That Awanui Meeting.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 21, 2 January 1907, Page 7

That Awanui Meeting.

V 4 TO THE EDITOR. That Awairai meeting once more. I cannot allow the erratic effusion of Fred. Russell to pass unnoticed, as it is misleading from start to finish. He says, “ First, it was not a meeting of householders, but a meeting of parents. . . .” Are not parents householders ? Decidedly yes. But because they are only parents he offers this as an excuse for his delinquency. Nor is his question to Mr. W., asking if he has any children attending school, a palliative for Fred’s shortcomings. He says, “ Second, this meeting was called for 7.30 o’clock. I may state that I was at the sohool house at twentyfive minutes past seven and finding no one there I went up to the hotel, where I found Mr. W.” If he was at the school house at twenty-five minutes past seven, as he says he was, how is it that he did not open the school house and light the lamps, so that people could see the building was open ? This is usually the plan adopted by a convener of a meeting. The explanation is emphatic—Fred did not go near the school at all as his statement fujly demonstrates, as Mr. W. was inside the school gate at 7.30, punctually to the minute, and after waiting ten minutes for Fred, (the convener of the meeting) to put in an appearance he (Mr. W.) went up to the hotel to see if the truant were there. Now how could he have been at the school house at twenty-five minutes past seven and after waiting some time to see if any one turned up proceeded to the hotel where he found Mr. W., who stated at the meeting subsequently that this was by no means the first time they had been treated with contempt by the chairman of the school committee, which I will refer to further on. Furthermore he Rays “ I stopped talking to Mr. W. and Mr. McLeod for ten minutes and remarked that I was afraid there would be no meeting as it was past time and no one had turned up, but I would return to the schoolroom and wait a while, which I did, but no one came.” This is absolutely untrue. There was a crowd of people waiting, but still Fred, did not turn up. so ihat he must have passed homeward instead of going to the meeting when he left the hotel. He must, I thiuk, have forgotten all about the meeting. This appears to me to be the most reasonable explanation of his non-appearance at the school-room. The school-room was opened and after waiting a full hour for Mr. Fred, to turn up it was proposed that the meeting be proceeded with and Mr. Williamson was proposed as chairman of the meeting and explained the object arid inteirtjpii of the meeting, viz., to make provision for the annual school pic-nic and draw up a programme of events for the occasion. This was liberally responded to and a larger amount subscribed than has been the case on any previous occasion. In concluding his oterrors Mr. Fred, makes a fatal plunge, as far as his reputation is concerned, when he challenges any one to say that he has ever been unpunctual in any of bis engagements or in any way discourteous. I can remind him that members of the committee of which he is chairman have come from *Mangatete, a distance of five or six miles, in the winter season, have waited in the school ground over half-an-hour for the chairman to turn up, and left without holding a meeting, while the chairman was enjoying himself elsewhere, and yet he challenges anyone to say that he was unpunctual or discourteous in any way. I could refer to other circumstances in connection with his office as chairman of the school committee that would not bear investigation, but doubtless'some of the members of the committee will have something to sav on their own behalf, and in the meantime I can get at least a dozen of householders —I mean parents of school children—who can and will vouch for the absolute ac■fcney of the faregoing assertions. I. WILLIAMSON, of the meeting referred to.