THE STAGPOOLE CASE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIV, Issue 25, 19 April 1912, Page 5

THE STAGPOOLE CASE.

VINDICATION OF MR PARKIN - ■• SON; INSTITUTES INDIGNANT PROTEST. [Press Association.} WELLINGTON, April 18. On March 25th the Wanganui Education Board passed the following resolution: "That the attention of the New Zealand Education Teachers' Institute be drawn to the action of the secretary (Mr H. A. Parkinson, who, when inquiring in Waiigaaiui, Feilding, and... Palmerston North as to the strength of tho board's case against Mr Stagpoole, informed Messrs Braik (Chief Inspector), Strong, Milne, Stewart (Inspectors), and Messrs Pirani and | Bennett (members of the Education), that the information given would be treated as confidential. This pledge was broken and the statements made to Mr Parkinson were repeated by him in court. Furthermore, the chairman of the board offered and sent correspondence under the seal of confidence and these letters were copied by Mr Parkinson and produced in court. That this board expresses its surprise and indignation that a high officer of the Institute should descend to such dishonorable tactics and looks to the Institute to mark its disapproval of the conduct of the secretary, and to take such action as should effectively prevent a repetition of such conduct." The following resolution in reply to the foregoing has been passed by the Executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute: "The letter of the Wanganui Education Board of the 28th March making complaint of the conduct of the secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute-, has been considered by the Executive of the Institute. The board's resolution takes the whole matter of the alleged misconduct of the secretary for granted, and the Institute indignantly protests against the publication of a resolution couched in such injurious terms as those emnloye'd, without any opportunity for explanation having been given. The Executive have absolute confidence in the honor and integrity of its secretary, who could have given a perfectly satisfactory explanation of his actions had such been asked for, but the extraordinary action of the board has now rendered tin's impossible. The statement in the second paragraph of the board's resolution is incorrect. The.letters referred to wore sent by tho chairman of the board on his own initiative and had not been mentioned in tho (interview at Feilding. There was ino obligation of confidence in regard to these letters as far as the Executive was concerned. Tho chairman sent them as some of the documents in the case and the Executive regarded and treated them as such.. The Executive desires to remind the board that its own regulations provide a proper channel for correspondence, and the present position could not have arisen had the chairman respected those regulations. His publicly avowed contempt for the general rule of official correspondence is the occasion of much distress and uneasiness to a large body of teachers. Another very serious matter was disclosed in the recent proceedings in that it was shown .that the inspectors' official reports are valueless as a guide to a. teacher's real standing. Tho Institute based its appeal on the official documents that they wore of no account. Thus it has come about that a teacher within a few months of receiving tho best report that either he or his school has ever obtained, finds himself confronted with dismissal and professional ruin and all inqury into tho causes of it is denied him. The Executive therefore urges in the interests of education in general, and of teachers in particular, that the board will give these matters of irregular correspondence and extra official attention they deserve. As tho board tendered its resolution for publication the Executive in its own defence feels called upon to hand this reply to the press." ACTION ARISING OUT OF ENQUIRY. MR. FRED PIRANI DEMANDS AxN APOLOGY. FROM THEWANGANUI CHRONICLE. PALMERSTON N., This Day. Mr. Fred. Pirani has instructed his solicitor to demand from the Wanganui Chronicle a full apology and the name of the writer of an article published in this morning's Chronicle headed "Wanganui Education Board, Its Administration," in which strong accusation is made against him. In the event.of the request not being complied with, a writ for £IOOO damages will be issued against the Chronicle.