The Marlborough Press. THURSDAY EVENING, JAN. 25, 1883.

Marlborough Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 1369, 25 January 1883, Page 2

The Marlborough Press. THURSDAY EVENING, JAN. 25, 1883.

The proceedings in connection with tho meeting of householders, held on Monday night last, for the purpose of electing a School Committe, deserves more than a passing notice such as may be contained in a bare report of the business transacted. Parents and guardians of children are generally credited with having a keen interest in matters relating to the manner in which their, charges may obtain the foundation of a good education, and for the most part this credit is fully deserved, and it should follow as a sequence that they would not mind taking a little trouble to attain the end they/have in view. Unfortunately, while willing to receive all, very many are averse to contribute anything, and while content to have everything done for them, neglect to help those who are willing to help them, and the consequence is that the work becomes very onerous to the few who have the ability and will to bear the burden. This is the case as a rule, and its truth was shown at the meeting in question. The Education Act provides that Local Committees shall be elected to aid in the cause of education, to see that teachers are not negligent, and generally to supervise the management of scholastic institutions in the various localities. In accordance with this provision and intention a Committee was elected for Picton some twelve months since, and during the intervening time they carried out their duties in the manner they thought most conducive to effect the purpose. We are not concerned now in enquiring whether they filled the position efficiently or otherwise, but we are most immediately concerned in enquiring whether the treatment they received at the meeting is not likely to provo prejudicial to the furtherance of the cause of education in our midst. Their term of office having expired by effluxion of time, they prepared a balance sheet showing what monies they had received and how it had been spent, and they also presented a report, which they were compelled to do by law, stating what they had done while in office, and making a few remarks on matters relating to their official duties. All this was legitimately within their powers, and it was for the meeting to say whether the manner in which they had fulfilled their duties entitled them to again receive the confidence of the householders, provided they were willing to again accept office. Instead of showing its dissent at anything done or left undone by the Committee, the meeting took the unprecedented course of carrying a resolution referring the report they had given back to them “ for alterations and improvement.” What the meeting could have been thinking about to pass such an absurd resolution it is difficult to conceive, for the meeting had no more right to dictate to the Committee what they should say than they had to pass a resolution authorising the payment to them by the Education Board of a gratuity of £IOO for their services. The report was the report of the Committee, whether good or bad, and they alone were answerable for it, and to ask them to alter and improve it was somewhat similar to the Bench asking a witness in a Court of Law to alter his evidence because it was not favorable to a plaintiff or defendant, whichever side the Bench wanted to favor. The

report was before the meeting, and in placing it there the Committee had simply done their duty, and for the meeting to ask them to alter and improve it was simply to ask them to say that they had no belief in the report.they. had prepared. The proper c’ourse would have been to receive the report all its faults, if it had any, and then, by voting, to Show that the authors did not possess thp -confidence of those who had the power, to, elect others in their place. There would have been something sensible in such a course as this, but the futility of the course actually followed was shown in the sequel, when it was found impossible to obtain another Committee to replace the one retiring. We are hot surprised at this, because few men are mean-spirited enough to accept public duties and then consent to do simply as they are told. Most men possess some little independence, unless under certain influences, and these, when they have sank so low as to become the tools of those who dictate to them, have forfeited all right to be reckoned more than cyphers in the body politic, even although they have power to create mischief by voting or otherwise acting according to the behests of their masters. As will be seen from our report of the proceedings at the meeting nothing practically was done, and it is a momentous question for parents and guardians to consider if they are willing to forego the advantages of a supervision over our educational establishments to gratify the caprices of a few who would endanger the success of our educational system, if they could, by so doing, achieve political notoriety in other directions. The failure of the meeting to elect a School Committee will necessitate the calling of a fresh meeting, when we expect to see a much larger number of householders present. It will then be left for the majoiity to say if they are willing that their interests should be looked after bj an independent Committee, or are content to remain supine and permit the election of a Committee, the members of which will be dominated by a faction who will unscrupulously use their power by dictating to. their servants what they shall or shall not do, irrespective of the interests of parents whose children will be the chief sufferers. Before the election takes place we may deem it advisable to show by independent testimony whether the expiring Committee had any warrant for using the words in their report that were objected to, and for which words it was resolved the report should be referred back to them for “ alterations and improvement.”

Previous to the month of September, 1881, there had been growing up in Picton a .system that threatened to strangle all local political action, and was calculated to lead to grave abtjsesrin the administration of our local- affairs. ious system was the outcome of indifference on the one hand, and of unceasing activity on the other. The electors, as a body, were careless, and took little interest in local, elections and other matters of similar importance, while the knot of active partisans were ahyays ready t O', give time and trouble to attain their end’s, and the consequence was that the few held command, and the majority, by their lukewarmness, acquiesed in this very unsatisfactory state of affairs. So long hud this system prevailed that the wire pullers of the active party thought they held the real power ; but that they madeja mis calculation the election which took place about that time plainly showed. The electors became alive to the true position of things, and they determined to show it was only a small minority who could be found to obey orders and to follow their leaders like a flock of sheep. A distinct issue was raised and two parties formed, the one consisting of a clique, and the other of the electors generally. The result was never in doubt, and when the ballot boxes were opened it was found that the independent electors outnumbered < by about two to one those who had parted with their independence, Such a crushing defeat did a great deal of good, and for a long time nothing was heard of the clique which formerly had sole control of local matters. The system though “ scotched, was not killed,” and lately it has shown signs of revived activity, and nowhere was this more apparently than at the meeting held on Monday night. A party then for political purposes went tlie length of moving a resolution tantamount to a vote of 'Censure on the School Committee, and thus showed that they were willing to imperil the local administration of our school system, if by so doing they could achieve place or power in other directions. The whole was a repetition of what had taken place years before, and the authors doubtless anticipated a similar result will follow. If men of intelligence independence and standing can be deterred from offering themselves to take part in the administration of local affairs so much more chance will there be for those who have no other desire than to attain power and are not scrupulous as to the means they employ to attain their end. Mr Samuel Swanwick is a candidate for the office of Mayor for the Borough of Picton. Mr Thomas Williams issues circulars signing himself as Honorary Secretary, asking for support to Mr Swanwick in his candidature. Mr Swanwick has a perfect right to offer himself as a candidate and Mr Williams has an tyqual right to act as his secretary, but it may give rise to some comment when we state that it was these two gentlemen who proposed and seconded the resolution iniini . cal to the School Committee, which was carried at the packed meeting on Monday night. Now it happens curiously enough that Mr Fisk, who is Mr Swanwick’B rival for office, is also a member of the School Committee, and some people may *ay that the hostile resolution was not intended for the whole of the Committee, but that if Mr Fisk as one of the members could be included in the implied censure, his chunces of success might, be lessened when the votes were recorded for the Mayoralty. We do not presume to offer an opinion, but simply give facts as they occurred and allow our readers to form their own conclusions. We may say, however, that it was tactics such as these which caused a demonstration by the electors in September, 1881. and if they now wish to show their independence they must resent such an attempt to force upon them a candidate they have no desire to see placed in office. Whatever the outcome of the Mayoral election, we shall be content. It the electors vote for Mr Swanwick, well and good ; if they vote fqr Mr Fisk, well and good too ; but looking at the public.record of the two candidates it appears that if Mr Fisk is elected he will do honor to the town, and his election will lead to more interest being taken in municipal matters. In determining which shall be their choice, electors may remember that there is a party which would wilingly use the necks of their followers as »• toping places to higher things, and if men can be found willing to submit to the indignity such process

would entail, they must also be willing to endure the opinions of others who have a sufficient amount of independence to refuse to accept such undignified positions.