THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2931, 14 February 1884, Page 3

THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

XO) THS ICDITOB ot THE TI3IAEU HIIBAU). Su*,— Your correspondent bss found a mare's nest; whioh be is at inflnite puins to exhibit. T. cannot withhold s> tribute of admiration for his diligence ia collecting statistics, or avoid regretting that so much valuable time and reiesrcb should base been expended on a wrong scent. Set to it is. Tour correspondent is at great. |»oins t» show that tho Timaru School Committer, being already crer-fed with good things from tho educations.! table, now wonts a monopoly of inflaeoci'iitthuexpenseof theouotrydiiitriots j trad he predicts that the country Coranitteeo will see matters m "quite another light." Now, if tlis were the fact, it would be indeed a sad matter, and no one could defend such over-acquisitiveness. But, unfortunately, tbe whole tliiiig exists only m tbo imsginntion of your correspondent. I should like to state one or two facte, for Jiis benefit and that of your readers. In th>* first place, your correspondent seems to assume that the rscont conference was simply a caucus of Timei-u Coßcmittsc* men. An a matter of feet, tbe great majority of those- who attended were Chairman and members of other Committees, and nothing was said or done at the meeting m tne individual interests of the Timaru i'mtrict. Again, all the resolutions) were carried unanimously and heartily. No decision was orrived st that bad any bearing wbate'rei- on the Tiraiira eobool individually, and lam quite soi-e the meeting would have broken up forthwith hod any suoh been proposed. What bus appeared m print .:oneeming tbe conference bears out what I bave since heard from persons who were pretest at and took part m it. The object of tho Oonfenmee was tiaty.j m take steps to seenre proper representation on the Board of Education, whether the reproientstivet wero Titooru men or not being quite immaterial. I'air-dealiog men, without local axes to grind, men without fads : and prejudices, men who aro not popularitybuntent on tbe one band or -wooden mem- .. bers on tbe other — these sro the sort of men we want on tbe Board of Education. Far be- it from me to say tbit the present members, are not the fairest, the mot t liberal, ;! the mo»t disinterested that eWd bo found ; but a good many people doo'li think no. ■ It : is not t;ie Timaru Committ<« that watts a ; ebangjijjin tbe membership. A llbango Is :. J oß tV«|;!w if the country Cloramitteas: not

, forenou and their sctitily m tha pro- 1 i csedings abundantly prove. Your corres- i 1 pondeat wants to ciaki people believe • tbe "impending struggle" is a roeru Town j versus Country luade. It is no such, thing. , The existing disc-intent is not of Timaru | birth, lhe country districts, — the whole of , South Canterbury— are interested In the ] Board, and are anxious to £ nd suitable men to beoome roernberuof it. I venture to prediot that unles9 sweeping ehnng.is are soon effeoted, . a higher authority will hsve to step m and j reform tho Board off the faoe of tbe earth ' altogether. | I am, J;:., ] Anti-Btocjieb. <