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Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 168, 21 October 1892, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR. gir,—l was very much amused at ‘ Nemesis’ ’ notes in your last issue. I am not in the habit of answering many of your correspondent’s little pleasantries, tout tne article last week was contrary to fact.. He refers to the peculiarly unpleasant position that the country teachers have to fill socially. I have lived in several country districts and have known many teachers and the conclusion I come to is that they do not seem much out of their element. He also hopes that country Committees will assist the Board in making their position as comfortable as they can. Considering the salary that some of them get, the hours they work, and the holidays they get I fail to see that it is necessary to treat them differently from ordinary mankind. Beferring to the Reserves, I was not aware before that they were intended for the benefit of head teachers, but to assist in the maintenance of the schools. The Aratapu Committee receive a grant from the Board of £2O per annum out of which they pay £lB 4s for cleaning, &c., leaving_a balance of £1 16s for repair* and reclaiming one of the most muddy and wet school-grounds in the district. By leasing the reserve the Committee are enabled to do something in this direction ; last autumn they spent £ls in metalling and intend each year to continue to improve in that way. Without the rents received from this and other sources, they would not have had the money. The head teacher at Aratapu receives a salary of about £2lO, a free residence, and firewood |for the cutting ; and the Committee fail to see why he should be further subsidised by handing over the section to him. ‘ Nemesis’ ’ remarks about the alteration of the time to telegraph are also wrong. The number of Committee members present was five, their reason was the mill time being one hour and forty miuutes ahead, and as there are only twenty children of those employed at the mill out of a school roll of 151, and some of the children come a distance of three miles and they had to be considered; if the mill time is anywhere within thirty or forty minutes of the correct time (as at present) that time will be kept. But I would defy anyone lately to follow it; it is going to be shifted ahead again in a few days. I would advise “ Nemesis ’' in future to find out the facts of any case he wishes to write upon, instead of mis-stating them.—l am etc., Tnos. Bassett. Aratapu, 19/10/92.