CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2088, 7 September 1885, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION.

[To the Editor] Sir.—Our friend the school enemy waxed wrothover a letter which appeared in our Friday's issue, and tried, to . deny using expressions therein attributed to him and Mr Rfeese. 1 am.fully persuaded that the expressions were used as stated, because since then Mr Girdwood has delivered himself in the same strain. Mr Girdwood "does not see the use of the High School; he considers it is an expensive toy kept up for the benefit of four or five children, and therefore it might be abolished," I hope householders will remember these utterances when election time comes round again, But perhaps the most amusing part of our friend's writing are his strictures on his opponents " tactics." Of course his own tactics are above suspicion, he does nothing but lyliat is fair and above board. Let us see what his tactics are. First Mr Girdwood goes stumping round withapetition, to which, by misrepresenting its purport, he secretly obtains thirty signatures, one half of them being those of people who have no children at the school, nor any interest in it. Having obtained this, ft is sent in by Hogg & Co., still secretly, to the Education Board, and it is represented to be a nearly unanimous expression of the wishes of the people of the North end of Masterton, although every care was taken not to let the people of the North end or any other end know anytlpg about it. Now, how are we to characterise these tactics? Why! having been used by Mesrs Hogg, Reese, Girdwood, and Woodroofe they are all that is noble, straightforward, honest, and right; but had anybody else used them, there is only one word proper to describo them, and that word is smMsh, in fact there is nobody but Messrs Hogg, Reese, Girdwood and Woodroofe, or a sneak who would use them, In Saturday's issue of the "Star" we are told that their precious petition lies at the Star office for signature, This statement, though very candid is not full enough ; the petition lies not only at the Star office, but also while it is being hawked about; it lies at all times and in all places, and by that means it has obtained the nine signatures now on it, and its only liopo of obtaining more is to continue lying. The people of Masterton are not fools;. they can plainly see that these four men have resolved, if they can, to wreck the school and rob our children of its advantages, but there are too many who value education to allow even such a powerful combination as these four to do this, and the sooner they themselves become alive to the fact that the game is up, the better for them,

I am, &c., Pabekt.NO, 2,