5

E.—le

Sir, — Fairburn s Eoad School, Fairburn, Mangonui, 18th November, 1393. Your letter (1829/93) of date 7th instant came to hand on the 16th instant, delayed as shown by post-marks on envelope enclosed. On the 15th instant Mr Airey inspected this school, and, by arrangement, made at the instance of the Committee, held an interview with the teacher, at which the Committee was represented by three of its members. At this interview the question of the teacher's misconduct was gone into, and you will doubtless receive Mr. Airey's report, which, of course, I need not anticipate. On Friday, the 17th instant, at 4 p.m., an assault with violence, and attempted beating with a heavy school " pointer, was made in the Fairburn's Eoad School on the person of the Chairman of Committee, who had been induced by the teacher to meet her then and there on business of pretended importance, by causing to be delivered to him a letter of which the following is a correct copy and the full text "Fairburn, 16th November, 1893.—Mr Fisher, —Sir, if convenient you will oblige me by calling at the school at 4 p.m. on Friday, as I wish to speak to you on a matter of importance. Please let me know by the children on Friday morning whether it suits you to meet me at the time I have appointed.—l remain, respectfully, A. A. Wrigley " A Committee meeting will be held soon, at which this attack will be considered, and the course which the Committee decide to adopt in view of the above outrage, and other similar matters, will probably be reported to you without delay 1 remain, &c, The Secretary Board of Education, Auckland. Thomas Fishbb, Chairman.

Sib, — Fairburn s Eoad School, Fairburn, Mangonui, 21st November, 1893. At a meeting held to-day in the school-room, Fairburn's Eoad, the Committee unanimously decided to suspend the teacher for gross misconduct in connection with the outrage committed on the Chairman in the school, of which you already have my report. I remain, &c, The Secretary, Board of Education, Auckland. Thomas Fisher, Chairman.

Fairburn School, Fairburn, Mangonui, 21st November, 1893. I have to inform you that the Committee have decided to suspend you forthwith. I remain, &c, The Teacher Fairburn School. Thomas Fisher, Chairman.

(Telegram.) 2nd December, 1893. Be your letter twenty-first November Please send full particulars of alleged misconduct. Vincent E. Eice, Secretary, Education Board, Auckland. Mr Thomas Fisher, Chairman, Fairburn's Eoad School Committee, via Kaitaia.

(Telegram.) , 14th December, 1893. Letters received. Will be considered by Board next Tuesday Board requires immediate returns of school-attendance. Please send by first mail Public School [Register of Daily Attendance now in use, and Summary of Attendance Register, which are said to be in drawer of school-table. Vincent E Eice, Secretary, Education Board, Auckland. Mr Thomas Fisher Chairman, Fairburn , s Eoad School Committee, via Kaitaia.

Dear Sic, — Pairburn Eoad, Fairburn, Mangonui, 11th December, 1893. According to a report of the proceedings of the Board of Education, in the 2nd December edition of the Auckland Weekly News, the Secretary (Mr Eice seems to urge the Board to take precipitate action against this Committee, and also to think we are a bad lot, with our rubbish about assault, suspension, and closing school. He further said the Committee had given no particulars of the alleged misconduct. Either Mr Eice's intelligence or his candour is at fault. The report further states that the teacher (a lady) struck the Chairman. The reporter, as well as the Secretary, seems at sea in the matter It was not alleged that the teacher (whether a lady or not) struck the Chairman, nor that she even attempted to strike him, nor even took a violent attitude. There was a party present who did " commit the assault and attempted beating " —necessarily a third party—and it is almost certain there was a fourth party present, but concealed, the concoctor of, and inciter to, all the trouble here but he did not put in an appearance, because the Chairman promptly cleared out before he had time. The charge against the teacher is that by false pretences she induced the Chairman there to be beaten by her accomplices, and a verbatim copy of her letter was sent the Board in proof. According to the same report, Mr Christensen makes charges. They are absolute and deliberate falsehoods made only to serve an obvious purpose—viz., to make the Chairman appear as bad as the teacher and her accomplices, and he presents a ' mass of correspondence from the parents, upholding the teacher and her conduct." Does not this "mass" look just a trifle ridiculous, seeing there are only three householders who would uphold him ? as their names are as follows Thomas "Whitehead, Thomas Coulter, and Thomas Shearman, all the rest of the "mass " must be spurious. If the Board would be good enough to refer to my letters of the 28th August, 1893, the sth September, 1893, and the 11th October, 1893, they would, perhaps, see the whole subject much more clearly than at present, and if I have said therein anything wrong they could detect it but if, on the other hand, I have said what is right, they must see the need to discredit all the lying tales sent in to the Board since last Committee election, and there has—l assert it without fear of contradiction—not been a single true tale to tell against this Committee.