EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7542, 20 April 1886, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD

TO THE EDITOfi.

- Sir,—The election of chairman of the Education Board for this year has to be remembered in connection with the following interesting facts:—

Ist. That when Mr Eraser moved the appointment of Dr Brown he was ruled out of order by the chairman (Mr Fraer). 2nd. That immediately thereafter Dr Macgregor, in moving the appointment of Mr Fraer, was not ruled out of order, but indulgently allowed to expatiate upon Mr Fraer's fitness for the office. 3rd. That in making his motion Dr Macgregor was not interrupted. 4th. That Mr Fraser and his seconder were interrupted about a dozen times by Mr Fraer putting in a good word for himself. sth. That when the vote was taken on the amendment (appointment of Dr Brown) Dr Brown did not record his vote. 6th. That when the motion was put (appointment of Mr Fraer) Mr Fraer voted for himself, making a tie. 7th. That. Mr Fraer then voted for himself a second time (casting vote), thus showing that he had a double conviction that he was the fittest man for the office, while justifying the second vote on the ground of Parliamentary practice. Can Mr Fraer give any instance of such Parliamentary practice when the thing voted for was the individual himself—thus voting for himself? He will have to go elsewhere than to Parliaments for an example of such indecent exposure and barefaced egotism. No such instance has ever occurred in women's temperance unions, or even in the debating clubs of the rawest lads in the backwoods. Mr Fraer can evidently discern his own excellencies with the naked eye, while others cannot render them visible even with the microscope. When we add to all this that Mr Fraer draws a salary of £82 per annum for expenses, and that he not only canvasses for his friends in the appointment of teachers but victoriously justifies himself in so doing, we do not wonder that outside the Education Board his appointment meets with universal dissatisfaction and disapproval. Mr Fraer has evidently never read Shakespeare, who, with a fitting phrase for everything, has thus spoken apropos of self-assertion: "Who praises himself, damns himself in the praise." *'

There is only one noble and beautiful thing connected with this appointment—the truly dignified and praiseworthy conduct of Dr Brown, who, though unquestionably worthy of the honour, yet out of regard to such proprieties as rule all honourable men, refrained from taking any part in making public proclamation of the fact.—l am, &c,

Jack Ketch.

Dunedin, April 17.