SIR G. GREY AND HUMANITY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 236, 12 August 1879, Page 2

SIR G. GREY AND HUMANITY.

To the Editor of Ik Waiiukai'A Daily, Sir—ln the June number of the Nineteenth Century Review, in an article by Mr Holyoako, a statement is made, in speaking of the contests, "that they work for absolutism under plea of humanity." I quote from memory, not having the book before me. This account seems to me to apply with great truth to Sir G. Grey and the following whom he misguides and manipulates. "Humanity" is seldom out of Sir George's speeches, although it gets there into very strange company, as when united with the wish to " frizzle the pastoral tenants of Canterbury on their gridirons." But the actions of his Government have an absolute tender, cy to be outside and contrary both to the spirit and the letter of the law. Some of the very Acts which the command of a majority for the time being during last session enabled him to pass, would be dear to the heart of a despot, It is a beneficent provision of nature that causes sharp pain in general to follow on trifling hurts, The pang puts the sufferer on his guard for the future against more serious injury from the same source. The pain of a slight burn or scald seems out of proportion to the mischief done, but it is this very pain which docs much to prevent personal accidents by liro from being more common and destructive than they are. Even a dog is intelligent on the point. I, and my case is not singular. lam suffering in an snalogous way from a smart under the Land Tax Act. The amount of harm done by the haste and imperfection of the present assessment is not serious, but it is enough to put one about seeking some effectual means of relief for the future, The sole appeal is to a Judge appointed and removable at pleasure by the Government for whom the tax is collected. Who would like to go to arbitration with such conditions against him? I have no wish to say a single word dis-

respectful or suspicious of your worthy KM. here; but it is well known what human nature is. If taxes were passed and decided on the same principles in Turkey, some so-called civilised Government would be likdly enough to interfere, I should have liked an appeal, but none is allowed by law. Clause 2, the Interpretation Clause of i( The Rating Act, .1876," which, by the constitution of Assessment Courts, is to be read with the Land Tax Act, provides that" the rateable value of any property shall in no case be less than five per centum on the value of the fee simple." The value of the fee simple in my case was fixed at several thousand pounds higher than twenty times the rateable value as assessed and valued by the same valuer at or about the same time, It was in vain for me to maintain that the whole could not be more than twenty times its twentieth part. The worthy Judge, possibly from the fatigue and weariness of constant sitting, seemed unable to understand; and the DeputyCommissioner actually asserted the con-

trary to the simple elementary truth thai the whole is equal to the sum of its parts: or, to illustrate the thing by an example, that if three be not less than half

fi:e, five cannot bo more than twice three. This was ignored and denied. There is no appeal beyond the wise decision. Some advanced mathematicians begin to imagine the possibility of space of more than three dimensions. The Land Tax assessment counts in the opposite direction one for upsetting the possibility of any geometry whatever. Galileo signed his recantation and muttered, "It moves all the same." My case is not quite sc hard upon the conscience. I shall pay my halfpence and remain unconvinced,—l am, Sic, I J. C. Andrew.

MASTERTON SCHOOL. i) To the Editor of the W.uiiAiurA daily. Sin—ln your issue of Saturday last your correspondent " Teacher" made some remarks about myself which, to say the least of them, arc contrary to facts; in short, false. I would take no notice of the letter signed " Teacher," were it not that I have reason to believe similar statements have been made by a member of the School Committee. Now, sir, in the interests of all parties, I think it right to lay the facts of the whole case before the public, Some time ago the School Committee

believed that the assistant master was about to. resign. A female teacher sought the appointment, and waited upon some members of tlio committee, who pledged themselves to recommend her appointment to the Board,. When this wag first brought forward at the meeting of committee I objected to consider the matter then, as the resignation, of the. assistant master was not" before- us. The head master, who was present, had with him the resignation of tlio assistant, which he laid before us,.

The committee then made the recommendation that the Board appoint a certain female teacher. To this I objected for the f< Howing reasons:—l. I considered a master more suited for a mixed school like ours. 2. Several parents had complained to me that there were too many female teachers in the school. 3. Had this mistress been appointed there would have been an undue proportion of female toaching power in the schoolsome five or six females and one male.

These reasons w6re then stated as my objection to the recommendation. Not one word was spoken by me or any member of the committee which in any degree could be construed or calculated to injure the reputation or blight the prospects of the applicant. At this stage the question of certificate was not raised. It was several days after when a member of committee informed me a difficulty was likely to arise about tlio appointment of the mistress, as it appeared she had not a certificate, and a female teacher having a certificate had applied. As far as my objections went the holding of a certificate was not then raised; but when raised, all things being equal, was fatal to our recommendation. On this point the Education Act now in forco is clear and cannot possibly be mistaken.

lii reference to the influencing of a member of the Education Board to taken certain course in tlio appointment, I have to say that, for my part, I have not communicated by letter or friend, or any other way, directly or indirectly, with any member of the Board in reference to this case, much less striven to influence any member of the Board in the discharge of his duty to act contrary to his conviction. To do so is so much beneath the dignity of a gentleman that I spurn it, and regret that anyone in our community should have such a base mind as to think so.-I am, &c, James McKee,