THE EDUCATION ACT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1914, 24 September 1874, Page 2

THE EDUCATION ACT.

[to the editor.] Sir, — I beg to draw your attention, and that of the public, to the manifest injustice about to be done to the various; centres of population in the Paroa District under the present Education Ordinance. It is notified by the Returning Officer, that six duly qualified persons are to be elected a School Committee for the said district under the provisions; of the said Ordinance, such election to take place at Marsden only. Now it; must be allowed that Marsden is in some sense centrally-situated — that is in the sense that any place on the earth's surface may be so considered with regard to all others theoretically. But that does not mend the matter much when we consider that it is distant from Maori Gully 12 or 14 miles, and more or less so from all the other centres in the district — a fact which will virtually disfranchise Maori Gully, if not other places in twis matter. For notwithstanding the great interest taken, I fear there will be few, if any, found of sufficient public spirit, to undertake the travel and expense necessary to record their votes. Again, there are no schools at Marsden, Maori Creek, or Paroa ; while at Maori Gully, and I believe at the Greenstone, there is a school maintained and supported almost Eolely by voluntary contributions these last few Fyears, and at present in charge of an efficient teacher. There is very great interest taken, and would it be too much to ask from the powers that be to have Maori Gully proclaimed a polling place, and give the district an opportunity of being represented on the committee. It is generally believed . that the present arrangement is an oversight j>n the part of the Deputy Superintendent in not having this election conducted in the same fmanner as for the members of the Paroa Road Board, which it is hoped there may be yet time to amend. Another curious feature is, the nature of the qualification for both caudidatas and voters, being on the rate roll of the Paroa Road Board. Now, with all due respect to that useful or otherwise (for opinions differ on this point) body politic, there are very few who have any, ambition to be on that illustrious roll, or, having such, they have not had the chance. This district wa3 lately visited by two gentlemen with official papers assessors and rate-roll makers, Jon behalf of the Paroa Road Board, and after travelling the district, and admiring the architectural beauty of its rural mansions, selected about half-a-dozen, whose owners were deemed worthy of being rated and rolled, and are so accordingly. Now, it is understood, that only the townspeople,: and tihose favored few, are eligable either; as candidates or voters under the Educa-; tion Ordinance, in which there is such a healthy and commendable interest taken.; No doubt the law is wise and sublime in its.conqeptibn, but the manner in which! it ! i3"administere'd sometimes 'deserves less! complimentary'lepithets'. •' However, it is to be hoped that the fact of this district; having so long maintained a school on its own account, ' andj the number of its; children of a school— age about 25 — are taken into account, it will be afforted an opportunity of being represented under! the new order of things. In conclusion. Sir, I must offer the importance of the subject as an excuse for trespassing so much on your valuable space with the hope that the matter will demand some better attention in the proper quarter. ! I am, &c, Education. Maori Gully, Sept. 22.