WHO SHALL PAY THE PRINTER?

Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2960, 9 June 1885, Page 3

WHO SHALL PAY THE PRINTER?

At the meeting of the Schools C -rnmittae last evening a other lively dissuasion took place with reference to the payment of an account for L 5 for printing 300 pamphlets containing correspondence, legal opinions, &C-, with reference to thw proposed disrating of the Oimint District Btgh School. This pamphlet, it transpired had bean prepared by the Rev. Dr Macgregor as a history of the transaction. Dr Macgregor had agreed to hear a portion of the cest of printing protided the Committee would pay the balance, to which Mr Sumpter, as Chair-, man of the Committee, had assented. The account was now submitted, and irnmsdiatsly upon its being read, Mr Proctor objected to its being paid, a* the order bad not teen given by the Committee. Mr Crunfuw followed on the same side, declaring tßa! it was a waste of money, as UisoiaJttr had all appeared in the public prints Mr Mollison took exception to iccoant being paid, on the ground that tht Committee had no right to apply the •cftool fund* to such * purpose. Tho Chairman laid that he had sanctioned tfie printing of the pamphlet in his official capacity, and he thought he had acted rightly, for the public meeting hid authorised the taking of any steps which might b« necessary to maintain th» status of the school, and he looked upon this as a necessary step. Mr Procter said that the work had not been ordered by the Committee, and he therefore moved that the account be not paid. If the Committee decided to pay the account he would took upon it as a misappropriation of funds, and should write to the Education Board asking if they would sanction it. Mr Crawshaw seconded the motion, which was carried after a little further irregular discussion, Messr3 Crawshaw, Locke, Mallison, and Procter voting for it, while Messrs Orr and Sinclair refrained from voting, and an amendment by Mr Orr, to pay the account subject to the approval of the Board, did not 2nd a seconder. The Chairman then said that after the motion which had_ been pawed, and which was a dscidad rejection upon ht3 action as Chairman, he had no other coarse open to him than tw resign that position and u a member of the Committee. This he did, and asked the Committee to accept it. Mr Crawshaw promptly proposed that the Chairman's resignation be accepted, but this did not find a seconder. Mr Procter did not see the fur Mr Sumpter to resign. If the Chairman or any other member of the Committee did anything wrong they should be told about it, and in suffering the consequences it lerred them right. He had attended the meeting expressly to oppose the account being paid. He did not consider himself of as much importance as the Chairman, but if the Committee bad passed the sccount he would have resigned his position as treasurer. He was willing tn do •° now, acd leave the Chairman in hi* position. The Cnairman,* nowerer, said be did not wish this, bat, after the resolution which had been passed, and which amounted to a Tote of censure, he would be wanting in self respect if he retained tua position. Mr Mollison said he would oe sorry if any vote of his caused the Chairman to resign. He had voted ■gainst the account being passed upon principle, and thought the funds for such •■work should be raised by the publics Be was willing to contribute something towards in, and did not think tho Chairman should be saddled with tho coat of the pamphlet. . Referring to a remark by Mr Procter, the Chairman said that it had Men stated that tho work had been ordered in defiance of the wish of the I Cbmmittae as expressed at the last meetlag, but which he had certainly not he ird, *nd he had no alternative but to resign. Mr_ Crawshaw said that things were done by individuals, and he conld not see tha ura of the Committee. Mr Procter clinched 3 O)0r3C »" * 'bo Chairman Jasd that a farther reSecija was being ®at upon him. The Chairman of the Committee was surety not to be a nonentity, who could not be trusted with a little ~®«t like the matter nnder discussion. Little thing," said Mr Procter, who continued that L 5 was not a little thing, heroes it would establish a bad precedent. The Chairman declared that it was unwgnitied to discuss tho matter, and psked Wat hi® resignation might bo accepted, iuia brought a proposal from Mr Orr not i Kcept the resignation, and Mr Procter, w seconding it, said that Mr "Sumpter J ala be the last to take such a ccurse, |or both himself and Mr Mollison had re•MPMd in hta favor. The motion was Dot pot to the meeting, and the discussion J? 10 the payment c f the account was con®s«d hi a most irregular manner, ft/?® 'k® 3Ctua '°n it was elicited that |f* had paid the expenses" of delegates to Dunedin and of the legal JPUKon out of the school funda, and this urew fruta some members an expression of °|?Wiua that, if the payment of the present

account would bo illegal, the Committee had already acted illegally in devoting any of thefr fnnda to the tame purpose. Mr Moll/i n iirijed that, the matter having keen removed from the control of the , Committte arid j.l.iced in the hands of a conference, tho c'nftrence should have fotjrd tho money to carry on the work. Mr Sinclair wai also of opinion that tho I money should have been raised by tha public, »r>d that the Committee's funds [n-ioiild not have been nsed for the purD'">»e.

Af'era li't!e further haggling, tho Chairman remarked that he had not acted in atiuer in tendering h's resignation, but had taken the only course which was open to him. Wr.on giving Dr Macgregor authority to order the pamphlets he had done f» in tho belief that he was acting in the interests of education. Mr Procter declared ho conld see horr the matter aroae. Dr Macgregor had wished to have his idea carried out, and had gone to tho Chairman and got him to bear a eh are of tho cost. He would not have thought anything of it if tho cost had been small, or if any good wonld be done. But the

i pamphlets were utterly useless, for nohody wonld read them. -Sll they would do would bo to gain for Dr Macgregor a little pabulum, if that was the right expression. The Chairman said that Dr Macgrcgor had dnr.e a «reat deal of work in c 'iinestion with the matter, and it would bo unfair to saddle him with tho whole cost of the pamphlet. Mr

Crawshaw suggested that Dr Macgregor should pay the account out of tha money h-r had received orer his travelling expenses aa a member of the Board, whilo MrProcteraaid that DrMacgreeorhad only done the duty for which ho waaelectcd and for which he was paid. And so the diaenssion went on for some time. But ultimately tho undignified proceedings ended by. an understanding being arrived at, as a means of getting out of the position for tho preaent, to consider the matter again at next meetfng, members apparently trusting that something might in tho meantime turn up tending to put an end to ch>- question.