OPAWA SCHOOL FAIR

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25310, 9 October 1947, Page 3

OPAWA SCHOOL FAIR

NATIONAL PARTY LETTER

DISCUSSION REFUSED BY COMMITTEES

The Canterbury School Committees’ Association was asked by the Canterbury division of the National Party last evening to discuss the principle involved in the Opawa School Committee arranging to share proceeds of a fair with the Opawa branch of the Labour Party. After a brisk but short discussion, it was agreed that the letter should lie on the table. Voting was fairly close. The National Party’s letter, signed by the division chairman (Mr E. B. E. Taylor) said: “As a political party, we desire to protest against the action of the Opawa School Committee in entering into such an arrangement. If such a practice is allowed to grow in the country, it could lead, we feel, to most unhappy results. School committees are not infrequently composed of a majority of members of one or another political party, and if they are going to be allowed to use school facilities and official school functions for raising political funds, considerable ill-feeling could result and the local interests of the children’s education could be seriously impaired. “We view the whole situation with considerable alarm and would be grateful if your association would give the matter its early consideration and advise us, if possible, what the future policy in this direction is likely to be.” A copy of the letter was being sent to the Canterbury Education Board for its information. [lt is the practice of the School Committees’ Association to have all inward and correspondence read at the beginning of the meeting and then to consider letters in turn.) When Mr F. R. Purdom (past president) moved that inward correspondence be received, Mr C. A. Rogers (Phillipstown) proposed an amendment that the National Party’s letter should lie on the table. The matter did not concern the association, and it was entirely for the local school committee to decide, he said. Mrs D. M. Sullivan (Belfast) seconded the amendment on this ground. “No Harm in Discussion” Mr J. D. Gray (Christchurch Bast, who is also Dominion president of the School Committees' Federation) said that, although the association was not directly involved, this was a question on which it could express an opinion for the guidance of other committees. There were many people who believed a principle was involved. Personally he saw no objection fb organisation* applying for use of school grounds; but he doubted whether committees should link themselves with any political party. There would be no harm in discussing the matter. Mr F. H. Dephoff (a life member) said that it would be discourteous not to receive the letter. He wished to

explain his own position publicly. For 16 years he had been associated with the Opawa School Committee, and during that time he did not recall it becoming involved in any political and religious controversy. He had not been associated in any way with the committee’s decision to join with the Labour Party in the fair. “I have been stopped in the’ street and called by telephone many times about this unfortunate position. I think it can undoubtedly be called an unfortunate affair,” said Mr Dephoff. Dr. R. O. Page (Opawa) here raised a point of order. At this stage the meeting was not discussing whether the attitude of the committee was right or wrong; but whether it was the business of the association to express an opinion on what might be considered a local matter, he said. Mr R. .Cooper (Spreydon) said he thought this purely a matter for the Opawa committee. The amendment was then put to the vote and carried by a fairly close majority on the vqjces. Four members of the Educettoß Board present did not comment