Wanganui chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1882.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9662, 10 November 1882, Page 2

Wanganui chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1882.

We have no intention of prejudging the charges of cruelty which have been preferred against the master of the State School at Aramoho, and which are in course of investigation by the local school committee. The gentlemen composing that body will, we are sure, endeavour to sift the affair thoroughly, and to do justice between the parties. We may, however, venture to inquire what, in the opinion of the average school com-mittee-man in New Zealand, is a fair allowance of corporal punishment, such as may be administered to peccant youth without subjecting the executioner to a charge of cruelty. The law, which unmisteakably gives parents and guardians and schoolmasters, the power of resorting to such punishment, says that it is to be '• moderate." but the word is vague, and what one jury or magistrate regards as moderate, another may denounce as cruel. Speaking generally, however what may be termed a good sound thrashing would not be called cruelty by an [English jury provided it were shown that a substantial school boy offence had been committed. In the great upper and middle class schools in England flogging is still an ordinary punish ment. The stripes are numerous and laid on with a will, and complaints of cruelty are few and far between. In the English State Schools, that is those filled by the children of the masses, corporal punishment is neither so frequently resorted to nor so severe. A few years ago an enormous amount of correspondence was published on this subject in the English papers. There was in fact a very hot controversy with regard to the corporal punishment of children and youths, but its advocates greatly outnumbered those who took the other side, and matters went on pretty much as before. In the colonies we have the same law and the same practice, but on the whole more midlygadministered. If the country were polled on the question to-morrow a very large majority would, we belie7e, be unwilling to abolish the use of the rod, unless it could be so arranged that from that time forth the nature and habits and manners of the rising generation should undergo [a very considerable change for the better. How wo should record our vote is of no consequence, but we are certainly not the advocates of severity. As then the corporal punishment of the young is lawful, and is recognised in the State system of education in New Zealand, we venture to repeat our question as to what constitutes, in the opinion of the average school committee-man a fair allowance of that particular sort of physic. We cannot say that ia New Zealand there havo been many charges of cruelty brought against State schoolmasters, who as far as we are able to judge are a long suffering much enduring class, very of ton not as well backed up by boards and committees as they ought to be. But there have been some such cases, and we have noticed in thorn that, generally speaking, tho fact of the child returning homewith the marks of a flogging on him or her has been put forward as though it wero the most convincing evidence of illusage. So no doubt it would be if we were to start with the proposition that all corporal punishment is cruel. But we have already shown that it is not considered so, for it is recognised by law and is resorted to in the State schools with the knowledge and consent of the authorities. Is there then a method of beating a child without leaving marks? We have not yet heard of it, nor of a discovery for boating without, inflicting pain. Taking all the circumstances into consideration it is clear that this average school committee-man ought not to come to the conclusion that a child, has been ill used merely because he has been hurt by chastisement and carries about for a while the marks of the infliction. The pain is the essence of the punishment, and the marks are incidental and unavoidable. A committee-man, who has to investigate one of these charges of cruelty, may, we admit, have a very difficult task to perform. The circumstances may of course be of such a character as to show that brutal violence has been used, and in that case the better plan is to call in the police and let a charge be preferred against the offender. But there may have been cruelty of a less glaring kind, and the evidence may be only that of the child. Again, there are parents who, though they themselves beat their children, fly out at once on the schoolmaster who dares to lay his finger on them. It is evident therefore that an investigating committee may find themselves in a perplexing position, especially if all the members are . entirely unaccustomed to such work. But they can at least protect the schoolmaster from being badgered and bullied, they can throw aside hearsay evidence and oldwives tales, they can sco that tho charges are specific enough to put the accused fairly on his defence, and they ought to try and interpret his conduct by the law and the practise in the colony with regard to corporal punishment. If some of them are opposed altogether to the infliction of corporal punishment they have no right to adjudge a man guilty of cruelty because he holds a different opinion and has acted on it If it bo desirable that that kind of punishment for juvenile offences be abolished, by all means let an open and manly effort be made in that direction. It may be that the change would strengthen the position of teachors by relieving them from tho risk of a good many unfounded oharges. Return' or Mn Anson. — Mr George Ansou, formerly second master of the Endowed School in this town, 3'ctiiriis here by train from the South to-movrow night, after an absence of two years, during which he has visited the Home country. It, is understood that Mr Anson is to be appointed lo his old position at the school.