MR COLENSO AND HIS APOLOGISTS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5045, 5 April 1878, Page 2

MR COLENSO AND HIS APOLOGISTS.

Sir, — It is astonishing how absurd people can be when blinded by their own selfish interests. None are so blind as thoa* who do not wish to see. Of this we have a remarkable illustration in the letters of <• P. F. " and "L. K. " Verily the latter would have us believe that he^was a Daniel come to judgment. Like many other Daniels, however, he wouJd make it appear that all the justice ai*i wisdom ' were on one side. It is no part of my business to become special pleader for the Education Board, and, possibly enough, my thwiks ttquW Jjq

very acant were Ito do so. Bnt in common with many others, I nmst repudiate the views and claims advanced by " B. F.,"and especially by "L. K." in hia letfer of to-day ; and if both communications have emanated from the same inspired source, the latter writer may rest assured that till the Education Act has been greatly modified, his modest claims cannot be conceded. At present the Act makes no provision for any one man being inspector and board all rolled into one ; and this, virtually, is what " L.K." claims for Mr Colenso. " L.K. ". becomes very pathetic and lachrymose over our late inspector's resignation. His feelings seem moved to their lowest depths over this much to be deplored catastrophe. He evidently has no faith in the adage — "That there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it." From his point of view, one would suppose that the Education Board had committed the unpardonable sin in accepting MrC.'s resignation, and involved the educational interests of Hawke's Bay in the same ruin as themselves. He, however, goes a little too far when he adopts the role of adviser, and admonishes the board that they " should have been very cautious not to have given any just cause for the. inspector to resign." No one will deny that our late inspector possessed many of the qualifications of his office. He was enthusiastic, painstaking, and zealous, and except in the case of such " unfortunates " as had the ill-luck, in any way, to incur his righteous displeasure, he was on the whole friendly and fair. He was also a gentleman of independent means, and, possibly enough, — though hitherto few were aware of the fact — a man "of refined and sensitive .mind." And doubtless it was a matter of regret to many that his resignation should have taken place at the present moment. But granting all this, had Mr C. any real grievance? Was the action of the board a "just cause of resignation 1 ?" According to his own apologists, his chief complaint had reference to the appointment and dismissal of teachers. It is for this alone "L.K." contends. But whilst Mr C. had a right to say on what conditions he would continue in the service of the board, he had no right to .arrogate .to himself functions which nowhere pertain to his office. Nor has ..Jheany "just cause" of complaint if the board refused his claims and asserted i,ts authority to act and think for itself. Neither at home nor abroad are inspectors invested with the powers coveted by Mr C, and advocated in his behalf by "L.K.," and just reasons might be assigned for refusing such functionaries the 'control of the appointments and dismissals of teachers. If our late inspector now regrets his resignation, and wishes to withdraw it, and the Education Board see their way to acquiesce in such a course, and again reinstate him in office, I, for one, would not object. But if this is done, it must be on the distinct understanding that, . whatever the practice of the past, the rule of.the future will be that the appointment * aijd removal of teachers will be under the control of the board alone. The views of " L.K." in regard to this matter are so thoroughly opposed to the letter and spirit of the Education Act, that they cannot be entertained for a moment ; whilst the closing statement . of his letter is nothing more nor less than an insult to the board. Because, forsooth, they could not concede Mr ■ Cplenso's pretensions to sovereign power, . and chose to exercise their own judgment, and discharge their proper functions, they must now cry "Peccavi," and, like evil-doers, give guarantees of future good behaviour. If this is to be the price of Mr C.'s return to office, I am much mistaken if he will not soon find that things are now different from what they once were, and that a "King has arisen who no longer knows Joseph." Boards may , divest themselves of their proper powers, -Stifid become mere nonentities, but they , cannot afford to make themselves ridiculous, even to propitiate the wrath . of an offended, but by no means injured inspector. To conclude ; whilst the letters of "P.F." and "L.K." fail to shew that the Education Board in any sense trenched upon Mr O.s rights, or gave him any cause, just or unjust, for resigning, they possess this merit — they certainly put the board upon their mettle, and leave them no alternative but to make it clearly understood, that while they will not knowingly, interfere with the special privileges of others, they will tolerate no encroachment upon their own. — I am, &c, Alpha. Napier, April 2, 1878.