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Evening Star, Issue 11893, 22 May 1903, Page 4

iVs are glad to see that the Education Board have given directions C»"™bnni for a fresh School CommitSchool tee election at Caversham, Election. j n order to the

chief of the recent fiasco. The proceedings at the so-called election a few weeks ago were marked by very peculiar circumstances, of which we were immediately informed; but knowing that the Board were to be approached in regard to the matter, we felt that the rights and wrongs of tho complaint might safely be left in their hands. A word or two may now be in place, however, by way of warning, in view of the fesh election. There is reason to believe that the episode forms a chapter in the not invariably edifying history of the Bible-in-schools movement. A certain minister of religion and some of hia friends thought it would be a good idea to try to "capture" the Caversham School Committee (probably with a sinister notion of subsequent activity), and they seem to have rivalled tho Heathen Chinee in the matter of "ways that are dark and tricks that are vain." A dead set was made upon certain members of the old Committee, who had done excellent and self-deny-ing work for the educational interests of Caversham, and the principal engineer of the movement displayed signal energy and peculiar skill as an electioneering agent. It is hardly too much to say that he "ran" the election. The tactics were temporarily successful; one tried educationist was unseated at the bidding of the chief conspirator, while another only retained his seat by the narrowest of margins. But the best-laid schemes of mice and parsons sometimes go agley, and it soon turned out that the little plot had not been played with due regard to the law of the land. In short, a number of the revolutionary voters (including the reverend protagonist!) were unqualified—had no legal standing at the meeting—were, in fine, interlopers' Yesterday the Education Board declared the "election" void, and directed another meeting of "householders" to be summoned. We spare further comment, but the proceedings of that next meeting will be watched pretty closely.