Mr J. J. Ramsay's Screed. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2046, 11 May 1893, Page 14

Mr J. J. Ramsay's Screed. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — A week or two ago you published a letter signed "J. J. Ramsay," dealing with Education Board matters. As this letter has been somewhat severely commented upon in more quarters than one, I shall be glad if you will publish the accompanying extract from the Dunedin correspondent's letter to the Clutha Leader. The remarks express the feelings of the great majority of thinking people. They are as follows :—: —

" Public opinion is strongly opposed to the course adopted by Mr J. J. Ramsay, or as is generally supposed the Hon. Mr Maegregor, in the letter which appeared in the Daily Times on Tuesday, relating to the Education Board's business. Most thinking people wonder if the officers of the board have not the right to protection from the members when they find them doing their duty ; but Mr Ramsay's letter is clearly an indication that if he and his party were in power, efficiency, long service, and the other qualities which the board's officers are said to possess would go for nothing as against party feeling and prejudice. Mr Ramsay, in his letter, gives but one side of the story. Thejother side is that the majority of the members of the board, who are shrewd business men, and are no partisans, will support the officers while they do their duty, and will nob allow them to.be sat upon, as is well known was the case during the reign of Mr Macgregor. Mr Ramsay and his clique have certainly not benefited their cause by the frothy effusion which appeared over the signature of J. J. Ramsay. •• For myself, I can say I have known the officials of the board for many years, and to their trustworthy, hard-working, and obliging ways I can add my testimony to that of many of the leading men in Dunedin who have known them even longer than I have. The truth is that the whole opposition shown to them has been got up simply to worry and annoy them, and surely they are entitled to some protection from such unfeeling attacks as that to which Mr Ramsay makes upon them, especially after they have been 25 years in the service, while the ' noble ' Mr Ramsay himself, who was then a youngster in the ABC, has been for only one year a member of the board ! The thing is preposterous ! Is it not absurd to think men like Mr Borrie, Mr Clark, Mr Fraer, and Mr M'Kerrow would be parties to allowing an injustice and a hardship to be perpetuated ? Why does Mr Ramsay not state explicitly what is wrong in the official circles that he wants put right P If reducing the secretary's salary is the one object of his seat on the board, and it appears to be so, he ought to be satisfied when told that for the size of the district the secretary is the poorest paid secretary in the colony, and further, that the offioe is the most

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economically conducted of all the education offices in New Zealand, no matter what Mr Ramsay may say to the contrary. It is in his ignorance that he speaks, or perhaps it is as some 'honourable' gentleman's puppet, and therefore he may to some extent be excused." — I am, &c, Faibplay. May 6.