SCHOOL CARNIVAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20834, 28 September 1929, Page 19

SCHOOL CARNIVAL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—My attention was drawn yesterday to a report under the’ above heading in your issue of Thursday, the 19th inst. Will you, please, grant me . a little space in which to comment thereupon? I was out of Dunedin for a few days last week, and did not know before of your report. The council’s minute and reports of its meeting (published in your issue of the 24th ult.) protested against: (1) The running of ajj art union by a public school committee; (2) bringing children .into close alliance with the gambling evil; and (3) requested the Education Board to investigate, with a view to preventing a recurrence at any public school. It was stated also that school children were selling the art union tickets. The charges made in the minutes are not denied in the letter signed by the chairman, the secretary, end the headmaster of the school nor by Mr R. H, Todd, in his explanation to the Education Board. It is satisfactory to learn that the committee issued no art union tickets to the children. Since such were sold or offered for sale by children the presumption is that parents, or other adults, enlisted the children’s help in disposing of them, and tha,t is regrettable The secretary (Mr Reid) stated that Inspector M Entee, after seeing the stalls and side-shows, had reported to the chairman that everything was in order. What he did not report was that one of the games being played had been adjudged unlawful and had been stopped by the police. Mr' iodd raised a laugh at the board’s meeting by stating that “most” of the games were the same as those which had been Presbyterian Church carni- '< a „{; Pair). He could not say all of the games, and just b°re lies the difference and the cause of the council’s piotest. There were no raffles or games Fair anCC tbe Presbyterian Novelty May I assure you, Sir. that no animus was shown by any member of the council against the school in question. The same ■action would have been taken in respect of anj other school, where like conditions ivere known to obtain, . Our relations with the Education Board have been in the past very cordial, and doubtless will continue to be so. I do not think, however that in this instance the tinnT c a l P u t T as thorough an investigacou'd have been desired We trust that the ventilation of this matter m your columns will have the desired .effect of ensuring that future efforts to raise money for schools will include no art unions or games of chance. Let th° children be taught that all gain should be the reward for service rendered. -I am. of Chdstkn^CongreSt. Matthew’s Vicarage, September 27.