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Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 33, 19 August 1867, Page 3

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JUSTICE.—SCHOOL INSPECTION. (To the Editor of the Mercury.)

Sir, —In last Saturday’s Mercury, you give the Government Inspector’s reports of the various schools in the district. They are all pretty much alike, but the East Mastorton is distinguished as being the worst. In justice to myself—the school subscribers— the Committee and the public, I trust you will give insertion in your columns to my explanation. I write under the direction of a'member of the School Committee. Mr Halcombc, the first Inspector recommended the adoption of the Ifish National School system for the Provincial schools. In accordance with this, Mr Bowden had copies of a paper called “ System of Instruction to be used in Provincial (National), Schools,” forwarded to Chairmen of Committees, and teachers. They were, posted (so the Inspector said), in latter end 6f January and February. In May the Inspector visited my school, and proceeded to examine the children by the “ instructions ” paper. This document he took out of his pocket or havresack. I had never hoard of it, nor had a copy been forwarded to Major Smith, Chairman of Committee. I represented this to Mr Bowden, observing that he was making entries in the “ Inspector’s Report Book.” He would not listen to my protestations against the injustice of examining my school by a “ system of Instruction,” paper which- I had never seen, and insinuated, if not distinctly said that I was lying. I requested him to add a memorandum to the report to the cifeot that the “master complained of not having received the ‘ Instruction.’ paper.” This ho refused to do, saying that until ho reached his “ Education office,” he could not 'be positive;

Mr Bowden threatened to use his utmost to have me dismissed. I retaliated in reply that his conduct was moat unfair and migentlcmauly, and that in the event of my dismissal I should make a declaration under oath, before a magistrate that the necessary school papers had not been received by me, and forward such declaration to His Honor the Superintendent, Before leaving the schoolroom, ho said that as my school was the last on his list for examination, he would leave the “Instruction” paper with me, having no further use for it.

You Sir, conclude air able “resume” of bis report by terming me tbc “ worst teacher.” I do not complain of your decision, it was founded on a Government Inspector’s report in the receipt of £350 per annum, and from a person who would be supposed, not only a gentleman, but superior to any injustice or partiality. In my two years previous teaching of the school I had given general satisfaction and received a favorable report from Mr Halcomhc. At the examination of teachers for certificates of competency in ,1866, I take third place in order of merit, of the 15 candidates who passed (see Council Paper.) Under the threat of dismissal, and to have the Government aid to my salary withdrawn. I became disheartened and may have been perhaps careless on his second visit. I was only one of six Teachers whom the Inspector recommended for dismissal. His recommendations were attended to in two instances, one of which was afterwards redressed by sending a petition to the Provincial Council. The Inspector complained of insolence &c. from Commiteees arid teachers, counter complaints were made against him. His Honor the Superintendent had to take the matter in hand. He obtained the opinion of members of seven distinct Committees. The general result was that the Inspector was exceeding his jurisdiction. He had not been appointed to domineer over committees and teachers who in the past had done their utmost to advance, and keep in existence their several schools under many drawbacks. Committees were recommended as of old, to judge for themselves in the proficiency of a teacher, before dismissing him, on the unsupported report of au Inspector. The inspector is competent in getting up comprehensive and detailed general reports. It embraces not only his own labor, but the replies from chairmen and teachers to his numerous detailed queries. A stranger reading it would fancy that Government had it compiled in order to disburse £SOOO in the erection of new schools dwellings, and supply of maps, books, etc. Committees reading it, ought to resign in disgust at their “ apparently ” futile efforts to keep schools afloat in their several districts, and teachers should try bullock-driving or some other less intellectual employment. T. E. F. BRISCOE, East Masterton School. August 6, 1867.

MR BUNNY’S SPEECH. [To the Editor of the Wairaeapa Mercury.] Wellington, August 11, 1807. Sir, —In your paper of the 10th instant you publish a summary of a portion of the speeches delivered in the House of Representatives on the question of the second reading of the Local Government-Bill. I enclose herewith a copy of my speech as reported in the Parliamentary “ Hansard,” and I shall feel obliged by your inserting same, together with this letter in your next publication, as I think it only just to the electors of the Wairarapa as well as fair towards myself that they should have the opportunity of reading what their representative “ actually did say ” and not be led to form an erroneous opinion from what appears in your paper of last Saturday.—l, am, Sir, your obedient servant, HENRY BUNNY

Mr Bunny would like to make a few observations before the question of the second reading was put. He certainly agreed with the honorable member for the Northern Division (Mr. O’Neill) that it would bo much betttcr for all of th6m to take a number of copies of the Bill back with them to their constituents, ascertain their opinion, and thou come down next session and fully consider the question. Bather than pass the Bill in its present shape, ho would prefer to leave things as they were, and trust to obtain something, approaching justice from the Provincial Council. If he wore to assist by his vote nbw in passing the Bill as brought forward by the government, and were afterwards to ask in the Provincial Council for money to be spent in in his district, he would he told to seek his redress in the Local Government Bill he had helped to pass, and obtain that remedy for the injury he had complained of which the General Assembly had thought fit to give him. Still bo thought it was but their duty to express some opinion one way or the other upon the principle of local self-government involved in the Bill. It must be in the minds of most honorable members that, at the latter part of the previous session, a distinguished member of the House told them that in the present session the provincial party were prepared to unite themselves together to provenc any further tinkering with the constitution, rnd that snob barriers would be raised up as would prevent any further .encroachment upon the Provincial Governments. That was stated by a gentleman who carried, perhaps, more weight than any other member of that House, and so much importance was attached to the statement, that when the Assembly was prorogued, the Governor said that the question of local self-government would occupy the’ attention of the Ministry dur-

ing the recess, the result of which was now before the House in the present Bill. Ho 'HI not know whether tho passing of this measure would do away with Provncial Governments or not—he did not care one single iota what its eifcct in that was. What they had at the prosent moment to decide was this : whether tho proposal of tho Govcfnmcnt for giving local sell-government in the manner asset fort in the Bill before them was a mode of government that would bo acceptable to the country. As regarded the Provincial Governments, the only fault he had to find with them was, that they took tho revenues of the outlying districts, and contras lized the expenditure in the cities and upon grert works in the town, to tho neglect of the crying wants of the country ; that was the great complaint he had to make, and he believed if it had not been for that complaint which existed in the outlying districts ofthe Colony they would never have heard a word in that House against the Provincial Governments. “ You have robbed us of all our revenue and yon have spent nothing back amonSst us,” that has been the outcry, and certainly when the Bill was brought in, he did look with some anxiety to it, hoping it would provide a remedy for the grievance lie complained of, and he must say the Bill did not appear to provide the remedy. It appeared to him that those districts which had been the most injured had been the most neglected in the prep: iratiou of that Bill. It was his intention to support tiic second reading, but he would not do so beyond that, unless he found that there was something introduced which would prove a remedy for the great evil which had been the real cause of its introduction. Ho would support it, because the object of the Bill was to give local self-government, and he would support it because that was the principle it ailirmod; but if it was to bo carried out as it was, it would certainly lie local selfgovernment, but it would be no remedy for the evils under which they had been labouring. It was no doubt a difricuit question, after the moneys had been taken away from one district and expended in other parts of the Province, to know in what way redress was to be given ; but the honorable member for Porirua complained that no provision was made fur taking any account. A district might separate from the Province, and there was no means of going into the question ol liabilities as regarded that district and the Province, and he (Mr. Bunny) equally complained of it on the same grounds; Under the New Provinces Act, when a portion of a Province separated, a full account was taken, and the matter was dealt with as to whether there would lie money owing from the new Province to the old one, or “ vice versa.” It might be a difficult question to deal with, but he could not sec why it should not bo dealt with so as to mete out justice It would ho monstrous if some remedy were not clnvised. The cry of the out-districts was, “You have taken all our revenue from us, and what do you propose to give '! ” And the reply would be, “ Yon may separate, and we give you a power to tax yourselves, and if you do so we will give you two shillings for every one shilling.” But he should have liked tho Government to have given them the one shilling and not to have taxed them at all, and if they did bo they would save one shilling by it. It appeared that a district forming part of a Province stood in the position of a partnership concern, in which one partner said to the other, “ You may separate if you like, but you will get nothing in return.” As to the financial part of the business he would like to know how it was possible for the General Government to furnish two shillings for every one shilling. It was plain how (hat must bo ; they were not to submit to anyfurther taxation, and it would be merely giving tho districts what the Provincial Governments ought to have given them before. He did not think the Provincial Governments would have any right to find fault with a measure of that sort being introduced; it seemed to him to bo the only thing which was natural, after their treatment of the outlying districts. It was but natural that the cry of those districts should reach the ears of that House, and that they should demand some redress. He f rusted the Bill would puss its second reading, and it would show to the country that tho question had been fairly brought forward and discussed in that House, and if it were not passed, and Ministers did not think fit to take a dissolution, it would be for the country to decide, and when they mot next session, a measure might be adopted which would give satisfaction "to tho country. He thought the machinery ofthe Bql was too cumbrous, and too intricate and difficult to be carried out. Ho believed they would find in attempting to carry out a Bill of that length, that there was a great deal of intricacy before the contributions from the Government would be received and many of the districts would find, after they had taxed themselves, that they would have great difficulty in getting their con-* tributions from the Government, because, perhaps, some formal matters had not been complied with. A more simple Bill might be introduced which would answer every purpose. All that was asked for was a protection from the great injustice under which they had been labouring, and if that were done, he should have no fault to find with tiie provincial system of government. He did not agree with the honorable member for Christchurch as to the enormous expense of the provincial system. He believed the expense would be greatly increased as they were going to multiply their Governments throughout the country, and if it were an evil to have nine provinces, how much greater would it be to have Mr. Main.—One thousand. Mr. Bunny.—The honorable member said there would be 1,000 districts, but however many there might be, there would have to be clerks and collectors awl other officers for each district, who would have all to be paid. He did not approve of the Bill, as he believed it would be unworkable, and would not be what was really wanted. Ho thought a simple measure might he brought in which would accomplish all that was desired, and would compel the Provincial Governments to do justice to the outlying districts. Take the district he represented, what was their position i The position the district of Wairarapa was in was tire same as many others; they had contributed something like £236,000 to the revenue, and they had laid out in the district somewhere about £•16,000 during the whole time of provincial institutions. That was without going into the question of the Customs revenue ; and to say to them that they were not to have any redress for the past, but merely for the future, to tax themselves, and they would get two equivalent for every, was simply monstrious, Ho for one would not support a Bill of that nature ; it was too much in favour of Provincial Governments, and there had been too much, fear iXhibited in its preparation, and the result was that it was neither pleasing to one side nor the other. It did not give the slightest satisfaction beyond the bending of it, “The Local Government Bill.” He liked that, but when lie went into the Bill there was not a single clause of which he approved. It was simple because he liked the idea contained in tho title, and because the country was looking lo the session of 1867 for a Local Government Bill, tint ho supported' it, Itwould bo for the people—as he did not think the Bill would go beyond the second reading—to suggest a measure that would give them what they required, and ho hoped they would get a Bill by next session, which would destroy Provincial Governments, but wovdd give' to the outlying districts redress for the past, as well as a proper provision for the future,