The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 559, 3 September 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1880.

On Tuesday last at a Special meeting J of the Education v Board, it was reported that the Kev Mr Habens, ' Inspector-General, refused to inspect , the Karori School, in accordftu.ee with j

the wishes of tho Board, This refusal makes one again ask the question, What is the use of an Inßpectoi-Oene-ral who won't inspect? % Does tht* production of an animal lepoit constitute the entire duties ohm InspectorGeneral, and should he lay himself up iu lavender for the rest of the year? The Rev Mr Habens may be an estimable man, but it puzzles us to know what he is doing when he is not preparing his yearly report.••There was, in the present instance, every reason why lie should inspect' the Karori School. A grave charge of partiality had been made by the teacher of this locality against one of his Inspectors, Mr Lee, and it was clearly the duty of the superior officer to inquite into the matter, if only as a protection for bis snboidinate. We ourselves thoroughly believe that >'r Lee is right, and the teacher of the Karori School is wrong, and, that the result of a reinspection of the school in question will vindicate Mr! Lee's probity and judgment/, but the 1 public will not be unanimous in this view without further evidence, because it has not had the same opportunities perhaps that we have hid of watching Mr Lee's professional career. Unless the desired reinspection by another Inspector takes place, a great prejudice against. Mr Lee will be entertained by many persons. We have often seen Mr Lee's verdict on certain schools called in question and ' disputed, but in every instance that has come under our, notice time has proved him to have been right, and his detractors to have been wrong. The i Wellington Education board is now ! trying to obtain, at considerable cost, [ the services of an Inspector from , another part of the colony to undertake • the duty which the Rev. Mr Habens' ' has declined. The sooner the latter gentleman abandons his somewhat pretentious title of " Inspector-Gene-ral," the better. Perhaps if he wore relegated to clerical work again the colony would, though it lost an ornament, save a very handsome stipend, and Mr Habens would have the satisfaction of being usefully employed at least one day in the week, Who is to inspect our Inspector, if not an Inspect n r-General 1 Apparently the Inspector-General himself wauts a little inspection. Unfortunately there is no one to inspect him, and as long as he does nothing but decline inspectorial duty there must be little or nothing to criticise.