THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2017, 16 June 1885, Page 2

THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

(To the Editor.) _ Sir.—Being one of the petitioners who signed the memorial to the Education Board praying that aside school might be opened in the Northern end of the town, and subsequently a supporter of tho Hogg- cum • Reese- cum - Gird wood - cumWoodroofe party, I have naturally taken a lively interest in what has been going on, first between the two factions of the Committee (namely the new members on the one side, and the old members on the other), and secondly, the attitude of the local Committee towards tlie central Board. As the school question is now becoming a very prominent one, and as niany householders who have not watched the development o£ the present embroglio are beginning to ask what it all means, I think an impartial statement iof the case as. it now stands will not be uninteresting to your readers. It will be remembered that the old Committee treated our petition for a side school somewhat cavalierly. They did not treat the question on its merits, but descended to personalities, and consequently we turned the majority of them out at the' last election, and substituted gentlemen pledged to cany out our wishes. Upon the central Board becoming aware' of this action on the part of the Masterton householders, it, like, an honest depositary of the public will, immediately granted tiie side school, and the public felt satisfied; but the gentleman who' cqntrols.the majority of the votes on the local Committee (and his aotion has greviously .disappointed me), was not satisfied with this manifestation of the Board's desire to work harmoniously with our Committee. He therefore did not, as he was in duty bound to do, assist by every means in his power to bring the side school to a successful issue, but on the contrary, he has thrown eyeryimpediment in the way, and he has not alone done this, but lie has done it in such a churlish manner as would provoke the patience of a Job, far less the members, of the central Board, who are but human,' and the most remarkable part of this side school question is that the only 'effort in the way of hastening its opening was made by a member of the old Committee—Mr Payton—who .suggested that a sub-committee be appointed to deal with the questions in connection with the side school as they cropped up. It must be obvious that this would have been thelegitimate way to further the object in view, because our local Committee only meets once a month, and as the central Board also meets but once a month, there is always a possibility of two months elapsing before the merest detail could be •arranged, No doubt; had Mr Payton's motionbeeriproposedsooner, and adopted, the centraf/Board would have appointed a sub-committee from its members; also; and our side school, would Have* been opened months ago.. It was the duty of those members of'the School committee

iwho professed to favour the opening of tho side school, to have.-carried a motion similar to that tabled .by Mr Paytoh, immediately thoy were appointed'on the committee, and their haying opposed Mr Payton's motion lays them bpen.-and most deservedly so—to the severest reprobation. The position taken by them ißaremarltableohe,andpracticallyamounts to tliis, that although it was unnecessary for them to appoint a sub-committee from amongst, themselves - .to'' expedite, the opening of the side school, yet they contend that it is the duty of tho central Board to meet from day to day until the side school is opened, with a view of carrying out any instructions which 6ur local committee may in its wisdom dictate. As my narrative owing to its length has already, I have no doubt, exhausted your printers' patience, I will close this letter, and to-morrow I will explain the present burning question, .namely, the appointment of the teacher to'the infants atv the. public school, i would, however,- ask your readers to mark carefully,'the extraordinary antagonism of the gentle-; man who leads the majority on our local School Committee to' the central Board, because I will to-morrow, explain his real motives for doing so, and how Mr Reese, the gentleman of ■ "principle," is being used as a catspaw to pull the,-nuts out of the fire, which his chief gloatingly, contemplates, eating. ~. .:: •' i'■ lam, &c.,. , Parent, l