The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 940, 22 April 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1879.

Tarn Otomaro Schools Committee h.w treated the slight attempted to be cas Bpoo them in regard to the appointmen of a head master of the North School ant a awiofld master in the South School, itt: manner which wilt clearly shew tin Education Board that it i» composed o men who know their duties and how t' perform them. Out of dome 26applications received for the former position, onij three ww® forwarded to the Committed by the Board, with the mild intimattat that these were the only eligible candi dates—and this, too, not withstanding thai th» Committee were folly aware tha several ether gentlemen, highly soitabh for the ftjjposatment, had sent in appli cations'. Thci* watt a feeling amongst th« Committee that this aetinß had not beer +»fr«»T» fey the Board as a whole, but was ar arrangement pleasantly dome to by asiual coterie, which met in DanetKn lately, ant whieh t&sls ttp»n itself the task ol arranging matters according to the per sonal opinions of its members as to wltal 1 shootd be done, and whsA o&*>uld not. ' Whether this is tree of not we cannot say ; bat of this we are certain : The cireum | stances surrounding the case, and the fad | that the Board wo aid scarcely care to ge ! int» another stjnabbte such as that ii | which it found itself landed lately wit! | a Danediin School Committee, and oat id wftfefj it came very decidedly seconc test, seems to favor the supposition. Foi the sake of thoae whose names have beer mentioned, we hope this view of the cast b net the correct one. No matter, how ever, to whom the action tafc#n way b< attributed, there can 1» no gainsay ing the fact that » coarse has bccx BO t contemplated by the Act whkh a very clear open the point. H is plainly stated in clause 45 that no ap .suspension, or dismissal ol nj > teacher M shall take place until tht Coou-nit*®® have been first consulted. The apparent determination to appoim Mr Flue "d as second master of the Soutl School, without submitting application; to the clause. Mr. VM m. sent for the purpose of temporarily filling «». vacancy occasion.**! by the sodden retire meat of Mr. Els* 1 *?; and now comca 1 polite intimation to the effect that Mr Flood is the only d%ikte candidate f« the position, and we are forced to th< wncltMion that it is intended to appoiir without the Committee having ai opportunity of inspecting the credential! that any other candidates iaight a to submit to them. Very possibly tht Committee might select Mr. Flood fortht post, bat they have a right to claim tht exercise of those privilc^ 3 which the Aci haa bestowed open them prior to the appointment being made. It » the principle sought to be established and oet the man that the Committee are fflM open tooppose. The *h" head mastership of the Kerth School is perhaps even t mote flagrant attempt on the part of the Education Board to curtail the powers and privileges oC the Committee, or an on warrantable interference of someone with the most important business of the Committee. Three only oat of some 26 applications were forwarded to t&e Committee, while the whole of them, with certificates and testimonials, should hare been laid before the Committee for their consideration. We can look upon this fn no other light titan an attempt to deceive the Committee, or usurp their narrow down their powers of selection to time only of the candi-

dates. Bat the Secretary to the Board appears to have gone to even a greater length than this. Accompaning his letter were certain comments upon the teachers whose names were submitted, guardedly | marked " for the information of the Committee obly." With this we do not intend to deal further than to say that these comments were apparently sent fdrthS purpose of biasing the minds of th® Committee in favor of one particular candidate. The three gentlemen whose names were submitted to the Committee last night may be the very best of the 26 applicants in the judgment of the Board, or those who made the selection, but of this the Committee should be, and are, the best judges. The Board has no right to curtail the Committee's power of selection by withholding the bulk of the applications and plainly saying, " You must take one of the three we have chosen." The Committee are entitled to make their own selection and the Foard sirpply possesses the power of confirming or vetoing ths appointinenf. The Committee have adopted the onlj course open to them, and have very properly, as a preliminary step, refused tc nominate any candidate until the whole ol

{ho applications are laid before them. What'the npst step will be jt ia difficult at present to suggest; but if the Board

adheres to the course which has thus far been pursued, the Committee will only be acting in accordance with a proper appreciation of their powers and functions in defining to accept any master that may be appoj;«t?jl without their full concurrence and approval.