A Shameful Transaction.

Otago Witness, Issue 2293, 10 February 1898, Page 23

A Shameful Transaction.

TO THK EDITOR.

Sir, — As fch*s school committee? are about to pelect thiea men io represent them on tbo Ofcago Education Board I hope you will grant me bpaoe to lay before them a few startling but stricily truthful statements concerning the conduct of two oi the candidates, Meosrs Clark and Borrie. I refer to their acfc'on wis'a regard to the inspector of works'. They asre in the habit of pos<ug as fair and juafc men, and the committees wdl be able to torm thoir own opinion when I have stated a few facts regarding this difgrac-jful business.

Time after time the secretary and his friends had been moving iv the direction of having y, clerk oi" works appointed, and certain members of the board, including myself, opposed this, be!i«ving that is vws only a move for the porposa of sf.curing U.ie appoinfcaspnt for a certain official favourite.

The resolution having been carried in spite of us, we determined to secure for the public the services of a thoroughly competent man. Out of a large number of applicants the final vote lay between the "favourite" and Mr Nichol, aud tbe result depended upon fche casting vote of the theu cbairnum (Mr Coheu). Mr Nichol was yfci'ionally uuknown to Mr Cohen, and he consulted the architect, Me Somervill?, aa to the relative qualifications of the men. Mr Somerville unhesitatingly declared for Mr Nichol and against the favourite, thereby rendering a service of no small value to the Education Board and incurring the enmity of the official* party. This was the first check the official party had received in the matter of making appointments. They had been used to having it all their own way, and as the sequel will show they were fully determined to have their way in this inataace also. The present leader of the tffioial party is Mr J. F. M. Fraser, who was elected four years ago by the committees on the strength oi a manifesto he issued, breathiog out threatenings against the very party with which he is now allied. He was one of the most bitter in his opposition to Mr Nichoi's appointment ; although he was unable to give any other reason than that Mr Niehol was a friend of the Hon. J. MaeGregor. Acting as the mouthpiece of his party, Mr Fraser immediatply moved for Mr Nichoi's dismissal. He failed, but he has never ceased vowing vengeance.

The next move was made by Mr Borrie. Without any apparent reason, aud obviously acting under the inspiration of the secretary, he one day intimated to the board that in his opinion the services of the inspector of works were no longer required. The remarkable thing is that Mr Borrie should have chosen a time juefc before the commencement of the principal work of the season. A return was ordered showing the works in contemplation. The return when prepared so completely exposed tho absurdity of the chairman's (Mr Borrie's) suggestion to dismiss the inspector thab it was smuggled through wiihout being read — as inconvenient documents often are. If it had been such as to serve the purpose of the official party it would have been carefully read out. When it was asked for Eome time afterwards both the secretary and the chairman said they had forgotten all about it. Needless to Bay, liothing more was then heard of Mr Borrie'a suggestion— eveu Mr J, F, 01, Fraeer was dumb,

We now come to the famous inquiry as te the dispute between the secretary and tha architect regarding the new offices, in which the main issue was which of thoae officer* had told the truth. Mr Niehol gave a manly and straightforward account of the affair, and corroborated Mr Somerville in all essential par« ticalars, and thereby incurred the undying displeasure of the secretary aud his backers. Immediately after tLe inquiry Mr J. F. M. Fraser told me he was determiued to have that "fellow Niehol sacked," thus showing at fchs same time that pertinacity of purpose for which he is so well known and his complete Bubseivieace to a master miad. It has been well eaid of Mr Fraeer that the secretary can play upon him like a penny whistle, and he seems to be quite as unconscious of the operation as the whistle itself ; and bo we find him coming forward the second time to move for Mr Nickel's dismissal. But his action v?as somewhat premature, as the plot was not fully developed, aud consequently the motion miscarried. A third time he rsturned to fcha charge, and on this occasion he was fully areaed with a document prepared in the office for the purpose of showing that the work to be carried out during the rest of the season amounted to no more than £1377. Mr Snow, who seconded the motion, declared that he proceeded solc-ly upon this document ; and I am in a position to prove that it was entirely misleading, because, instead of giving the amount of all works authorised, ifc mtrelj* staled the amount cf unfinished contracts then, in hand, the works authorised amounfcisg to over £4000. If the board bad fully inquired into the matter before acting it would have been found that the works authorised afc the time of Mr Nicholas dis« m'sssl amounted to much more than those authorised at the time of his appointment. But this misleading document served its purpose by securing Mr Snow's vote and Mr Nichoi's dismissal. As to the motives of Messrs J. F. M. Fraser and Borrie, I have given enough information to allow the committees to form their own opinion, and I cannot say that I am surprised at Mr Clark's action. He hip always been the secretary* staunchesti stippt>rter, and ib has often been said that Mr Clark b»s secured more appointments under the board than any other member, with one exception. It is well known that a son-in-law of Mr Cf ark's was a candidate for the position of clerk of works when Mr Nichol was appointed. Whether this facb had any conaection with Ms Nichoi's dismissal events will show. This Id* know, that both Mr Borrie and the secretary some tittjfj ago asked the architect to appoint Mr O!-irk"s son-iu-lv.v foreman carpenter of tha new offices.

I thiak I am justified in describing this an a shameful transaction. A. man who was earning bis living as a buildet was led by the action o£ t'ae official patby to give up the business by which he earned his livelihood in order ha accept an appointment under the-board. The bo*rd fully iotaaded the appointment to be permanent, and if the "right man" had got the appointment it uo doubt would have been permanent. He is dismissed in less than 18 months after his business has beeo given up, and his connection scattered to the winds. No ono has dared to suggest; that he is not & thoroughly competent and conscientious mau. The ouiy pretext they have been able to invent to jusatfy their action is pretended economy, and I have shown wbat a sham this pretext is. It ill becomes those who have refitted every attempt to make even the leesb reduction in the Biliary of that highly-paid officer the secretary to prate economy. It -would bo »iuch easier to fiud a competent substitute for secretary a! £250 per year than to secure the services of a man competent to do the architect's work zA his salary. If their plea of economy were getiuies ft start would have been made at the iop. If one man is to be expected fco csrry on the architect's department I think fche pruning knife naighs well be applied to the secretary's department. * The same members who sra depriving the architect of his clerk of wotk.^ Thought it ii»cQ6£ary not long ago to »«rs« vide tbe tecietary with an aasanueiisb. Tho seflrctary'a departraewt now comprises sixofficers, and tbeit work is for the most part oi a. merely routine character, while that of the architect and iaspectoi 1 of woiks is eucb. aa to inquire gre&t skill and experience. I cliailvTige the chairman, with all the iasources of tha offi-3« at his back, to confcradics aisj of k.? scafspaents, and I appeal to tea comm,ii',--i ut rhis juncture to say whether they ali><i".fi »iot show their disaX'provA] of eush proctt:dinj-;s by refusing to re-el^ct m<m who were parties to it. — I am, &c, J. J. Ramsay. - AndtH'SOii'e Bay, February 1.