POETICAL JUSTICE.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 26 August 1904, Page 4

POETICAL JUSTICE.

We tender our hearty congratulations to the new Chairman of the Wellington Education Board upon his election. The appointment of Mr.' Robert Lee to this important position is, indeed, an act of poetical justice, which wo welcome on more' grounds than one. Tho last years of his sorvico in tho Board's employ wero haiassed and embittered by treatment of which we have no desiro to recall the particulars, nnd his election to the Board at 'tho first opportunity after the employment had terminated was a vindication by its constituents of tho position he had ttiken up. In appointing him without dissent to tho highest offlco in their gift, the members of tho Board may now bo said to have confirmed that verdict in a very signal fashion ; and wo' congratulate tho Board and tho country no less than Mr. Leo himself upon the result. As teacher, inspector, and member of tho Education Board, ho has devoted tho best years of an active life aud a very vigorous personality to the cause of education ; and wo believe that as Chairman of tho Board he can considerably incronso the debt which the country owe* him. Tho resolution which lie brought before tho Board yesterday is an earnest that he will bring 'his old energy to bear upon his new duties in a quito unconventional spirit. Mr. Lee's proposal is that tho Board should appeal to "tho School Committees to furbhor assist the causo of education by raising funds locally," which the Board would supplement by subsidies to the extent of its power. Undoubtedly the financing of such deserving objects as schools, liospitals, and charities out of tho public funds has its ovll side in starving the private bcnovolonoo to which such causes would otherwise make successful appeal j and wo aro glad to see that the Victoria Collogo Council is taking active steps to remedy this defect in tho case of its own institution. In our opinion Mr. Lee's proposal deserved a far more sympathetic treatment from his colleagues than they thought fit to accord to it, but we shall have to reserve moro detailed treatment uf the subject fot some future occasion.