TEACHER AND PARENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 4

TEACHER AND PARENT.

ALLEGED THREATENING BEHAVIOUR. (or TELEGRAPII. —SPECIAL COIUIESrONDENT.) iNapler, August 10. At the Magistrate's Court this morning, W. G. Martiii, headmaster of the Port Aliuriri School, brought an action for alleged .threatening, and insulting behaviour against Joseph O'Connel!, and asked that tho defendant bo bound over to keep tho peace. The complainant stated that O'Coilnell had caused repeated troublo with: his children. His soil had broughta note, one. afternoon asking leave to bo excused from drill, and •this had been refused. Tho boy wont away without leave, and was punished for it next day. The boy then left tho school at 11 o'clock, and O'Connell enmo to his house and asked why his boy had been punished. Ho said: "Come out into the street and I'll smash you." Complainant said: "How dara you come iuto my premises and threaten mo like this." Mrs. Martin then came up, and O'Connell said: "Your wife did not hear me," and further said, "You hound, if you thrash my boy I'll thrash you." O'Connell then went out on the street and said he would withdraw his children. .Witness said he had better do so,' as tho children were injurious to tho discipline of the school. Witness considered he was in danger from an cxcitable man like O'Connell. The defendant denied the allegation of; threatening behaviour, and said ho had always treated Martin as a gentleman. His Worship (Mr. W. G. Riddell) said tho trouble "could have been avoided by the defendant stating in his note what" the boy was wanted for. Mr. Martin had acted quite properly in the matter. It was tho duty' of a parent, if not prepared to allow a master to exercise proper discipline, to take his. child away to another school, or to. teach his child himself. O'Connell's conduct had been improper, but tho information had been laid in such a way that tho Court c6uld not impose tho penalty on tho defendant which he certainly deserved. Tho information simply asked that tho defendant should be bound" over to keep the peace, but as his children had been removed to a different school the chance of his conduct being repeated was a very small one. Had the children not been removed, then it would have been a proper case for the Court to order, the defendant to enter into securities to keep -tho peaco. iMr. Dolan, who appeared for the complainant, said Mr. Martin's' sole desire was to prevent an insult to his profession. r His Worship said the information as it was laid must bo dismissed, hut 110 costs would bo allowed.