LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16953, 15 March 1917, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

, THE TEACHING- PROFESSION AND MILITARY SERVICE. • Sir,—Since -I came to this city a day or two a2o you have twice published verdicts of Military Boards m New Zealand exempting private school teachers from tho operations ox the ballot. Public school teachers are not exempted. Tho schools of the nation are being robbed of many of -their most effective men to tho detriment of the children,- while these sectarian schools have not surrendered one of their staffs to the necess.ty of the nation. Nor is this all. On Saturday last, in Christ-, church, a public school .teacher who appealed for a transference to the Second Division for family reasons, and who sought to strengthen his case by referring to the leniency with which the Marist teachers had beea treated, was warned by the magistrate not to pursue the argument. At the next sitting of that same board a Marist teacher, as your issue of yesterday sLows, secured instant exemption. Sir, this' represents an intolerable position. I beg your leave, though a stranger to your town, to call public attention to the anomaly. The Canterbury Education Board, at its last meeting, passed unanimously a resolution deploring the differentiation shown in favour of sectarian schools. _ Is Dunedin, the chief educational centre in New Zealand, to witness, without fierce protest, tm inequity which threatens the well-being of the children of this dominion I—l1 —I am, etc., I J. J. North. THE SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE. Sm, —My attention has, been drawn' to a local appearing in to-day's issue of your paper with reierence to an invitation received by tlie executive of tlie New Zealand National Association to . send representatives to Mosgiel. _ This local sets fort/i as a . reason for the invitation ''that a statement luid been made to a number of gentlemen at Mosgiel that the association's, executive had refused to meet representatives of the Second, Division League in conference with a view 'to an amalgamation of the two bodies.".

As a matter of fact, speaking from my own personal knowledge, such an invitation was given, and my league Appointed four representatives to meet representatives o£ the association, but the invitation, unfortunately, was never accepted by the association. This happened during the "initial stages of the two bodies and before Mr Wilkinson became secretary of the association, so that no doubt he is unaware of the position. I regret exceedingly that there should be any bickering between these bodies. As wo nave already stated _ our league stands for no party. We are neither Kingmakers nor King-breakers. The main object of each body is the same, and it ■will be ■ most regrettable if the common cause should suffer through the ancient mishap of falling between two stools. It is not my intention to carry on a newspaper correspondence and so widen any breach, but common fairnfess_ to my own league has unfortunately necessitated my present lapse into print.—l am, etc.,

W. R. BETJGH, President Second Division League. March 14. ;