E —Is

2

Taxed and allowed at £156 2s. 9d. Heney C. Bbewee, Eegistrar sth July, 1894. Upon the attendance of Mr. Cave for the plaintiff, and Mr. Stewart for the defendant.— H. C. 8., Eegr.

Education Department, Wellington, 27th August, 1894. The Secretary to the Education Board, Auckland. I am directed to send you the enclosed copy of an order of the House of Eepresentatives, and to ask you to be good enough to furnish copies of the correspondence required by the second section thereof. E. 0. Gibbes, For Secretary.

Education Board, Auckland, 10th September, 1894. The Secretary, Education Department, Wellington. In answer to your memorandum dated the 27th ultimo, I am directed to forward to you herewith a copy of the correspondence between this Board and the Fairburn's Eoad School Committee relating to the late teacher (Miss Wrigley), together with letters received from the teacher and from householders and others. Vincent E. Eice, Secretary

Be Wbigley v. Fisheb. Section I. —Copy of Correspondence between the Fairburn's Eoad District School Committee and the Auckland Education Board. Section 2. —Copies of Letters from Teacher, Miss Wrigley Section 3. —Copies of Letters from and Correspondence with Parents of Children in the Fairburn's Eoad School District. Section 4. —Printed Correspondence between the Tβ Eahu School Committee and the Auckland Education Board, re Case Wrigley v. Fisher.

Section I.—Copy op Coeeespondence between the Paiebuen's Eoad Distkict School Committee and the Auckland Education Boabd. Sib, — Fairburn Eoad, Mangonui, 28th August, 1893. Replying your 1709/93, duly received, in which you say that, according to the complaint of Mr Christensen, " the Committee have refused to pay the amount due to the person who has attended to the cleaning of the school during the past twelve months," I am directed to inform the Board that this is a malicious and deliberate gross falsehood on the part of Mr. Christensen. The account was not refused payment, on the contrary, it was paid on the 16th August, by cheque on the Bank of New Zealand, in friendly accordance with a mutual agreement. Mr. C. must mean that his meddlesome interference was refused. It was rejected because it is his custom to set parties by the ears, so that he may the better serve his own ends. The Committee are of opinion they can manage their affairs without being dictated to by Mr Christensen, who has, under the character of " our correspondent" to the Auckland Weekly News and otherwise, appealed to the public against the decision of the Board in the matter of the Fairburn School election, and, as this correspondence has repeatedly proved him to be unscrupulous and his statements untrue, the Committee would respectfully request either that his statements be ignored by the Board or that you would furnish them with a copy of his letter in which the complaint or charge is made. It is evident he desires to embroil the Committee and the Board by keeping up an irritating triangular correspondence, in which he is sheltered behind the Board, while the Committee is made a target and the Board a tool. Threats of law are used here freely by Mr Christensen to silence any settler who might be inclined to speak of his misdeeds. I was the recipient of one of these myself on the 13th instant. We have repeatedly sought an inquiry into school matters here by the Board, and till that is done it cannot be aware of the abuses which the Committee and the general public as well desire to see here no more.

Costs. Taxed off. £ s. a. J Brought forward 87 11 0 Witnesses expenses, &o.— ...... Thomas Shearman, farmer • Twenty-two days, at 12s., £13 4s.; travelling-expenses—| 16 9 0 Fairburn to Mangonui, 20 miles, at 9d.., 15s.; steamer, Mangonui to Auckland and j back, £2 10s. Carl Christensen, farmer Same as above 16 9 0 Mrs. Elizabeth Whitehead: Twenty-two days, at 8s., £8 lCs. travelling-expenses, i 12 1 0 £3 5s. Mrs. Dinah Coulter Same as above 12 1 0 V E. Kice, Secretary to Education Board Two days, at £1 Is. 2 2 0 W H. Airey, School Inspector Two days, at £1 Is. 2 2 0 Plaintiff, Agnes A. Wrigley Twenty days, at 10s., £10 travelling-expenses, £2 Gs. 9d. 12 6 9 161 1 9 Taxed off 4 19 0 £156 2 9 £ s. d. 10 0 1 17 0 2 2 0 , £4 19 0