THE EDUCATION BOARD SECRETARYSHIP.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1666, 3 February 1904, Page 18

THE EDUCATION BOARD SECRETARYSHIP.

resigns his PQOTLOSN. Air A. Doisefc, at- Thursday's mobbing of jbho . Wellington Board of , Education, tendered his resignation, of the position of secretary, as from the end of aryWhen this announoement was made,

the ohairman (Mr Bradey) said that he was very sorry .to hear it. He wished jhat Mi’ Dorset could see his way to remain in office for. another year or halfyear; but Mr Dorset appeared to have made up his mind. Mr Hogg moved that the secretary

should he asked to withdraw his resigns tdon; and said that he had seen nothing to warrant it being tendered. Mr Dorset had for years enjoyed the confidence of members of the Board, and his record of many years’, valuable service... entitled him to that oonfiden ce. . His work had not been seriously challenged, and there was not, he thought, any officer in public or private life who could produce a much .better record than that held by Mr Dorset. Members of country committees on eveiy side expressed their high esteem of the way in which he had carried out his work, and the exceedingly courteous .manner in which they had been treated in qonnectaoh with their correspondence and other matters. •Mr Dorset was a man esteemed and liked by everyone who knew liim. (Hear, hear.) He was .not aware that his efficiency could be challenged:; he had a large amount of responsible work to perform,, and that work had been performed very well. The Board would have great, difficulty in. replacing him. Mr JCebbeil seconded the motion. Mr Feist agreed with the remarks of Mr IJogg, and did not think there was any, Reason why the resignation should have so suddenly come upon them. Mr James Robertson regretted that Mr Dorset’s friends, who had had, no doubt, the full knowledge that he was going to resign, had not spoken to him privately, because other members who ■ had taken part in a discussion in committee at last meeting were now placed in' a rather unfortunate position. Everyone was prepared to give his testimony as strongly as Mr Hogg had done as to the courtesy of Mr Dorset, and the kindly feeling entertained towards him; but if he said any more, he should have to repeat the discussion which took place in committee, and this was

the unfair position those members were planed in who did not support the' motion. If he had been in Mr Dorset’k , position, he would have taken the course Mr Dorset himself had taken that day. At the last meeting a certain, proposal was made which no doubt would, have been disagreeable to Mr and he quite understood his taking the oourse he did now. Mr Buchanan hiad the greatest pleasure in endorsing the remarks as toi Mr Dorset’s uniform urbanity and courtesy:; 'but, without going into detail, he would say that he did not think the position disclosed when last the matter twas before the Board was at all eaitis-

factory. ’ His opinion, like that otf, Mr Robertson, was that the most satisfactory ponding of the matter was the step now taken by Mr Dorset. In, answer to a question by Mr Buchanan, Mr Dorset said that he had definitely decided to retire. Air Buchanan regretted that circumstances had arisen which had brought about the present position. Air Dorset liad been secretary to the Board for a great many years, and had rendered valuable service. Air Hogg expressed his regret at the remarks which had been made, because he kuew the feeling’ of the settlers, and was certain that if a vote were taken to-morrow amongst them, a vote olf confidence. in Air Dorset, would be passed by an overwhelming majority. He suggested that Mr Dorset should hold over his resignation until after the next election.

_(Mir Allan: Does Mr Hogg mean to say that the next election t-o the Board should depend upon this question? Mr Hogg: It might be made a test question. Mr Allan: It would be a very unfor-

tunate - precedent. Mr Allan went on to speak highly. of Mr Dorset as a courteous gentleman, but said that if Mr Dorset* felt that he should retire, neither Mr Hogg nor any other member of the Board should put a member in the positing of voting fotr or against that retirement. Mr" Field proposed as an amendment that the secretary’s resignation should be accepted, and that applications for the position shouCd be invited through-out-the colony. He agreed that .Mr Dorsot’s retirement would be a distinct loss. As the member responsible for the motion proposed at last meeting, .to which Mr Robertson had referred, he assured the Hoard that he had no intention of, proposing anything unpleasant to Mr Dorset, the motion simply- had relation to the system of book-keeping.: Its. object wap-to. improved that system, and. it seemed to him -that the. motion , was not one that-Mr-.-^-Domet, could ..object to.. He could not but agree with other members that the best course had been

taken by Mr Dorset, and he- said that without any reflection upon his character or his courtesy.. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Hogg, after further discussion had taken place, withdrew his motion, as Mr Dorset was determined to resign. A motion was then unanimous'iy adopted accepting the resignation with regret, and it was further,dd-pided that applications should be invited ' throughout the colouy for the vacant position, and that a committee consisting of the chairman and Messrs Robertson and Allan should draw up the terms of appointment and fix the salary.

Mr Arthur Dorset has been secretary to the Wellington Education Board since 1882, and, as stated yesterday by the members of tlie Board, has dome very valuable work in that position. Mr Dorset, who was born in WeMington, studied law for three years,, and in 1870 or 1871 joined the Treasury Department of the Provincial Government. In 1876, after the abolition of the provinces, he entered the Colonial Treasurer’s Department, but later on retired on compensation, under the Abolition of Provinces Act. He then joined the Education Department, acting for a number of years under Mr Lee, the then inspector and secretary. As already stated, he became secretary of the Board in 1882.