NELSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 280, 15 August 1918, Page 8

NELSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

AN UNSUCCESSFUL PJROTEST

At the annual meeting of the Nelson School of Music an emphatic protest was entered against the action of trustees in retaining Mr. Lemmer (a naturalised German) as principal of tho School of Music. There was a largo attendance. Pout candidates were nominated who were pledged to remove Mr. T,omincr—against four retiring trustee* who were desirous of retaining turn. The chairman of Hie meeting, Mr. J. IT. Cock (a retired trustee) said that tho present was the first time on which an election of trustees had been contested, and it would be idle to blinlc the fact, that the new candidates had come out for the specific purpose of removing the school principal. Mr. Lemmer was a naturalised subject. He had been at the head of the school for eighteen rears, and had alwavs given the best of satisfaction. The resulla of Ihe school would show that. He (the speaker) thought that Hie meeting was not the plnco to discuss the cniestion of naturalisation. ~ ,_ Mr. G. F. Gibbs (a trustee) said Mr. Lemmer was born in Altona in 1871, and left that place when eighteen years old, and after travelling tho world he settled in Australia, where he married. He was called for military service in Germany, but refused to go. He told (he trustees that if his being a German by birth was detrimental to the school lie would resign. Mr. Gibbs said no movement had been mado since the war (o oust Mr. Lemmer in previous years, and it seemed dastardly to bring up the matter now. when the principal was suffering a bereavement by the loss of his son at' the front. The trustees were acting as true Britishers by keeping Mr. Lemmer in his position. Mr.' W. C. Hnrley (one of the anti-Ger-nian candidates) said that whilst his partv fully appreciated thei good work done bv tho present trustees thev did not agr'eo with Hie principle of retaining a man of enemy birth and descent in a position of public importance in Nelson. Mr. Lenimer was called "Herr" before Hie war. Why should he be called "Mr." now ? It was the plain duty of every man and woman, and it should b» a national policy, to keep out subjects of onemv nations. Mr. H. G. Borrymnn said his desire was to uphold tbe'British Empire. He challenged Mr. Gibbs to prove that one | word he had ever uttered on the subject undor discussion was untrue, and offered In place a cbeque of .£SO on the table if Mr. Gibbs could prove him a linr. Mr. 11. Gilbert (anti-German candidate) contended that the trustees had not studied the best interests of the scliool by keeping on a principal of German descent. Men were asked to make sacrifices, and to go out and kill Germans. Yet enemy aliens were neither asked to fight nor work. There was no middle course. A man must be either for or against us. Mr. G. Bush (anti-German candidate) said that his party were there for a purpose, and that was to put an Englishman, or at least an Ally, at the head of th« W«on School of Music. Mr. C. It. Fell (one of the sitting trustees) said they were fully justified in leaving.a loyal man like Mr. Lemmer in the School of Music. . The election was then proceeded with} with the result (hat the retirinj trustees were re-elected.