Daily Circulation, 1500 The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1889.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4461, 30 August 1889, Page 2

Daily Circulation, 1500 The Oamaru Mail FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1889.

Iff another column Mr J>. Petrle, one of the Echool inspectors for Otago, animadverts on the reference in oar article of last night to the influence that the Board's officers exercise in the selection of teachers, under the new three-name ey-item. Mr Petrie fancies he sees in oar remarks an insinuation that " the officials of the E location Board manipulate the appointment of teachers by showing favor to particular candidates," We did not say that Mr Petrle had been guilty of the offence he describes; and it is not unlikely that he may be justified in asserting the innocence of his colleagues as well as of himse-f in regard to the Papakalo and Pukearl recommendations. But we ara not so sure that Mr Petrle has any justification in expressing a belief that the Board's Secre'ary had no more to do with the selection of candidates for these plaoeßlj than he had. If Mr Petrie knows as little about the action in the matter of his fellow inspectors as he does about that of the Board's Seore' tary, then he is not justified in asking ns to accept his avowals that those gentlemen exerted no influence in regard to the selections, It is easy to believe that the Board's Secretary knows the names of all the applicants, etc.; bat it is not easy to believe that if the Secretary had anything to do with the selection, Mr Petri?, or any other inspector would care to say so. It was not bad policy on the part of Mr Petrle to seek to Include the secretary in the aategory of those who are innocent of the offence, That Mr Petrie agrees with ns that an offenoe has been committed is palpable from his efforts to clear himsalf and his brother inspectors, and even Mr Pryde, from any suspicion of participation in the matter. Then, who are to blame for conduct towards the School Committees whioh Mr Petrle evidently thinks it his duty to repudiate ? If Mr Petrle's statements and opinions are to be credited, the Membera of the Board are the guilty parties. But it la scarcely likely that they would attempt to choose the candidates for teachershlps to be submitted to Committees without referring the matter, at all events to Mr Pryde We know too much of Mr Pryde, and too muoh of the Board's method of doing its business, to believe that the Board's Secretary would abstain from interference, and that the Board would ignore the advice of so valuable an officer. But whoever may be responsible for the farce of submitting the candidates to the Papakalo and Pukeuri Committees, it is clear that the faroe waß perpetrated, and that the Board has insulted rather than consulted those Committees. Mr Petrie protests against the insinuations with which we " spiced " our remarks. We admit that they were spicy, but they were so because we dealt with conduct that was outrageous. We have no desire to mislead the pablio. Our only object 'in writing was to protect the publio interest against the encroachment of that officialism which is seldom in harmony in matters educational with the publio welfare.