THE "DIRTY LINEN" EPISODE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9534, 5 May 1909, Page 2

THE "DIRTY LINEN" EPISODE.

EDUCATION BOARD EXONERATES

MISS EVANS.

At to-day's meeting of •;, the North Canterbury Education Board a letter was received from the Richmond School Committee complaining that a class of children from thet school, attending the Sohool of Domestic Instruction for laundry work, had been told on one occasion not to bring washing from their own homes, as usual, 'and on arrival at class found that they were required to wash some clothes belonging to the instructress.

A letter was also received fr___ the Ladies' Advisory Committee of the School ofx Domestio Instruction, enclose ing the following resolution: — "That this committee has learned with indignation of the wanton attack made iipublio by Mr G. W. Russell, M.P., on a lady teacher in the service of the Board of Education. It considers it highly improper that- any complaint should have been made public before it had been submitted, to the .officials directly responsible for the t work, and is of opinion that, in the intere_ts of the pupils, it is highly desirable that as far as possible laundry practiCe should be done under the actual conditions of the home." . Mi* J- H. Howell, director of the Technical College, wrote stating that the. facts of ihe case were correct iri the case of the Richmond School, but the reason for the change of prognamme was that the day in question was immediately preceding the Easter holidays, when the teacher wished^ to leave the towels, cloths v and iron-rig sheets at. the Centre clean, /and, in order to occupy the time or the whole class, supplied other pupils with her own garments. In the case of the East Christchurch School the lesson on the afternoon referred to by Mr Russell was on prints. He had asked the head" master and Mi_a Evans if any complaints had reached them, and^receiyed in each case an answer in the negative,but Miss Evans was unable to say at the distance of time whether she supplied any of her own garments on the occasion in question. Whether this was done or not, it was far from being a '" charity " to the teacher, as suggested by Mr Russell. The chairman said that he regretted that Mr Russell had hot made himself better acquainted with the circumstances before he made what he considered at the time a cowardly on Miss Evans, a young lady who was doing excellent work for the Board, and doing it brightly and intelligently. Miss Evans should have the protection of the Board on thie occasion. t Several members expressed a similar opinion, and it was decided to accept the directors explanation and to write to the, Richmond School Committee explaining the circumstance-, on the line, of the director's letter.