THE INVESTIGATION.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 80, 16 October 1880, Page 2

THE INVESTIGATION.

The reporter of, Thb. Times said he .hajfe, been led to believe. that as. a resolution had; been passed on Monday trailing accusing^ r Mr. Snalson of having misrepresented mat*^ ters with regard to. the inrestigaspn i of the-,' charge against Mr. Malcblmj ajd tlfi Mr. ' Snelson bad attendsd to reply _ to the accn^> tation*, the members of committee who had ceniurad him would hart b«en pre«ent v , -, Mr. LabShh 'said that Jwith; regard to. that resolution. the Gomcaittee^ was unanj- . mous, and be/ with othes, had r*ed for it. Mr. SNBtsoir said that ml that case he would like to make an explanation. At.the.V outset he wiahed tp. state distinctly that no investigation — taking tne/ word m itt official tense— had taken place ; neithor had he stated *t tha Education Boa*i that the conn. > trarywas the case. It would be a.bs.u.r.d for., him to make such'" an assertion, ac : the i Board was m.a position to k_now that none could be ' made without its authority '; but 1 what he had said was, that from what he could learn from members of committeaj 5 they were by- no means agreed nppn the matter— a stata>nehtiwhibhiwksiinoe bonne but" by facts. M^^nott had informed him that Mr. Malcolm ! was %ruel," and .that he. wished him to be remored, but he (Mr. Snelson) had f iren him di«tinctly ; to undti> siaud that he would nofe iupport any auch &*»p at ? the -Board,! aV^he" oonjidarod ;tha* teachers had bean moved about far. too frequently. 'When^Mr. Knptt .expjefj3ed him-, •elf m that manner about Mr. Malcolm, he was exceedingly surprised, because it had not been such, a long time previously that he, had met that ■ame'gefltlemanj .when he had lauded Mr, A{alcolm to the highe»t,' •aying that he was.thejrighVmanin the right place; that. he was fiUing the schdolj 'that the sohool would hat* to. he enlarged ; that Mr. Malcolm was continually m the back districts urging: upon parajat%. to Bead their children to school, and v tbrit c his zeal, energy^ an^ attantaon was beyond all praise. Under th ase circumstancas, than, he >was considerably surprised to learn that m such a short, time i there wai^Woh a reruisibniand],th«ifc he wait evarythun that i»a« ba,d. The statex mant made to the Education Board at to the, mint, ot mmt% M *««4 °b<»

what he had heard from Mr. Knott himself, backed up by Mr- James and Mr, Malcolm. With regard io the offence with which the ioboolmMtor had been charged, he considered it had. been proven, and that the Board had punwhed him by conveying cen - tare ; bat the action taken by the . majority of the committee m striving to hunt him from the district was -nothing less than downright persecution.] "So doubt, at; the Chairman had stated, the gravest phase, in the whole ; transaction was compremising the matter and giving money to hush it up.In extenuation o f that, it must be recollected that Mr. Malcolm was but a young man without much experience, and his action was the result of the want of forethought. The letter forwarded to the Board by Mr. Knott bore unraistakeable trace of animus, but, moreover, it was informal, as although it stated that it conveyed the sendments of the whole of the committee, if/waV not properly signed. E> (Mr. Snelsori) would •gain state that no official investigation had been made or applied- for; bu.t, if r it were, there would; be little doubt, that' the In•pector wonld be despatched td deal with the matter. '.%:-i\;.r, : : j ' Mr. Oayakagh said that the Committee knew nothing about the letter .seat b v Mr. Knott. Mr. Snblson said; that no doubt Mr. Malcolm had committed afault.but -he had p« id dearly for it, and the action ' of- a portion of the comtuittee, was evidently for no other object than to hbund fche man out of fcbe district. ■ - : ; Mr. Labsest:. T)id you not tell Mr. Kn^t before th» meeting of the. Education Board that you would investigate the matter ? Mr. Snblbon: I did not, because I could not do so without the sanction of the Board.- : ■;•. /. .. ■ -• : : ■ Mr. LABSBW:WeII, both .Knott and James said you did. ■:, Mr< Snelsou :. It is a mistake, »nd were Mr. James here, I have little, doubt I would be able to, bring matters, to his. mind that would convince him that it was so. Votes .of thanks : w ere then 'given fed the _ repioseMtative of Thb Timbs, Mr. Sne'son.. r and the Chairman, and the- proceedings terminated^ -