SCHOOL MATTERS AT NELSON CREEK.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 4844, 3 April 1884, Page 4

SCHOOL MATTERS AT NELSON CREEK.

■ ■+ : [to the editor.] Sir— On the 12th page of the Weekm Argus, and under the heading "Nelsor Creek School Committee, from a correspondent," there appears a long rigmarole about the chairman and teacher oE Hatter's school. It is a pity that your correspondent cannot : find . something else tc write about, if write he must, or that lw would not try fco confiiie himself to some- •: thing near the truth.- .•: ;■ Sir, this . correspondence would hav< „. . , been treated by me= as , all from the- sam< ■' ' ' source has been had you.npt^akeh up th< matter. ' ■ - • " ■ '■ ' ' "•• Shortly, then, in reference to your cor 7 ; respondent— lst. There was no meeting o the committee on St. Patrick's^ay. 2nd The chairman did not' move any motioi concerning the outward 5 correspondence 3rd. If four members of the committe* were ignorant -of - any action"being takei ■'J- ' for the removal of the teacheij why shoulc one of the four give notice of motion t( have the action; rescinded ? If the whol< " ; ; thing was dorie^by/the chairman withoul = ■ the' authority of the committee it is nul and void,- ; and 'therefore requires no re sciridingi 1 'Further comment is useless. ,-'■•''•' A3. tosyour own remarks on the matter, .^iyqu-say' " the public or that portion of i\ who take any interest in the matter, are •' ; ' left : iri i a' hopeless state of confusion." The people here are in no confusior. 'whatever over the matter. All who takf :;.-• an interest krow that, according to Mi Smith's report, the Hatter's , School completely broke down at the examination oi -': and that the examination of 188 c f . showed worse results, as the same pupils failed again to pass the standard. in .whict ' ' they failed before, and all know that ii is the teacher who receives the pay, and '■most think that he should be responsible for the bad work done. Some few you included, say the chairman is to blame ; all agree that, a change is wanted, as the children are being robbed of that grand education provided by the State, and ji willing public are defrauded in their expectations and grumble at seeing theii money thrown away, and the youth brought up in ignorance. Who is tc olame? Again, you say, " the chairman never by any chance figures as a peace- • maker." The chairman does not want peace until he sees the school moving onward j and he is fully convinced that thai will never take place under John Henry Ralton, Esq., the present master ; and when he is removed there will be peace il his successor should be a gentleman and ■ able to advance his school. You further say that the Chairman or James Mill Morris does not appear tc enjoy the confidence of his fellow electors. Strong saying indeed in connection with schoolmatters. _ , _ The facts are these: — J. M. Morris has "been a member of the Committee ever since the Act came into force. In 1881 \ , he was elected clerk . and treasurer ; in 1882 he was again placed in the same ' ; position by the vote of the Committee. ;7 In 1883 the office of chairman was added "'' to the other offices, and he still holds all " ' J in 1884. Now he had to face ' ' his fellow .electors" annually like other candidates. "'■' Someone must have had confidence, and it should be known to you that the clerk fnot the chairman) keeps the minutes of the proceedings, and that all correspondence must accord with the minutes. If a committee is dissatisfied with the character of the correspondence they can easily remove the cause (the ~ clerk) of such dissatisfaction. That they have allowed J. M. Morris to hold . -the place so long when a simple vote would turn him and all his faults out of office shows that there is confidence in him yet, the opinion of you and your Nelson Creek correspondent notwithstanding. Sir, the cause of the said failure of o.ur school does not rest on the shoulders of the committee nor with its clerk or chairman, but with the teacher ; and you will ask, Why not turn him out? The commitee have the full power to do so by susponding him and calling on the authorities to fill the vacancy ? Why not do so if your school is a failure. The answer is simple — Members of the committee (not the Chairman) are not willing to deprive a poor old man of his bread. Sir, I will send you a copy of the minutes having reference to the Chairman's rletter to Wellington, and the telegram mentioned by you after the next regular meeting of the committee, the 7th April. j ItiWould be a kind of breach of trust on ' my part to send those at present. : ■ i I am, &c, ;;. J. M. Morris. Nelson Creek, March 29th, 1884.