever known. Mr. Pirani claimed that his evidence would prove Mr. .Stagpoole to be lazy. He could teach, but wouldn't trouble to do so. ' He had broken a large number of the regulations, and the breach of one of these might lead to a criminal charge being brought. Mr. Pirani also claimed that Mr. Stagpoole exercised a 'baneful influence over the community and the children under his charge, and asked if the Court was prepared to send him back to Linton to corrupt both the community and the children. He added that if he had the power, and the Court were to rehabilitate Stagpoole, he would dismiss him a dozen times sooner than let him go back to Linton School.

In the evening the evidence of G. D. Brails, chief inspector of the Wanganui Education District, was taken. He said there was nothing unreasonable in putting chalk into children's mouths to make them open their mouths and articulate properly. There had been much talk of incorrect enunciation with New Zealand children, and the opening of the mouth was an important matter in correct enunciation. Witness also gave particulars of Inspector David Stewart's fine record as a teacher and inspector, and said that he knew of no teacher in the Dominion of Mr. Stagpoole's age so low down in the list of teachers. From what. he had seen of Mr. Stagpoole's work, he would reduce him three marks for teaching, one for environment, and one for personality.