THE DIRECTOR OP PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14523, 27 November 1912, Page 8

THE DIRECTOR OP PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

Tho question whether, before appointing a Director of Physical Education, tho Government should havo advertised for applications is one for discussion, nnd fair criticism. Mr Allen, when questioned on tho subject by a representative of an Opposition newspaper, stated frankly that he thought carefully over tho question of advertising not only bore but in England and America, but be camo to the conclusion that it -was better to tako a man on tho spot, who had tlie qualifications, than run tho risik of making an appointment j through advertisements. Ho added that the gentleman selected (Mr Royd Garlick, of Wellington) waa strongly recommended by BOino of the medical profession. He had mado a special study of physiology, anatomy, and hygiene, and he (Mr Allen) was satisfied ho ' would do good work. Wo think this straightforward explanation ought to have satisfied any reasonable person. It is obvious that any Government must be trusted to make many appointments without inviting applications by advertisements. No ono would sug- ' gost that the Government should ad- : vertigo for a Judge, or a Director of * Military Defence, or even a Stipendiary ' Magistrate, and these arc appointments i in their way cortainly as important as ' that of Director of Physical Education. 1 If Mr Allen had advertised in England < and America, as ho originally thought < of doing, thore would havo been con- < siderablo delay in starting the system, i and in all probability the country would t have got the services of a less suitable i man. Wo do not believe for ono £ momont that Mr Royd Garlick would i have applied for tho position had it been advbrtisod. It was only with somo difficulty that ho was induced to tako it when it was offered to him, * becauso taking it at tho salary which l tho Government was able to offer meant * a considerable sacrifice on his part. / Theso facta havo been publicly stated, z and ought, therefore, to be known to * Mr Allen's critics. Tho public, wo be- I lieve, will agree that Mr Allen did tho J right thing, when he found a man at * hand whom ho believed to be specially ' fitted for the post, in appointing him. * Wo should be glad to leave tho mat- * tor here, but, unfortunately, some of c tho criticism of Mr Allen has not been * fair criticism. It has been mean, underhand insinuation of a, particularly * contemptible kind. A Government paper fl afraid to mako tho statement openly, a insinuates that Mr Allen has appointed 8 to tho position a personal friend of his c own and of other members of the Government. "For all wo know," it says, "Mb: Royd Garlick may be, as we " said before, admirably qualified for . " the position. It may be a mere coin- " cidence that ho is on terms of social " intimacy with several members of " the Cabinet." In another place st t ] speaks of Mr Royd Garlick "enjoying p "the personal friendship of the Minister t_ " for Education." Nor is this all. Mr B Allen, in his interview, mentioned that '_ American universities never advertise w appointments. "They know where good tt "men are," ho'said,, "and get them." | p

This is mado use of by tho journal r_ferre j to, for the purpose of dragging in some choice insinuations about "Amori"can jobbery, corruption and graft." WHI it be believed that tho statement on which theso disgraceful implications are based is pure invention—that 3lr Koyd Garlick was personally unknown to Mr Allen until the question of tho appointment came up f cr consideration, and that he is not on terms of intimacy, or even acquaintanceship, with any members of the Cabinet? Yet theso are facts which our contemporary could easily havo ascertained had tt chosen to do so. "We can hardly believe it has I deliberately invented its fiction in order to libel ono of tho "straightest" of New Zealand public men. If, however, it has simply been gulled and mado a cat_paw of by somo »jealous and disappointed aspirant for the appointment, its position is hardly more creditable or dignified. It is a sorry sequel to all the cant wo have heard in tho same quarter about "unfair criticism" and "imputing motives to public men."