RECENT PROCEEDINGS OF THE EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9314, 25 September 1893, Page 3

RECENT PROCEEDINGS OF THE EDUCATION BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, Some time ago a correspondent called attention in your columns to what was being done under the guise of retrenchment by the ruling majority on the Board of Education— namely, the removal from the town and suburban schools of all assistants, male or female, that. had no friends amongst the members, into the country, and the filling of their places with the relatives, dependents, or cousins of the members.

At first a reduced salary was given to these happy individuals, and the pretended " economists " expatiated with effusive complacency oh the " saving " they had effected. To doubt ■ the honesty or the ' sincerity of the members' actions was rank nonsense ; for was not the sum of £1800 a year saved to the

Board by the skill of the financiers; and this was shown in figures on paper, with great alacrity. There was no injustice done to the banished assistants ; no, not the least; and no favouritism had actuated the financial operators. Not the least. '<. It was all " finance." So, of course, they said, and kept on repeating—for a only for a time: for, very soon after, the happy individuals referred to, got increase upon increase of salary, and with no fuss or noise made about it. 1. At the end of every, quarter of the year there was " an adjustment" of salaries, and in the quietest, most ordinary manner imaginable, the increases— the "adjustments" were made.

The other day a fresh, and more open '* adjustment" than ever was made, and th« salaries of the "happy ones," but only oi the " happy ones" were greatly increased all round, and the increases dated back nine months, that is to the beginning of this year. Were it not that I know nobody will question my facts I would now give a list of their names.. The shamefulness of that "adjustment,'* not a member appeared to feel. So much for that happy set and the skilled financiers on the Board. 2. The secretary applied for an increase to his salary of £400 a-year immediately afterwards, and got £50 a-year added on. He next applied that the increase be post-dated to the beginning of this year, to be on a par with the befriended assistants, and was quite right in doing so. : & Just a few months before these adjustments" being made, the inspectors' long - standing petition for increases was granted, and £200 a-year added on to their salaries of £309 and£3so— too high I must say for men of their stamp—at least the two, Messrs. Airey and Crowe, whom the Minister latelycondemned as unskilful. The £200 a-year was added, however, and because they were so unskilful in the discharge of their duty, soon after a Chief Inspector at £500 a-year was advertised for. 4. About the same time, the heavy amounts of travelling expenses of the members were published, and sent an unpleasant tremour through the public mind ; but more than these, the huge liability incurred during the months pre? vious to the recent election of three members, the 114 different committees visited by the chairman—for what ? served to deepen that unpleasant public feeling. Strange to point out that immediately after these outlays, promises, and adjustments and increases had been made, but not until then, the chairman discovered the financial embarrassment of the Board ; and he produced a statement showing this. The sight of it sent a thrill of alarm through the members, and one of them complimented the *' worthy " chairman for his economical clearsightedness. " Were it not," he (the Chairman) replied, " that Mr. Moat lent me £600, I could not have paid all our teachers this month."

Another intelligent member remarked that they should keep within their income ; and soon.

Where had the financial skill been when the salaries of the assistants had been largely increased, aud increases post-dated nine months? Nobody knows, I suppose. Or when the secretary's salary had been raised ? Oi the salaries of our "fine" inspectors? Or the promising of everything to the school committees? Or the charging of the huge travelling expenses by the members? Th« skill was non est then, and continued non est until just after these nice little doingsthese " adjustments," increases, post-datings, etc., had been accomplished. My letter is already too long, but yet 1 must call the attention of the public to the fact that the executive committee of the Board met last Monday or Tuesday, but that not a word of the proceedings was published in either of the two papers. May I very respectfully ask why your columns, for the first time, contained no account of the said proceedings? Meanwhile, I would ask the public to watch carefully the proceedings of next Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Education, if they wish to admire the financial adroitness then displayed. —l am, etc., Wm. H. Pooley, Secretary Newmarket School Committee.