SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELEECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2492, 20 April 1893, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELEECTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —An advertisement has appeared of a lengthy character, and continuously for several insertions, I believe, in a)l the newspapers of the colony informing the householders in the different school districts that nominations for the new School Committees must be sent in, or left with the present chairman, on or before a certain date. That seems all right so far, but outside of this we are informed that, notwithstanding a sufficient number of candidates being nominated in this way, 5, u " unlimited number can also be nominated at the annual meeting of householders. Then why the advertiseiae n t ? What a reckless waste of money. It'\vW4 interesting to know how much ' these ' tid.vijrtfsaments cost the Education Department. I _ .should imagine that such a piece of electioneering to -*ufQi>J6iy J>as never occurred before from the create of cais tbe present date. No one seems able to give m puliation on the matter. If you apply to the Chairman of the Temuka School Committee he just winks the other eye and refers you to the Education Act; if you refer to the said Act why that just winks both eyes and leaves you still ill the dark. Sir, any light you could throw on this matter would oblige many of your readers, I feel certain. I am aware it must be a difficult task for you to give an unbiassed opinion on reckless advertising, but as a political economist I know you have »o equal. Therefore I fearlessly trust tjtfs matter in in y°nr hands.-—I have, etc., Asr'i'i-BO'jf. University Terrace, Temuka, April 19th.

[We arc not surprised that both the chairman and the Act have been winking at the parsimonious disposition the writer has displayed. The miser who thought jt waste to keep a farthing candie alight

because he could converse in the dark without it, was a fool to Anti-rot. The Act provides that an advertisement should be inserted in the papers to give the householders notice, and this is only right. Supposing, for instance, no advertisement was inserted, and the public forgot all about the election, what would be the result'/ Simply that iu all probability the old committee would meet and, as there .would be no one else present, they would simply re-elect themselves. We know of instances where committees have met and done this. From time immemorial meetings have been called by public advertisements. In very ancient times town bells wore rung, in later times the town crier was sent out, but all these have given place to the newspaper of the present day. As regards the paragraph in the advertisement about nominating candidates, to which Anti-rot objects, the cost of advertising would hardly buy a breakfast for even so niggardly an individual as he is. There is nothing in the advertisement which the public do not require to know, and public safety demands that those who exercire public functions should have the fullest information in order to enable them to do so.—Ed.]