The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1885. ANOTHER DODGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2084, 2 September 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1885. ANOTHER DODGE.

The proceeding of the nesting of the Masterton School Committer yesterday were iiiurked by the adoption of two resolutions which call only bring ridi--■iilt* upon tl.at luidv. When ■ the tppliention fur the post of assistant master was'underdiscussion, Mr Hogg claimed that the Board had conceded •o the Committees thn light of making appointments, and held to this view iiutil tin) secretary was called upon to explain how tlm mutter stood. It whs then found that all the Board had done was to agree to forward all applications and testimonials, Mr lii'GG next took up the position that it the Board had not done it, it ought, to, ami moied (list the applicant lie i|ip(iinied .stilject to the approval of ilie Boanl, As the Board had already made the appointment, subject to the qjiproval of the Uuinmittee, matters t reat'iied to Income ra her mixed, hul that did not prevent Messrs Reese, WoodrooFß and Gihdwood from following their bell welher. It is not at all likely that the limit] will rescind its |irevions resolution in order to allow ill)-. Committee to have its Own way. All the i-o 'imittees in the district have hitherto been content with approving or rejecting appointments, and the Board will not now tako a back "eat in the mat'er because one of them asks it to do so. There was no necessity for fighting the Board to settle any difference of opinion that might exist on the Rubjert, beoause all that will now bB dona could have been done bv correspondence, without strutting and posing like a bantam. If any prolonged difficulty were to arise, the only sufferer would, of course, be the school. For this the Committee, and not the Board, Would lie responsible. Of far greater account, howover, was the petition to divide the school district, which had lieen sont to the Com mitiee for approval or otherwise. The manner in which the signatures to it were obhined has a very distinct flavor of the Heathen Chinee about it The precious document was carried around by stealth, Mr Hogg assisted in drafting it, !>nt although the matter was one in which all parents in the district are interested, he did not deem it advisable to allow it to reach ill* public ihrouiih the press. MrUirdwood avoided all risk of the Cummitte, being formally acquainted with it by ignoring the committee-men. who would naturally take an interest in the movement, ft) far as tho Chairman is concerned, lie made an explanation that he did not s u e him on tin* subject localise he leul an old grudge to work ■ iff. Me did not, however, a ate, why ihiee oilier members of the Committee were rllow iI to remain ir. darkness. The only inference is, of course, that ilie case is a very weak one, and that daylight was undesirable until it had been advanced a certain stage, And weak it undoubtedly is. There is not a single argument that was advanced in its favor that eo.uld hold water, while tnere are many very strong ones against it. The most noteworthy among the former were, first, that tli.' children from the noi l hern end ot tho town have too far to in to the present, school ) second, tlr.it the Cutmmtten would quarrel over the two schools; third, that if there was a second school, there should be a seend committee; and fonrih. that the existence of two districts would create a healthy competition. The first of these is, perhaps, ilio weakest of the lot, because the distance from the northern end of the town prop'T to the school is insigni-fi.-ant to that which children in country districts have to travel over. Even in Wellington many have to go more than twice the distance. Probably the promoters of the petition know best as to whether the existence of two schools would cause the committee to quarrel. They, and they only, have caused quarielling since they have been on the Committee, and they would probably continue it on any other Committee. Jt is almost too absurd for belief that they should have seriously run away with the idea that if ilie division were made ihe.j would lie allowed to take charge of the new school, and the older menbers of the old one. Yet, that is exactly what their arguments amount to. The Mount Cook Committee in Wellington has, we believe, four schools t) look ■fter, and we are not aware that its members ever quarrel over thetn. Thb we think, also completely answers the assertion that there should be a second committee where there is a second school. The idea of creating a healthy competition between two schools by having lliein niiinagiVl tiy two Committees is the mo 4 illogical of all. As the Chairman point oil out. the Masterton school is in constant competition with the other schools in tho district. The returns are prepared at reaular intrrwils. and makers, parents' and pupils •ire t|m enabled to judge of the relate positions of themious institutions, It in onlv l.y mean* of tlm comparison ihat. is all'irded that wh are enable! to I'm m tin idea of the hiidi position which ilie Masterton s linol occupies, Further 'ban this, the two schools in tho town would watoli each other as c'osely, ■tnd have just as much healthy rivalry, whether they were in the one dis'rict or no', Tt has tieen said that if llie 'listiict were divided, parents at the northern end could still send their I'ijdreti to the old school. This, we. might point o-.i', would be contrary to the spirit of the existing law. mid the Committee could refuse to admit children that come from ititside tiie dis'rict, Perhaps, as was said at tl e meeting, that would be an onlikdy thing to happen But likelibond is not a thing that should be contemplated The Committee must consider all tho contineanoi"R that, may arise. On the other hand, if there are two schools in the one district, parents can choose the one they consider the best. Ihe statement-made by Mr L»wfß simply demolishes all the childish arguments that were set tip. The Board has ptoniised a second school for Masterton, und we believe

that its erection would not lie advanced by one single <lny by the division, of the district. W« do not thiiik that tlwj'H.is.the slightest prospect of the propositi being carried out by the Board, «r, any rate, not until the second sohubl lias grown out of its infancy,