DR. PURCHAS AND THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5998, 7 February 1881, Page 6

DR. PURCHAS AND THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sra, Having read the newspaper reports of yesterday's meeting of the Governors of the Auckland College and Grammar School, I think it is desirable that I should state the circumstances which have led to my occupying the painful position of making certain "charges" against the management of the school. About seven months ago, in consequence of a statement made to me, I considered it my duty to speak to one of the Governors in reference to certain matters in connection with the school, which, in my opinion, were highly detrimental to the welfare of the scholars, and therefore urgently called for reform. I went first to Mr. T. Peacock, who as the. Mayor of Auckland was ex officio a member of the Board, and might properly be regarded as specially representing the interests of the citizens. Mr. Peacock listened with patient sympathy to what I had to say, and then asked me to go with him to Dr. J. L. Campbell, who, I believe, was then the Chairman of the Board. To this I assented, and in Mr. Peacock's presence I repeated to Dr. Campbell the substance of my complaint. I also informed those two gentlemen that I did not wish to put myself forward as a public accuser, but that I wished them to inquire and satisfy themselves ' whether there was any foundation for the statements laid before them, and if they found them to be true, then to take steps to I have the evils removed.

A short time afterwards I received a note from Dr. Campbell, dated 23rd July, ISSO, in which he asked me to give him, "in as succinct a form as possible, a memo, of the several points upon wliich the members of the Board ought to endeavour to obtain information, so as to elicit the impressions which may be entertained with regard to • the school from the parents' and pupils' point of view." In reply I wrote a note, and enclosed a short paper headed "Memo, for J. L. Campbell, Esq," Several weeks after this Dr. Campbell was suddenly called away from j the colony, and after a considerable interval I heard that my memorandum had come into the hands of the Hon. Colonel Haultain, who is a member of the Board of long standing. Another considerable interval having elapsed, and hearing nothing more of the matter, I inquired of Colonel Haultain if the Board was taking any action in the way of inquiry into the truth of the allegations contained in the memorandum, and was informed that in consequence of the absence of a signature it was probable that the Board would decline to take any action in that direction. I then said that Colonel Haultain could, if he thought proper, lay the paper before the Board in my name.

The next step of "which X have knowledge was the receipt of a letter from the Secretary of the Board dated 22nd November, 1880, informing me that the Board had "resolved to cause an investigation to be made; but before so doing it will be necessary that any charges made as therein, which are indefinitely stated in the memo., must be made in a definite form and with reasonable particulars as to the name 3 of the masters referred to and of the boys upon whose statements such charges are put forward." To this letter I did not reply at once, as it seemed to put me into a different position from that which I contemplated, and it was not until the 16th of December, after the receipt of a letter dated the previous day, informing me that if I did not reply to the first letter by the 22nd of that month the Board would consider that X did "not intend to substantiate the statements " contained in my memo., that I wrote a reply referring to the paragraphs of the memo, seriatim, and supplying certain particulars relating thereto. I see by the reports in the papers that the Board referred my letter to a committee, and that the committee recommended mode of -procedure calculated to obtair

| foil investigation by a competent officer, en &^J he school . of, and unconnected with !5 1>en( 3ent i lulm ely, that' Sft^ 618 «* should be requested to appoint ern - me nl: £j nqn ! 1 '? mt0 T tlle fortunately, as I think, the k ~ .i, bat > on. the recommendation, and investigation m committee of tw T? Ha » which means, if I mistake nni- . Boat^ Tt'hile_ writing tiiis letter Iw P"v?tecommunication from the rcceiv ed a me to attend at the school next, at 4 p.m., for the evidence, and telling me S^g also at the same time receive thp e ®T d any witnesses I may desire V ce ° f amined. But one cannot heln M i.;„ , ex " to be the examiner ? And l?nw 0 nesses who could not possiblv be w 1 , 1 * town on so shert a notice ' A? lr , "S ht to how about those who would nnf- more ' attend to give evidence ? • ln gly It seems as if lam exnect-prl t i business up single-handed but t £ think it fair that I should be call J not bear the trouble and expense ofi, T n 10 evidence which will jn'obably t ™ Cl °S repeated before a Commissioner the necessary powers of summoning V* nesses and pronouncing judgment ° I certainly trust that those parents i guardians who agree with me tW+)?„ • need of reform will communicate with ™ once, and help me to bring to ° at has hindered the efficiency of the school Having removed my sons from the school I have no private interest of'any kind?' serve m this inquiry, but for the sake of tU community at large, and especially of tIS who, in the near future, are to bear no m „ part in guiding the destinies of this colonH earnestly desire that the school may bo mVd as it ought to be, if not theblatS equal to the best in New Zealand -I &c -' . Arthur G. PURCHU; ' Cliallinor House, February 5.