EDUCATION BOARD ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10038, 27 January 1896, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD ELECTIONS.

The letter which appears in our correspondence columns oh the "Education Board Election" draws attention to a wilful and discreditable attempt to mislead School Committees in connection with the . coming election of. mem bers of the Board of Education. ' The

disposition to raise the cry of" Country verm town,'' like the attempt to inflame religious; passions, is a coht'ehitttlble form 'of electioneering tactics, and if, as in this case, the attempt is based on the deliberate presentation of what is incorrect, the. authors of the calumny ougla to be punished by those they have attempted to deceive, in the only way in which they tan be reached, by their being excluded from the position to which they aspire. If it were so that wrong had been done, or attempted to be 'done, to the country schools, then every fair dealing man should be called on to have the wrong redressed. But instead of, the Board of Educatioivbaving wronge'd the country schools, it has, as a matter of fact, been made clear from the returns of the Board's expenditure that it has taken from the city And suburban schools nearly a third of their rightful share of the capitation allowance and given it to the country schools, in addition to the amount to which t|ie country schools were legally entitled. Nobody" 'says that this 'Is more than should have been clone, because from the sparseness of population in the country the educational requirements are more difficult to overtake them in towns where the schools are larger. But when the Board lias gOil'e but of its wily to meet this requirement, and the suburban and city schools committees have not objected, there seems something inexpressibly mean in raising this charge with the only object of misleading school committees, and by throwing dust in their eyes, obtaining support to certain candidates where other qualifications are hot supposed .1.6 be sufficient to entitle them to election. It is the duty of school committees to elevate instead of .degrading the Board of Education, and this they can do by electing to it men of character and standing, who not only have the education and capacity to properly fulfil so important duties, but will carry with them the confidence of the public in their fairness and honesty of administration.