REV. DAVID BRUCE ON AUCKLAND INSTITUTIONS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3340, 31 March 1868, Page 3

REV. DAVID BRUCE ON AUCKLAND INSTITUTIONS.

To the Editor of tht daily Soutmwn Cross. Sib,— l have to request that you will he so good as to publish the annexed correspondence. Having Published the document to which it refers, you will, have no doubt, consider it equitable that both aides should be heard. — I am, &c, R. Kidd. 0) "Collegiate School, Karangahape Road, " March 19, 1868. " Dear Sir,— ln the Daily Sottthebn Cross to-day there is. published an account of the annual meeting of the congregation of St. Andrew's Church, held in that church yesterday. You are stated to have been the chairman of that meeting, aud to have read to the congregation the ' Report of St. Andrew's Deacons'' Court for 1867.' That report is printed as at full length, and is given as signed by you. The eighth paragraph of the report is aa follows :—: — " ' The High School, though not identified with the congregation or the church, continues to occupy the St. Andrew's School buildings in Symonda-street, and retains its position as the most efficient institution in the community.' " I submit that, under these circumstances, I am entitled to ask that you will favour me with what you consider to be proof of the statement that 'the High School retains its position as the most efficient I institution in the, community. ' I feel sure that you, the minister of St. Andrew's Church, would not read to your congregation in the church, and allow the further publication of, a document, signed with your name, and containing such a statement as that quoted above, without your being in possession of' such data as appear to you to warrant the statement. I beg, therefore, to request from you the communication of those data. — I remain, &c, " Robert Kidd. "Rev. David ßruae." (2) " St. Andrew's Matse, March 20, 1868. " Dear Sir,— l beg leave to acknowledge your letter of the 19th instant.— l am, &c, "D. Bruce. "The Rev. Dr. Kidd." ' (3) " Collegiate School, March 24, 1868. "Dear Sir,— -I beg to express my acknowledgments for your prompt courtesy in notifying to me your receipt of my letter of the 19th instant, and at the same time to suggest to you that it is very undesirable that there should be a protracted delay in

your replying to the query which I conveyed to you, namely, as to the data which appeared to you to authorise the statement contained in the report of your Deacons' Court, to the effect that the 'High, School ' is . ''the moit efficient institution in the community.' I ihall feel greatly obliged if you will be good enough, to let me hare your reply as soon as possible without undue inconvenience to you. — I remain, &0., " R. Kn>D. f'Rer. D*rid Bruoe." (4) " St. Andrew's Manse, March 24, 1868. "Dear Sir, — 1 beg leave to acknowledge your note of the 24th instant, and have only to add that I remain, youra truly, ' " D. Bbuob. "Rev. Dr. Kidd." < ■ (5) 1 " Collegiate School, March 28, 1868. " Dear Sir, — t received,' two days ago, your note dated the 24th instant. , " It is much to be regretted that you should occupy ' such a position', as that in which you have placed yourself— a position not to be rendered lets humiliating by a weak affectation of hauteur. You, the minister of St. Andrew's, Church, have rsad to your congregation in the church, and have allowed the further publication of, a document signed with your name, and containing an uncalled-for statement concerning your neighbours, without your being prepared to adduce data in proof of the statement being correct. It appears further that you are equally ! Unprepared to adopt the manly and more gentlemanly alternative of making a frank apology. "The statement to which I have called your attention has thus been branded with the stigma of being 'nob proven.' I shall now briefly indicate some considerations that evince the futility of snch an allegation. '* The paragraph of the report, which I have previously quoted, is so curious as to merit repetition, ft is as follows :— " ' The High School, though not identified with the congregation or the church, continues to occupy the St. Andrew's School buildings ur Symonds-street, and retains its position as the most efficient institu* tion in the community.' " This queerly worded paragraph can scarcely be taken as exhibiting any special efficiency of accurate or lucid composition. Strictly interpreted, it would imply that to be • identified with' St. Andrew's congregation or church is the normal source of an institution's transcendent efficiency; and really such does appear to be your opinion. The paragraph ends with broadly awarding a superiority over all other institutions in the community — not excepting," for example, the Supreme Court or the Loyal and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The intended meaning, however, is probably no more than this, that the school held in the precincts of St. Andrew's Church is the most' efficient male school in Auckland. "Had you been content with claiming for your school a place among the most efficient schools of Auckland, no one would have been disposed to complain. For my own part, I have, to this day, employed no other language than that of respect, when speaking of the gentleman who is the principal manager of the High School. You, however, have dragged in the making of invidious comparisons. ''What is the real test of a school's 'high' eminence ? The decision is notto be derived from the ' high jinks' of a Deacons' Court, nor yet from the lordly dictum of an ecclesiastical autocrat, bold to obtrude judgment, but coy as to grappling with evidence. The most decisive test would be that of results ascertained by a competent and impartial tribunal. In the absence, however, of formal adjudication, there are some guarantees of efficiency of such a kind as to be patent' to the public. Such questions as the following will naturally suggest themselves : — What are the collegiate distinctions gained by the conductors of a given school, or what other public evidences are there of ' high' reputation in literature or science ? What is the number of teachers in the school, and what the number of pupils ? vVhat is the system of discipline ? Is the school supported by sectional or denominational partisanship ? "I shall of course consider myself at liberty to give publicity to this correspondence. — I remain, &c, "Robert Kidd. " Rev. David Bruce."