THE GREYMOUTH TRIO.

West Coast Times, Issue 4213, 15 January 1883, Page 2

THE GREYMOUTH TRIO.

(To the Editor.')

Sir, — A bull in a china shop is not more out of place, or more mischievous, than are such individuals as Messrs Petrie, Perkins and Warner, on an Education Board. The very presence of such persons in positions which onght to be filled by the best men in the community, shows that the day when education is to give to the great majority of people, the power of distinguishing the True from the False, has scarcely dawned yet. I notice that these three sorry specimens of humanity have beea reading the Hokitika School Committee a lesson on " extravagance." Good heavens ! The Gentleman in Black reproving sin was not more insincere, or more of a humbug when so employed, than are Petrie, Perkins and Warner talking of waste ! Why, this is the very trio whose criminal anil disgraceful extravagance in wilfully and wantonly squanderisg £1500 of public money entrusted to their care by a grotesque irony of fate, first brought the Education Board of Westland into its financial difficulty, and kept it in this difficulty, ever since. These are the identical men who removed the Board's offices to Greymouth, at a great cost, and setit men with axes, to deliberately cut down and destroy the fine offices that the Board already had at Hikitika. These are the raea who keep a large part of the fnnds of the Board lying profithssly in stores on bookshelves and stationery shelves, of which a tale could ba told, and will be told by-and-bye. They, of all persons, to speak of extravagance ! Buf is there extravagance ? Every committee, every school, every teacher, is suffering pecuniarly, ever since the shameful purchase of Mr Hamilton's property for offices at Greymouth was effected, and if committees waste tho small funds now doled out to them, they are, of course, very blameable, although Petrie, Perkins and Warner should not be the parties to censure them. The allowance to the Hokitika Committee before the £1500 was squandered, was £100 a year, After the £1500 had become a millstone around the neck of the Board, the committee's allowances were reduced one half, and the teachers also had to suffer, and do suffer to this day. Along with this £50 the Board allow £25 a year for a caretaker. With this £75 the committee has to find fuel for the school, t) defray a hundred and one incidental charges ; to keep the grounds, buildings, &c, in order and repair, and to keep a caretaker about the premises. Well, but the caretaker a'oue gets £110 per year, and a proper person cannot be obtained at a less sura. The committee, finding that they were drifting j more and more into debt, tried to get a 1 caretaker at a less salary than is paid to Mr Blair; and, after advertising for a month, had to re-engage Mr Blair at his former terms. Even had they succeeded in getting a person to act as a lower rate than Mr Blair, I am not sure that the committee could have taken advantage of the offer, for since the trio, Petrie, Perkins, and Warner, squandered the £1500, poor Mr Blair has always had hia salary six months in arrear. And if you discbarge a servant you must pay him, and the committee had, or have, no funds to pay Mr Blair the arrears due to him. Then Petrie, Perkins, and Warner say, " do without a caretaker, and simply get an old woman or old man to sweep out the school once a week, or once a month as we do at the Grey." It is of no use to tell Petrie, Perkins, or Warner that order, and regularity, aud cleanline3P, are as much matters of education as arithmetic or geography— for the trio do not com* prehend it. The Hokitika Committee, rnittee, however, from the first opening of the school until now, have always recognised tho necessity of employing a capable and competent caretaker, and would as soon think of dispensing with history or writing, as with a scrupulously clean and orderly school, tidy gronnds, regular conduct during play hours— all of which essentials of a child's education are

attended to when the caretaker is at hia pdst: So you sefe. tbat eNren the little ctiildreii are affected td-day by the shameful , extravagahes of tuß trio, Petrie, Pdrkini, .and Warnei, in squandering £1500 of the Board's money years ago. I am, &c, RtCHAEDSON Ri.E. Hokitika, January 13.