TOWN AND COUNTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12009, 11 December 1924, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

DISCRIMINATION ALLEGED JELLICOE HOLIDAY CONDEMNED BY BOARD MEMBER. “IMAGINATIVE FLIGHTS.” City children were being favoured at tho expense of country children,, charged Mr A. J. White at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education hoard. This ho said in the course Of introducing a resolution to the effect: “That tho granting of special favours (holidays) to city children is Unfair and opposed to tho best-interests Of the whole children.” : REQUEST REFUSED. At the last meeting of the board, said Ml - White, a request had been made for a holiday to be granted the country children in order that they might bo allowed to attend their shows. Yet within a month they had granted the children of the city school 3 a holiday to farewell the Governor-General in the important month of December, which, if thfev ’were to believe their headmasters, could not but interfere With' the examinations. The country children, on tile other Hand, hail been refused a chance to visit , their shows from which they would have derived soma lasting benefit. TO CLEAR THE AIR, Mr G. T. London seconded the mo-, tion, disclaiming sympathy with-it, but stating that Mr White should he afforded an opportunity of expressing his opinions on the point. Be was sorry that Mi- Wbito had raised the matter, for though the opportunity of farewelling His Excellency might Apt be so' illuminating as attendance at a show, they could scarcely deny it to the children: Mr R. A. Wright; am astonished at Ml 5 London’s attitude. He had expressed himself Opposed to ' the morion, and yet has seconded it. If he vVem in' tho HoUse_ he Would hfe compelled to vote for .it. , Mr London: We’ve never been, in the House. ' Mr Wright; Well, I think it a great pity that some of the members haven’t. Thov might know more about procedure. Mr C. I. Hark ness: He’ll bob up again. He’s ail right. , “RULES WERE MADE-—” ; Mr Wright thought when occasion arose it shoultT he possible to vary any rule. . Had the board not done so there would have been very severe criticism on the part of the parents. Lord’ 'Jellicoe was very fond of children, and had .frequently visited schools, and shown many signs of his interest ini them. Surely it was no crime to give the children a holiday whan he was going away forever.. Mr White should •vithdraw hie motion: Mr London rose again. THe*ehairman: You’ve been, misrepresented. have yon? Mr London: Oh, unquestionably 1 -(Laughter.) ,I expressly said that I seconded merely to give Mr White an opportunity of expressing his opinion. ; ACTION APPROVED. . Mr C. J. HarkneSs complimented the chairman and secretary on having the oOurage to act as they'had done, Mr White waS'quite right in Some of his argupaents. The matter was an importcut 'one, and should be thrashed outj but he could not support Mr IjVhite. The chairman stated that he regretted the introduction of the resolution. The Mayor had desired the children to be given a holiday to farewell “the King’s representative, and it was ridiculous to liken this to a cattle show. He Had been assured by the head-' masters that the holiday would not interfere with the examinations. He believed that they had done the .right and proper thing, and that, their action should be commended. ’’V: . NOT IMPRESSED. In reply Mr White expressed himself unimpressed by the argument ofJnsMtw. It was a' beautiful flight oto the imagination. How could the. children say farewell to His Excellency wlferi he was on -he ship, and they .were round the shore ? They were not Within coo-ee of His Excellency. The chairman: You can’t read the papers, or you would know that they did coo-ee, and sang, and waved farewell. ..Mr White: Well, the coo-ee was so far away that His Excellency could not hear it, . The chairman: Has he told you that? . Mr" White: I yield to no one in my admiration for the sterling qualifies of lord Jellicoe, hut I think that the children would be better employed in following Sis Excellency’s advice. Frequently he nee told them that they should “stick by their work and make good.”THROWN OUT. The motion was defeated, Mr White alone voting for it. A second motion, “that the action of the chairman in conniving at the breaking of the board’s By-laws is deserving of const re,” lapsed fhrf Want of a seconder.