WINCHESTER SCHOOL FOREST AND GERALDINE C.C.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10181, 17 December 1927, Page 1

WINCHESTER SCHOOL FOREST AND GERALDINE C.C.

To the Editor. . Sir, —As reported in your issue of the Gth inst., the Geraldine Comity Council have made no serious attempt to meet the criticism brought, against them in their threatened action with regard to the Winchester School forest, nor to remedy the- injustice they have set out to perform. Instead, Councillors have contented 1 themselves’ with pious deprecations of, the impingement of their honour, and expressions of shocked astonishment over the tactics of the Winchester School Committee; and have indulged in a further series of misrepresentations in a despicable effort to gain the public’s approval of their action at any price. The School Committee is now represented as having come to the Council in an underhand way, deliberately concealing information in order to snatch from the ratepayers something upon Avhich they could have no legitimate claim, and now, having been foiled in this by the diligence of the Council, to have embarked 'upon a campaign of calumny against the Council. The shrimp when embarrassed stirs up a cloud of sand to deceive its pursuers. Lest anyone should be deceived by the Council’s stour, permit me to state a few facts that the . Council will he hard hut ,to to get round. First, the chairman’s claim that Mr G. S. Ridley now retracted the statements made by him as a member of the deputation which waited upon the Council. ' I have Mr Ridley’s word for it that this is not correct; 'moreover, through the courtesy of Mr Ridley,'l hold a certified copy of his statement to the Council, which, being a recital of facts, cannot be retracted. The Council is surely hard put to it when they resort to such tactics. Then Mr Platman suggests that the committee was asking from the Council something it was illegal for the Council to grant. Does Mr Platman seriously suggest that the Temuka Borough Council, the Christchurch ■ City'Council, the WaimakaTint!River Trust, and' all other local bodies that have generously provided land for school forestry endowments, are acting illegally?'Mr' Platman further complained that the Winchester Committee had en- / tered into a newspaper correspondence in order to discredit the Counmil. Not so. If Mr Platman will trouble to look up your files, he will discover that this correspondence had its origin in a mis-state-ment published by the Council and which I (not the committee) im- ' mediately challenged (see “Leader,” November 10). I gave the Council , ample time to correct their error I before writing you. at length on the 1 subject; bub they have neither withj drawn nor justified this erroneous ! statement, the publication of which ! ,ca.st an unworthy aspersion on the : reputation of myself and the School Committee. What discredit the Council is 'under in this matter is entirely upon their own heads, and I strongly resent Mr ,Flatman’s statement that the committee have not approached the Council in a right manner, more especially since it was my suggestion when communicating . with Mr Mackenzie by ’phone, that a deputation from the school should wait on the Council in order to arrive at a definite understanding, and Mr Mackenzie warmly approved the suggestion. Again, the chairman of the Council is in error in stating that the Council. • was first approached by the School Committee. I have already pointed out that the Education Board made the first overtures to the Council. And what does Mi" Mackenzie mean by his published statement that the committee “had the Government scheme of education in their possession”? or that "they knew about the Education Department’s scheme for endowments”? In neither statement is Mr Mackenzie correct, while in his statement that “the committee quoted a letter they had received from Mr Readdie in March, 1926, hut only part of it,” Mr Mackenzie is absolutely at fault. The letter quoted by the committee was written by Mr Readdie on August 2, 1927, and it reassured the committee with these significant words: “There is no reason why your commtitee should not continue planting the reserve.” Finally, sir, the statement that the Council always understood that the trees would belong to the Council, and that the Council did not know until recently that the committee were claiming the trees, is not correct; and if any Councillor challenges this, I am prepared- to prove it from their own correspondence.-—I am, etc., J. L. WiHITB, . . ' Head Teacher. Winchester School, 13/12/27. To the. Editor. Sir, —Enclosed is a copy of a letter referring to 'your'report of!

the December meeting of the Geraldine County Council. I would bo obliged if you would publish it.— I am, etc,, G. S. RIDLEY. Timaru, sth December, 1927. (Enclosure). The Chairman, Geraldine County Council. Sir, —I enclose herewith the circular issued by the Canterbury Education Board on 20th August, 1925, upon which Winchester and other school committees have made their plans and based their negotiations for securing land for school plantations. I was surprised to have my applications to your officers reported as part of the Council’s open debate. My visits were entirely without authority, for tho purpose of receiving such help as your officers could give me. I had to recognise your decisions as limiting and governing matters discussed but I do not realise the justice of the Council’s attitude. All my statements before your November meeting were facts which, as such, are unalterable. I am writing and publishing this (presuming the courtesy of the Timaru Herald and the Temuka Leader) so that any assumptions made from the report will not prejudice the Canterbury Education Board or the Winchester School Committee. —I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, G. S. RIDLEY. -