GIRL MINOR'S RELIGION

NZ Truth, Issue 985, 11 October 1924, Page 7

GIRL MINOR'S RELIGION

Adjourned Inquiry

Miss Terry's Counsel Asks Time

In connection with the disappearance from her- home of Miss Margaret Martin (pupil and prefect of the Epsom Girls' Grammar School) under the alleged religious influence of her form mistress, Miss Terry, the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors decided to hold an inquiry, open to the P;ess, but not to the public. The inquiry was set down for Monday afternoon last and there was a full attendance of the, Board, while there were also present: Mr. Northcroft, legal adviser to the Board; Mr. G. P. Finlay, solicitor with Mr. Terry, father of Miss Terry; and Mr. Richmond, solicitor watching the case on ben .IE of Mrs. Martin, mother of the school girl. Professor Thomas, Chairman of the Board, presided, and at the outset read the resolution of the Board calling the meeting, which was "to make inquiry into allegations made by parents of pupils that Miss Terry, an assistant mistrers of the Epsom Girls' Grammar School, had abused her position as a teacher by influencing the religious views of one of her pupils, Miss Margaret Martin." miss terry away on sick leKa'-e. Mr. Finlay staled that he represented Miss Terry, who was not present. The Chairman: But she 1-new to be here, did she not? Mr. Finlay: Miss Terry had gone out of town by the time notification of the meeting was : received. • The Chairman: Was there not time for her to have ret -ned? Mr. Finlay: No. Notice was received on Saturday and by that time Miss Terry was well o.i her way to Te Aroha. The Chairman: If tl:e meeting is adjourned, will Miss Terry be present on a date r p be fixed? Mr. Finlay: Most certainly. The Chairman then asked if Miss Terry had received adequate notice or would require further notice Mr. Finlay, m reply, said that the only notice received to uate was that of the meeting that day, which was delivered after Miss Terry had left for Te Aroha. It \v..s only a notification that a further inquiry would be held into the case of Miss Margaret Martin. T:.?re had been no opportuni to bring her back. He had noticed m the leading of the resolution carried, by the Board that a charge had been made against Miss Terry, but Miss Terry had received no notice of any such charge " ir. the matter of complaints by the parents of pupils of the school. It was v matter of common justice, he contended, that he should be furnishel with e/ery particular as to tirr.c, circumstance, and everythin else coi-iected with these as would .-mable him fully and fairly to prepare an answer. It was academic to remark that one could not answer for every act of one's lifetime on the spur of the moment, and he asked that he be given a definite and concrete idea of what these charges were. He asked that if there were other parents he should be givo.i the names of them, and also details of the acts which it was alleged had been committed to constitute what be took to mean the proselytising- of *- : r:ls. He did so m order that Miss a^iry might be able once and for all to offer the Board such answtr as she proposed to bring. WAS SHE INFORMED? The Chairman said that Miss Terry had been informed at a meeting of the Board as ttf what the charges were against her. Mr Finlay said that his instructions were' that she had not. When Miss Terry had asked what the charges were she had been told that it did not matter at 'that time, as the Board was only inquiring m a general way. The Chairman said the Board was quite prepared to give any reasonable time. They were there m an impartial capacity prepared to listen to both sides. They had to sift the matter, m a judicial and impartial capacity, and their only desire was to arrive at the truth. ' " Mr. Finlay said he wanted to make it quite clear that he was not asking Cor any particular kind of notice, nor to take advantage of 'any technicality or trivial point. Miss Terry was ill at present, and he stressed the point that her absence that day was because that meeting- had coincided with her sick leave. ',-,.•, t The Chairman suggested Friday at 10 a.m. for the adjourned inquiry, but Mr. Finlay said that would give him no time at all to prepare a defence. He pointed out that if he wired Miss Terry that day, she could not get to town before 5 o'clock on Tuesday, which allowed him two days to prepare a defence to charges of which he was completely m the dark. Under an ordinary summons of the Court one had seven days to prepare a defence, and he suggested that m a matter of that importance at least 14 days ought to be given. The Chairman then intimated that the Board would like to discuss the matter m private and the room was cleared of all but the members and the Boaz-d's legal adviser. INQUIRY MUST PROCEED. When the meeting was resumed the Chairman announced that it had been resolved to hold the inquiry on Friday, October 10, at 10 a.m. He was directed to say that, m the opinion of the Board. Miss Terry had information of the charges, and that there could b.e no injustice m holding the inquiry as decided. Further, the interests of the school were dependent on the inquiry being brought to v conclusion at an early date, as, while things were hanging over, the interests of the pupils were suffering, and this the Board could not allow to continue. If Miss Terry was unable to be present the inquiry must be proceeded with. . Mr. Finlay said he would accept the Board's declaration on the matter. At the same time, he wished to put on record that at that juncture Miss Terry did not know the nature of the charges, and further that Miss Terry, was denied that information at a previous meeting of the Board which she. attended by the direction of the Board to submit to questioning- at the hands of the Board. He was prepared to wire Miss Terry at once and to make the best effort he • could to properly present her case before Friday. He reserved the right to comment on the matter later if he should find, when the charges were delivered, that more time was necessary. The Chairman then notified the witnesses present that the hearing would be, adjourned accordingly. MISS TERRY RESIGNS. On Thursday, Miss Terry notified the board that m her present health it. would be out of the question for her to attend the open inquiry the following day. In the circumstances she tendered her resignation from the staff of the Epsom Girls' Grammar School. The resignation was accepted by the board, which also decided not to proceed with the proposed inquiry.