THE CLAREVILLE SCHOOL FIGHT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 984, 27 January 1882, Page 2

THE CLAREVILLE SCHOOL FIGHT.

«. The meeting of householders in the district took place at the school-house on Tuesday evening, the attendance being unusually, to'ge f»r the purpose of electing a new Coinmi tee, Mr Isaic Eairstow, the late Chairman, ocuupjing the Chair, wht, after reading the advertisement convening the meeting, and the sections of t he Education Act bearing on the election, Jaid before those present the report for 'the year, and the balance-Bheet as audited' ffljich Bhowed a balance in hand of 7a?'lhe total receipts having'been £4119 a 6J. As Chairman of the outgoing Committed yhpj: supposed they would expect Mm to say. a/ew words mi the report and the working of the Committee during the past year. The compulsory clauses were brought into opetation as it was found several pareiitS not sending their children to sohool, and on this being done, some had preferred.to"send their.ohildren to Carterton than let them come there. During the year the progressed having been free from maly of the drawbucks that had acted during'the previous year. The teachers had workedwell together, and he thought-Mr Lee's report which showed that 88 per cent of thoße that had-been presented'# examination had passed, showed that'the Maß- ' ter, Mr Barry, was painstaking, and well calculated to teach. At a Committee meeting called for-the Ipurpose they; had 1 Ml-agreed that_ it would give theni,satisfaction .in contributing for the prizes and: a treat to the children /Mr Francis: No, no, that's nntrue.) Mr Eairstow: feti Franois saidjf he gave anything he should! give to the other school, v Ho, the speaker/' would have got it up himself, but a# a. fact the four of them got it up, the other three nothing and they had iti the end been able to hand 15a. 8d over to the sohool fund. During the last year or two they had been at twos and three's. He had said nothing as to , the objections raised in the report, but ■ there had been four against three. Messrs I Francis, Vile, and Goodin, had given them i a lot of bother, and. had gone into the 1 public print when they found they could , not carry their way, there. He objeoted i to this as if there was any dirty linen to ; wash he thought it had bettor be done at r home. He was glad to see so many present, many of whom he felt sure took an interest in the school. He bad been mainly instrumental in starting the school eight years ago, and he would ask if three men were to be allowed to obßtruot its working (cries of No, no, bosh ; do they do it, io.). Mr Colhnwood Goodin: Mr Chairman, I should like to say a few words. Mr Bairatow: We have met to elect a 1 committee. You must propose a member ; before you can speak. Mr Goodin: Very well, then, I propose Mr Walter Francis. There were plenty 1 there who knew him, the speaker, for the 1 last twenty years, and that he had always been ready to work and help an well as he ' could, whether it was for the church, the 1 schools, or anything else for the good of the. district, but he would not be ruled by any one man, hence the rows they had had. Tho string of the th ee of thetn hid worked the best they could, thin'iing tilings were n.it suing n» as well Willi the sohool as they should, do, and he should like tn Bee a better committee elected. Mr J Bunw seconded Mr Francis' } nomination, ' Mr Francis said at the last committee i meeting held prior to the election last ' year, Mr Bairatow had stated that he wbb not sntisfied with Mr Barry's teaching, ' and if he did not vote agaiiist hiin he ' should not vote for his being kept on as schoolmaster, When the committee waß elected, Mi' Corpe was chosen Chairman, , and on his retirement Mr Bairstow, Fer some time there had only been six attending the meetings, and every resolution as to the schoolmaster has been carried by the casting vote of the Chairman. I altogether contradict Mr Bairstow's aßserlion as to my having given my assent to 1 the Trea'. I said I intended to have l nothing to do with it, ao would not have , any say in the matter. I say now, aB I • have before, Ml-Barry is not equal to his j position as heal-maater of this school,— t (Hear I Hear!) 9 Mr J. Vile: I propose Mr A. R. Wallis l as a member of the committee. My name J has been brought forward without any ) reason, You have heard an elaborate b report from the Chairman, and many Ir af you doubtless think it very nice, though 3 had you been at our meetings some might s have thought differently. The Chairman i did not tell you how the row began, so I • will. Mr Buiratow having to senda reaos lution to the Bnird in Wellington fo'rwari ded itin a shape to suit the ends of himself, r and Mr Barry. On finding this out'l >• went round and found five members of } the Committee, who said it was incorrect, > and signed the resolution bb originally* • passed. Mr Barry had had a good .aasiss tant in Mrs Palmer, but finding iter a r thorn in his aide had done his beat to get her out of the sohool. When he (the speaker) found there were 161 children in the district who ought to be attending the school, and the school attendence was only 48, he could not eit still any longer. Mesarß Barry and Bairstow, he believed, were the cause of the failure'of the , school. • He had been accused of rushingi into print. Well, when such a state of 1 things existed as was the case then, he ) thought it was a good thing they had the j public print to run to. What had Mr 1 Barry done before elsewhere 1 Nothing I 9 What had he done here! Sent insolent j letters to the Committee because they 3 would not let him run his horses in the , children's playground. These and other b causes had led him to take the aotion he 9 had. b MrW. B. C i;apin seconded Mr VVallis'a domination. Mr C. Goodin proposed Mr Vile as a member of the committee, the nomina- • lion,being seconded by Mr DeLacy. Mr C. Goodin: Why did people take their children from this sohool and send them to Carterton 1 Because they got . the advantage of good teaching there. . They had been told that only nine ohili dren had gone from there to Cirterton, 1 but a couple of families had pretty well taken that number, and if the teaching was so good here would they have done it 1 ' When they, a few years ago, had a good leacher here, the children were sent 1 ftom Carterton, now they had a good-one . there ours were sent down there. ThM j wag why/he opposed 'Mr Bury. He ) did not think htm an efficient master, or p. 1 he wnnld n.ot have done it;'. ■ CK Bovyles: Order I 'Let us proceed ,withithe oleotinn. f ) .Mr C. .'Goodin: It has been said I tried ) to away from' 'his school- to ' Cartermij.. J deny it'. I defy any-to'ee round ana find,any attempt I made tow 1 so. "iyf '• •" j ; ,Mr W, Bnoth'proposed Mr 0. J, , 'Smith as a mem her Committee, He did so pot only because'he-thought i him a thoroughly good man, but heoause f he might smooth the way a bit. He - that as (hey-had so large a representation of jhe residents there they would be able to elect, a Committee who . would work tpgether, and- bury the . hatchet. He regretted that tho Chairman . had brought any haps,in. He thought i it would have been%i.well to let matters 3 rest with the report, trusted the . Chairjnan and'Mr yile,'^o ( ,h)id many i good qualities would Ut ifiitter£> rest, . Indeed, he not like- ttjwsittgßJr jr Smith, who was a- quiet 'maii, to stand, 1 mlew lw hoped things wonld! go qaietly, Sl|

but had to {jet a good Committee, and trust to them to put things right. Every- ' one thought he knew what makeß a good master, but still he thought they might let the Secretary and the governing body of the district who were acoustomed to detil with such matters have a little say on the question. When a new man came a lot always went away, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating,, and., he thought the school had come out very fairly in the examination. He never knew any man please everyone, not. , he think it wise to try and do so. Kjmk Mr T. Waldin in seconding Mr BsW]a : .[ nomination said they wanted new blood in the Committee. This last year had been terrible. Reference had been mads. . to the success of the school when Mr Ross was there. Well, who drove Mr. Ross away i Why, Mr Vile, (counter cries of" no, no, and yes, yes" from: all- •••• quarters of the-room.) He Baid he didi . if they referred to the log-book, they would there find- that Mr Bobs had said he was Vile by name and vile; by nature. He never knew a man so bitter as Mr Vile waß against Mr Barry. He had coma , on to the Committee with the sole idea of-v; turning him out nf the school, and if he tried for seven yearsho would never do it. (Cries of order—get along with the election.) He would like to Bee.'them elect' .' a good .Committee, Could, a/master,;ba • •••' expected to teach well-when three of . the Committee came down. time after time to - oppose him. Why was it 1 - Because some in the district would he aristocrats,."' V.. : and did not know how. There would be -« nogood'done while these three were on | the Committee whooarae down, #nd night. | after; night opposed overythibg;' •Ha ' would like to see an entirely new Com* .: . -mittee. He did not mean to stand himbut, at any rate, . lie hoped they would keep those three out.. * following gentlemen ■ were then duly nominated without comment:— Messrs A., Booth, W.-B Campin, J,'' Smith, T. Price, D'. Nicholson, T. S, Uridjarhill, 6. Bowles, E. Eagle and ,H. Burgesß. : .'Means W. Booth, H. Grattan, if. T. Waldin and T. Witt, were also nominated but declined to etaud. Mr',W. Franois in proposing Mr,J. Burroflaa'a member of the Gommittee (the nomination being seconded by Mr J, Smith), said that it had been stated that it was through Mr Vile that" Mr Rosa had left. This, he denied., Mr Oorpe when. Chairman'had called au irregular meeting, MrEoss had said ho had done so and 1 refused to apologise, and that was why . 1 lie left. (There was great disorder and interruption . hero for ;some minutes, several speaking and giving mouth to . sundry ejaoulationß, but the hubbub was • ■ ton great for us to catch their import. 1 When order was restored Mr Waldin in proposing Mr J, Smith said what Mr -4 Francis had stated was untre. ■ ■ • Mr Francis : That's untrue. 1 Mr Waldin: Francis' word's no good j • ' 1 he's told untruths beforo, 1 Amidst great confusion the Chairman 1 rose, and after a while managed to quell | the tumult,-, when Messrs R, H. Elliotte, : C. Goodin, H. H. Pearce, and J. Taylor . were duly nominated. | ' The Chairman, before the-ballot was 1 prooeodedwith, wishedtomakeoneortwo ' remarkß with regard to statementa that j had been made. Mr Francis had said ' that he (the'speaker), prior to the last election, had .promised that if he did not vote for he .would not against Mr Barry's removal. What lie had said was that he 1 thought it unfair to bring such a resolution as the -removal of Mr Barry before the last meeting of tlie Committee. If f\ the Secretary to the' Board reported. ; against him he would not support him.. With regard to what had been said as to - the removal of Mr Boss, both Mr Waldin and Mr Ross were wrong, and he believed Booth would bear him out in this. -Mr Ross bad made certain remarks and refused to apologise, alleging-"' ' that there was no gentleman on the Com- " mittee-to apologise to, and lor this he Had been removed, Messrs W. Booth and F. Feist having been'appointed scrutineers, the ballot was proceeded with, -with the following ret suit ;4A. Booth 60, Bairstow 23, Francis 8 88, j. Vile 85, C. Goodin 25, C. J. Smith ■ 22,J. ; Burrow 19, J. Smith 17, Nicholson lC.Taylor 14, Campin 18, Eagle 18, 3 Wallis 10, Underhill 6, Bowles 6, Bur- ' gess 6, Pearce 4, Price 4, Elliotte 1. 1 '.The Chairman therefore, Wared the 3 first seven duly ; elected. : ' >A vote of thanks to the Chair closed ? > the meeting. " i; ~ ■ i " COMMITTEE MEETING. •, A .meeting of the newly-elected Com- • • mittee then took place,, all the members ; being presort, ■ On the motion of Mr Vile, seconded by f Mr Uoodin, Mr Francis was elected ■ Chairman. On assuming the chair, he hoped they would be able to carry on .business in a more satisfactory manner than, they had done in', tlie'paat, and that • they would accomplish the.end they had ao loug been fighting for, , . Aftor ashOrt discussion, it was resolved, onJui motion of Mr Vile, seconded by ' Mr Goodin—That the meetings of the cotnmitteo should take place on the third Friday in every moutb, at 7 p.m. . , ■ Tli'o meeting then dispersed.