EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 13

EDUCATION BOARD.

THE WAIAREKA CASE. Tho adjourned meeting of the BduoaHon Board, sitting as a committee- of the whole to inqoice into the charges made by Mr P. B. I Fraser, recently head master of the Waiareka school, agaiusi Mr P. Goyen, one of the board's j inspectors, in connection with the last annual examination of the school, was held on Monday evening, when there were present— The Chairman (Mr H. Clark)', the Hon. J. MacGregor, M.L.C., Dr Btenhouse, Messrs D. Borne, M. Cohen, and A. M'Kerrow. The question baing raised as to the right of representatives of the press to be present, Mr Cohen moved — " That the board go into committee to consider the evidence with a view to making a report." Mr MAcGnEGOB moved as an amendment— " That considering the gravity of the charges and the conflicting nature of tiie evidence, the committee report that in their opinion the matter rkould be investigated by a ina^fcttiie." The Chairman siid they were rcet as a committee of the whole board to consider tho evidence which had been taken with a view to a report being prepared. It was for them lo say whether their bjiug a commiltuo of the whole board implied that rerorters were to be excluded. He thought there was nothing to prevent reporters being prefenb if it was the wish of the coromilteo, even though it was a committee of the board. Mr Cohen : I should take exception to that at this stago. Mr MacGuegob sa ; d the members would recollect that at the last meeting of the lo^rd i he moved thit the Minister for Education ba ' reg tested t > appoint ft magistrate to bold the inquiry into the complains and charges made by Mr Frager, and ho still thought— aad he was more convinced of it now thui ever— that was the proper course for the board to adopt. They now knew a great deal more about ( he matter (bin they did then ; th»y knew how eic;ediogly conflicting the evidence was. Ho waa uot going to difcusa th&t evidence, but they knew there was direct conflict in the testimony on several important points. He thought the board should even now relegate this matter for consideration to an outside authority. It was unnecessary for him to go into any detailed reasons foe that course, but it was sufficient, he thought, at present to emphasise the f*ct that the charges were so serious and the evidence was bo coufli.ting. Those two coaiiidrr.il ions should thetnsdvep, he thought, be sufficient to induce the board to adopt the course he now suggested Ho asked the board again to consider whether, from every pom« of visw, this would not hava been ths best cou«e to adopt, arid whether it was not the best and proper course to adopt even now. Dr SteniiOUSE would like to point out that Mr MncGregor stcmed to forged that was not a meting of the fcoird, but a meeting of the committee of the board. Mr MacGeegoh said if Dr Stenhouse wcu'd read the notice calling the meeting he would find th?.t they were met there as the board. Dr Stenhouse repeated that they were meeting as a committee of the board — as the cornmi'.tee who had already investigated the matter. Mr MacGregor said Mr Borrie's motion was that tha whole board should consider the charges. Mr Borkie : A committee of the whole board. Mr M'Kbhrow asked whether it was competent to bring up any businecs at that meeting. Thet would settle whether it was a meeting of the b ard or of a committe9. Mr Cohen seconded Mr MacGregor's amendment pro forma to enable him to say at that Btngo that if the Education Bo%rd of Otago was not competent to inquire into a matter as affecting one of its own teachers and some membsra of its 6taff, the sooner tbe board petitioned Parliament to dismisi it the better. It "was their duty to inquire into the evidence and make a report and to take their stand, such as it might be, on th&t report. If the conclusions they cirae to after considering the 1 evideccs proved not to be justified by the evidence, then ho presumed that those who sent him and other members of the board there would probably take early steps to teach them their duty. Until those steps were taken he declined to refer this matter to any outside body. Dr Stenhouse maintained they would stultify themselves if they abrogated the dufciei which devolved upon them after the inquiry had gone ou foi each a length. £fc waa also of opinion

. with Mr Oohso that they were sar,ily oonopatent to deal with suoh a m»tter themselves. lie mighty further cintaud tW if either paity ffttfl distatjsflcd with the rcault of the inquiry it was competent for him bo move for a f urfcaer inquiry. He thought they hud better go on wha the inquiry now they wftr« in It aad complete it. Mr BonniK also felt that hacould uot support Mr MaoGrffgor's proposal. H8 did nob thiuk MaoQregor had given eufSoieut rcasoni for its adoption. Blc MacQregou s I know no reasons would convince you.' Me BonaiK^Bftid if Mr MacGregor had given reasons the boarl wo-ild pr«b>.bly consider them. He ajreed with Mr MacGregor that if any member of tho board felt he wa3 nat ampetenb to decide ou t'uo eviconoo it was his duty not to take an active parb in it. Mr MAcGRF-ooa : Don't be fi&rcaslic. It does not becoins you. Mr Bockih was not /sarcastic— he wait stating facfee. He declined lo allow any member of , tho board to say whether he was competent to deal with this nutter or not. He was himself tha cole judge of that, and ho deolincd to allow any outsider to say whether he was competent. Mr MacGusoor : Tho public aro the judges, not yourself. Mr Bortue : I beg your pardon, I <*oat think tfcc public are the judges. The public have not all the evidence before them.— (Hoar, hear.) Mr MacGregor : Ob, yes, they have. Mr Bourns said as far as he knew the members were quite competent to denl with tho matter themselves. He certaialy objected to delegate his duties to any outside party: It seemed to him they would mako pretty exhibitions of th^rrselves Mr MacGregob : You have done that already. Tho Chairman : Order ! Mr Borrie (continued) : ——if they were Ijoin-jf now to adopt the cauroo suggested by Mr MacGregor. Ho suppoaed, if thoy adopted tbafc suggestion, they wo aid report after ilm fasbiju : "Tho committee, alter talcing all tho evidence, findß it it, nob competent to sift it, and thtrofore declines to go any further.'' He was not prepared to say such was the cvse. He did not thick the evidence, so far as he had gone through it, wai of such a nature as members of the cjmmittee were not quite capable of sifting. It seemed to him it would bo very absurd to report to th-3 board tint the coinmiitce wa3 not able to conduct tho inquiry. It would simply be reporting to the public that they were unfit to occupy soat3 at tint table— (Mr MacGrkgor: ''Hear, hear.") — and he waa not going, at that stage, to bs a parly to such a course. The Cuairman aaid at tha last meeting of the ccinmit^e it was re-olved that the Bams comniifctee should meet that evening to con* sider tLe evidence, wioh a vim? to preparing a report upozi tfce evid nca. He did n^t care to say that ib was not competeut for Mr MscGregor to move tho amendment he had sobmitted, but he thought it web quito irrelevant. He would, however, pub it fco the meeting. Tho amondmtnu was then put and lost, and the m •tioa for going into committee na? carded.