THE EDUCATION BOARD'S MEETING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10419, 23 July 1895, Page 4

THE EDUCATION BOARD'S MEETING.

TO TER EDITOtt.

Sir, —"vVoold you kindly allow me space to. reply to the remarks of Messrs Cohen and Borrie.

• Mr Cohen implies that but for csy strong statement the iaatitate would cot faava passed the resolution. The members were perfectly acquainted with the practices of inspectors, tad any perversion of fact would only injure tie saccess of the motion. Mr Cohen's conclusion is certainly not complimentary to the intelligence of teschers. Again, he Bays my statement wan challenged at the time. I did not he»r Mr Ba-mett'a interjection. He was sitticg next the reporters, whereas I was in the comer of the room farthest from them. Had I heard, auy teacher say or imply that inspectors constantly left out whole subjects in their examinations I should certainly not have been satisfied with a single negative as an answer to the charge. Further, why did Mr Barnett vote for my motion? Of conrse, in the face of the reporters' evidenc3 I am not so egotistical as to imagine myself infallible. lam now convinced that my remarks must have been capable of bearing a different construction to what I intended. But I am a!so convinced that the teachers prssent (Mr* Barnett, perhaps, excapted), interpreted my remarks asl iatended. Sir Cohen knows well how easy it is fos language to be made to fit different constructions. Qnite recently a motion of his own was made by rival sections to convey two meanings diametrically opposite. Again, Mr Borrie, at the board's meetiDg,- said that I blamed the president for not informing the inspector feat I was tidsrepmied. If Mr Borrie will re-read my letter he will perceive that he himself is guilty of twisting the meaning of written language whilst he refuses to believe thtt my spoken words ware capable of being mieconBtrned. Had I been at Friday's meeting I should have removed all f *Ue impressions, but owing to an attack of inflniMoza I was obliged to leave Duuedin. I saw the report on Saturday, and immediately forwarded the letter which appeared the following Thursday. On Wednesday morning a Dunedin friend wired me that the letter had not been pntliehed. As the board met that day, I telegraphed the secretary, so that the motion mighs not be presented under a false issue. The same day I wired ynu, Sir, that delay in the publication of my letter was sn injustice to the board's inspectors. ■ ; v

Mr Cohen says I had a motive in my action. 1 was deputed by the Waitalri branch, as their president, to being forward this ca«e, and I did co bicause I considered it my duty. Whit was I to gain by so doing ? I feel sure that Mr Cohen, on consideration, will perceive that he was unjust in imputing unworthy motives. As to Mr Borrie's remarks about "blaming everybody" and being "in a hole," they "are evideutly extravagant assertions, made on the spur of the moment, and coasequently reqnise no further notice. In conclusion, Sir,, whilst-I' regret that my words were differently interpreted to what I intended, yet I am pleased to learn, from members' remarks, that there is no bar to Miss Andrew's advancement.—l am &i\, . G. W. C. Mactonald. Schoolhonae, Otepopo, July 201 '