MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2016, 15 June 1885, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A speoial meeting of the Masterton School Committee was held on Saturday evening to consider certain resolutions of which Mossrs ■ Woodroofe; Hfag, and 'Gird wood had given notice. All the memljerfl we,re present. The Chairman explained that the meeting hadbeen'cqnyenedat the request of four members qf tire Committee.' He had made qarefu] inquiries, and joarned from a high authority that the Education Board was fully aware of the qualifications of all the candidates, and Miss Jupp was unanimously selected on her credentials. He had also been advised that on the Board receiving the information that the Committee had approved of the appointment, Miss Jupp had been notified, and had now a legal status. Tlio Board and the Committee were in very different positions. The former was a corporate body, but the kttoi'waii not, and. as the latter was not, it could not therefore' be'helt} responsible. If Miss Jupp's position to'afford'; arid she took legal proceedings, her remedy would not be against the Committee, but against the individual members of it. He suggested that Mr Woodroofe might waive his motion and let them proceed U'ith Mr Hogg's resolution. . formal protest and said-he would not liold hiniself personally responsible for the result of the motion if it was carried. • :;: _ The Chairman and Mr Fayton made similar protests. Mr Gfirdwood said they could not bo punished as long as tljey kept witlp the law. '-"" ' ■' '""' ' '""

Mr Hogg ijaifj. l;o Ijelf} in his pocket one of the highest authoritiesin the colony on the subject, They were not going to be collared in that fashion, He would appeal to the people if the Government were against, him, Time would prove them right, and they would have a nurse longer than their own to support them, Mr Woodroofe considered the question a very grave one.. He' differed from the Chairman, because on public grounds it was their duty to take the position and show neither fear, favor, nor affection, Thp Chairman was justified in giving his casting vqte as he dj<J at tbe]ast meting, but he differed irom'hiin'jn his opinion; There was, HoweVer; a 1 grand' 1 principle invqlyed; He did not object to Miss and,if he only acted as a friend, h.e wquld "vote uj favor of it. foei} jj}fqni|ed that out of the seven applicants,, tlpe'qr fgur were, ge> tificated teapheja, ant} ijj'ps' because they were overlooked thaj he had tsken action in the matter, He had no personal feetingin the matter, but he thought that the appointment should not have been confirmed until they had got all the- applications before them. The Board had always worlced against them, and it was time they took their stand on British law and asserted' their rights. He moved the motion standing in his name, namely, "That the resolution confirming the appointment of Miss Jupp as infant mistress of the Masterton school, be rescinded." ';.. \. • Mr Girdwood seconded'the • resolution, and pointed out that he objected to their previous action on the ground of illegality. He thought that the report forwarded by

the Board had been inspired. He •regretted that Miss Eeese's name had boen brought'into the matter, and said that the statement which appeared in print was a falsehood, and discreditable. Ho should exercisohis righteven if he had to go into his pocket a little. Mr Payton said they had nothingto do with what the papers said. 'The papers could take care of themselves. They would only be laughed at by the Board if they took up the position suggested by the mover of the resolution. He regretted very much that the policy pursued by former Committees was being departed from. ■ He had worked on the Committee, .for six years, and, was pleased to see how they had progressed during that time, The- people did not elect them to fight the.Board. Mr Hogg had suggested that they should fight to abolish the Board, but he saw no use whatever in that.. He had always made the welfare of theschooihis first interest, and flattered himself that he had been thoroughly successful. Before they departed from their ordinary course they should have the sanction of the householders. He did not think that the appointment gave them grounds for a test case. They had given their approval of the appointment, and no amount of argument could set that aside. Mr Reese: Mr Chairman— The Chairman: Before you proceed to speak on this question, might I appeal to your sense of honorJ I understand one of the candidates is related to you, and it occurred to me that you might have a certain degree of delicacy. Mr Reese;. Oh dear no, none at all, I an not under .the slightest difficulty on that account. > : Mr Reese then proceeded to say one of the reasons why he badgered the Board was that they had not sent all the testimonials. He had scarcely known that his sister wasan applicant for the position, but now that he knew she was, lie was anxious to see her testimonials. On the other hand it was as clear as dayhVht that they had acted illegally in making the appointment, He took it as a mean insult to be told that they could not look after their own interests, Mr Hogg said he had no objection whatever to the lady appointed; he knew nothing about her and consequently nothing against her. He objected to certain remarks that had appeared in the Daily ; they were of a personal nature, and in very bad taste. The Chairman: The paper is not a member of the Committee, is it, Mr Hogg? Mr Hogg: lam aware of that, but the matter is already before the meeting, as it has been alluded to by previous speakers. The Chairman: Exactly, but it is not before the meeting. Mr Hogg then proceeded to say that ho was not influenced by personal considerations, or by any candidate. He invariably tried to keep clear of outside influences. The rumor had no doubt boon spread that they could only get the upper hand by buttonholing. (MrPayton; No!) He had never tried to influence the B.o'arc]. ' Mr Lowes said it appeared! to' ba the fashion just now to bandy 'charges. He was quite prepared to allow Mr Hogg's opinion to go forth, and through his paper to the country. But the charge he had made was unfounded nevertheless. There had been no buttonholing whatever on his part in connection with the appointment, Others may have Indulged in it fpr aught l}e jtnew. The appointment had. been made by a full Board without a dissentient, and he considered that tho Board had acted to the interest of the school in making it. If the Board were kept as close to the 45th section of the Act as had been suggested, they would .never liaye had their present competent staff, The .members of that Committee very suddenly took it into their heads to correct the Board. Their point looked to him very much like splitting straws, The appointment appeared to him to be perfectly legal. Mr Woodroofe.then briefly replied. The Chairman, in putting the motion, said_ he- was guided by no personal motive, but simply by the interest of the school, and he did not care one snap for or the Committee. All he desired was that the school should retain its present position, that of the best in the district, They would all find that the appointment was made on the merits of the candidates, and that it was made unanimously, As to the question of certificates, they only toooften found those with lower certificates better than the others,

The resolution was then carried:— Ayes; Messrs 'Woodroofe,' Girdwoqd, Hogg, and Reese. Soes;' The Chairman, and/Messrs Paytqn and Lpwes. , Tlje. Chairman, and Messrs. Paytqii and Lowes then again entered a formal protest against the resolution, and asked the Secretary to take a" vote of it,

Mr Hogg then moved his resolution with regard to the Education Board declining to forward the applications from candidates for teachership, and-said his object was to let the Board know that they did not approve of the manner in which the appointment was made. The Board was simply shutting out applicants by its action. The resolution was meant as a protest againt the action, of the Board.

Mr Woodroofe seconded the resolution. long been of opinion that the powers, of the Committee should be Enlarged, arid those of the Board limited; but after the Utterances which had been heard from the other end of the table, lie came to the conclusion that they were not altogether fitted to be entrusted with seriousresponsibilities. ■

Mr' Lowes was not altogether opposed to the motion, but after, a}} that had been said'that evening, it was beneath his dignity to take''notice of W ' H '' !,; " :i •

Mrße6se'supported the motion, and said it was necessary for fljem to" show a firm frqnt, Kyhad to act ivith'audacity, ?%??!$ thj ftqard wfjuld talce jio iiqtice '■'. "" """ % Girdwijod ajsp s,ajd that jt.was neqessary to make a protest agajnat the Board, They were not the scavengers of the Board,

Mr Hogg in reply? stated that they would have the support of the bulk of the Committee in Wellington and Otaoo in the matter. °

The Chairman said that thero was much that he agreed with and much that he objected to. He hoped that in the event of the resolution being carried tj}SJr grand school would not be wrecked, ' The resolution was then carried by four to.three, the voting being the same as on the previous resolution, Mr Girdwood then moved that a Committee be appointed to wait on the Board at its next meeting to urge that the side school, be opened as; early as PWftlft pi'sald, ho found' fhafc'thjj pld Committee were (Mr Lowes; No!).' ' • • ' Mr Payton. seconded the motion pro forma, He blamed the mover'of the resolution for the delay, He (Mr Payton) had loyally assisted to get the side school opened, but had always been met with delays from the other end of the table. If in place of the motion, at tho eleventh hour, MrGirdwood would adopt his suggestion, they would gain their object quicker than by any other way. The Chairman supported the resolution. Mr Hogg said he would be quite-con-tent if one member of the Committee were appointed to wait on the Board to see why the school had not been opened. He expected that it would have been opened

long agq. .and, to know the reason |hy. He had spoken to Mr Turnbull,'who had promised liim that he would do what he could, but that was only a he. hoped tjie Committee would not take heed of anyling said against them, but fearlessly 'doYits duty. Mr WoodrAjfekid the Board was more or less breaking, every promise that had been made", v' ;. ', '•,

Mr Reese then spoke, and proceeded to say that Mr Paytoh 'had stated that the three members \pf' the Committee were more powerful tl|n the four. The Chairman? You are out of order, Mr Reese. -..-•.

i Mr Reese disputed that, but iffthat was really the..ruling of the chair, why, ho would have to give in. The Chairman i That is my ruling. Mr Girdwood reiterated that there had been undue dela^,land instanced.as a proof children, who did riot goto school at present because it was too far to go to the other school. ~.,... .■:'.:. \: The resolution was then carried, the. Chairman and Mr Paytoh voting' against it because they objected to the last words. 'Messrs Lowes, Hogg, and' Girdwood, were appointed a • Committee to wait tm the' Board. The meeting then terminated. ' •