AN INVESTIGATION.
[to the editor of the temxjka leader. Dear Sir,— l am greatly astonished at seeing, from a .report of a meeting of Ihe ■ Pleasant Point School Committee, that tiie Board Had received a letter and petition from the householders, 'asking for a re-investigation of tiie case of the pupil teacher. Allow me, sir, to inform your r- ad era that the petition from the householders was to the Board to investigate the case not to re-iuvestigate, as the case has not been investigated ; only the'complaints kid and two hearsay witnesses heard ; but enough- in the estimation of the committee to dismiss the acccnsed from the school without giving Irm tiie chance of knowing the complaint made or affording him the opportunity of producing witnesses on his behalf or defence. If the Board declined to deal with the matter, why did they send to the committee after they knew by the petition that the Committee's action was unsatisfactory to the petitioners 1 I have it from very good authority that some of the committees’ children and the children of their friends are connected with this affair; and this is the reason for the memorial to the Board. I have vwy good reason to believe this affair under close enquiry would break down, and perhaps living rather more to light than would be altogether pleasant for some of the Committee. Hence your readers will sec tiie unwillingness of the committee to deal with the matter fairly, and the action of the Board will be to draw upon it the contempt of every one who look to them for justice and to allow a lad to be expelled from school in such an arrogant and illegal manner. Proof has been demanded by the petitioners and refused by the Committee and Board ; but tke manner in which the committee excuses an inquiry into the matter, or rather their foot-note to the petition, that out of 41 names 22 had no children at scho >1 is a hint I take it that all householders minus children attending school cannot say anything or take part in any school matters whatever. I have no doubt but that they hold an exceptional good stand, and so shall I till I survey the position in -which they themselves stand. Did they forgot that a short time ago there was a vacancy in the committee by the resignation of some of the members, and in order to fid the vacancy and strengthen their forces where it was, necessary, they themselves elected a bachelor, who has no children at school, a member of the committee, hot having no children at school he cannot speak, vote, or in any way take part in the general management 1 Mr Editor, if they have made the householders small, they have made their newfledged member smaller, and I rather guess that they may find such a glaring insult to the householders, who have no children at school, resented in a way that may be very annoying. It is not enough for them to have to pay the r share of education, but must stand the arrogant insults of ignorant bombasts. The whole fact is that the Pleasant Point School Committee is like an ostrich pursued,- and, knowing that it cannot escape capture, buries its head in the sand. “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands morn.” Apologising for the length of my letter,— I am, etc., A HOUSEHOLDER WITHOUT CHILDREN 1 AT SCHOOL. [We publish “ Householder’s ” letter as we published the report of the School Committee meeting ; but wo think a quiet meeting of a few gentlemen chosen from both sides, to calmly discuss the matter, would be the host way to come to an understanding. The Board could not very well take the matter out of the hands of the cnm.pnttee.—Ep. T- L-]
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Temuka Leader, Issue 204, 27 November 1879, Page 2
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641AN INVESTIGATION. Temuka Leader, Issue 204, 27 November 1879, Page 2
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