TARRING CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN

New Zealand Tablet, 7 November 1918, Page 30

TARRING CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN

CONTEMPTIBLE OFFENCE AT HASTINGS. Recently Father G. Mahony, S.M., Rector of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, had occasion to complain by letter to the local borough council of the action of some of the borough workmen, who, it was stated, had thrown tar on the faces and clothes of children attending the Catholic School of the town, and he asked for an inquiry. Father Mahony's letter was considered at the „ council meeting of September 27. The council's report on the occurrence was not deemed satisfactory, and the subject was pursued by Father Mahony. The subsequent proceedings in the matter are thus reported in the II aw fee's Bay Tribune of October 11: At the meeting of the Hastings Borough Council last night, the Mayor (Mr. H. lan Simson) presiding, a letter was received from Father Mahony (manager Catholic Schools, Hastings), who wrote: "I have to acknowledge the receipt of the report, presented to you at the last meeting of the Borough Council by the borough engineer re my complaint about the tarring of school children by the borough employees, when engaged in re-tarring Eastbourne Street on Wednesday, September 18, 1918; in reply thereto I have to say: I contend that it is not a fair report, and, moreover, is an absolute insult to me. I made a complaint for which there was "no foundation in fact." lam not in the habit of making a complaint without being sure of my ground. In support thereof I ask you, as fairminded men, to give your serious consideration to the following facts, and then judge as to the justice of my complaint." Father Mahony then goes on to give a detailed statement of the whole occurrence, and concludes by saying: "In face of the above-named statements I demand that this whole matter be opened up again, and that your council go thoroughly into same ; as I have been branded in the press report as one who is unreliable and to be brushed aside when I make a report to a responsible body, I may assure you that I will not be satisfied till this matter be set right and my reliability as even an ordinary citizen be vindicated." In connection with Father Mahony's letter Cr. King introduced Messrs. J. A. Gallagher and J. D. Donovan as a., deputation. Mr. Gallagher said that it was a matter of common knowledge that on September 18 children attending the Catholic Schools, to the number of 23, were spattered with tar by the council's employees during the tarring operations in Eastbourne Street. Father Mahony wrote to the council pointing out what had occurred, and asked that an inquiry be held. The council, after hearing the report of the borough engineer, decided that Father Mahony's statement had "no foundation in tact"—and those words, to any person, would mean that Father Mahony had told an untruth. The Mayor denied that the expression was used or that Father Mahony's truthfulness had been questioned in any way. Cr. King: You used the word yourself. Mr. Gallagher said when the Mayor made such a pronouncement from the chair it stood for an official expression. The words, "no foundation in fact," had appeared in the report of one newspaper, and. he thought, of two; and everyone who read these papers must have thought that Father Mahony had made misstatements. Regarding the inquiry made by the borough engineer, it was found that he made an ex 'parte statement from an employee. He made inquiries of the workmen, but not at the place where the occurrence took place. Who ever heard of an accused man being discharged because he pleaded not guilty. He made no investigation, and he was not even conversant with the workmen engaged on the job at the time. Yet on a report like that a stigma was cast on the word of Father Mahony. He understood that the matter had now passed beyond the control of the manager of the school.

11 The Mayor/said that- he had himself informed the sergeant of police regarding the matter, and asked him to institute inquiries. Mr. Gallagher urged that a proper investigation be, held, and that i the same publicity be given \ to thi3 in-, vestigation as was .. given to the statement complained of. They wanted,. to find out who was right and who was wrong, who was competent or incompetent, whether the investigation was complete or not in a word, they wanted justice done, and done, not in committee, but in open council. There was no doubt the act of tarring had been done deliberately. He was sure no councillor would uphold the tarring of children. The Mayor assured Mr. Gallagher there would be no question of going into committee. Continuing, he assured the deputation, as Mayor, that if the culprit was found the man would be severely dealt with. Mr. J. D. Donovan said that the engineer,. in making his investigation, did not interview both sides. Had he done so his report would be different. Cr. King said he was speaking feelingly, as he was the mover of the resolution to adopt the engineer's report, and he felt he had been made a fool of. They had accepted the engineer's statement as true, and they find his report was not true. If the engineer had given an impartial report the present position would not have arisen. No council-could impugn the character of a man like Father Mahony, a prominent citizen, without offending his people. Cr. Styles, himself, and the engineer had since gone to the scene of the occurrence, and they found that the tar had reached the top of the fence and gone right over. They all knew how tar was spread on footpaths, and that in the operation it could not possibly spatter the fence high. The engineer admitted that he had not visited the scene of the accident, and he made his report without such a visit. One of the children had his forehead and cheeks burnt with the tar, and another had his eye injured to such an extent that it was closed up. That a man in a responsible position should formulate a report to gull them was most reprehensible. Some action should be taken to find the guilty party. The Mayor explained that in the first instance he received a letter from Father Mahony complaining of the matter, and drawing attention to the injuries to the faces of the children, who- in some cases suffered severely, and asked. for a strict inquiry. The engineer certainly should have gone down and investigated on both sides, but he did not think he misled the council wilfully. He was certain, however, that the act complained of had been done deliberately, and he intended to move that every employee on the work in question be suspended until the culprit was found. The man deserved six months,, and if his (the Mayor's) child were concerned he'd feel inclined to take the consequences and deal with him himself. Cr. Beamish said that, no doubt, a great injustice had been done on account of what had appeared in the papers, and so Father Mahony naturally felt hurt. He proposed: "That a letter be sent from this council to Father Mahony disclaiming any connection with the statement appearing, as asserted, in the papers, to the effect, that Father Mahony's complaint had no founda--1 tion in fact; and, further, that this council did not, in word or thought, in their deliberations, doubt the veracity of Father Mahony's statement, which they are quite satisfied was a perfectly justifiable complaint; and that the press be asked to give every publicity to this letter." Cr. Adams, in seconding the motion, said he believed the engineer acted with the best intentions, and he took the word of the men; but if he had made further, inquiry and went to the other side he would have have made a different report. The men would not tell on each other; but in their own interests they should say who did the act, and if not every man should be suspended until - the culprit was found, and when found he ehould. receive instant dismissal. Cr. Styles (Deputy Mayor) said he had seen the clothes, which were destroyed, one boy's forehead had been burnt, and another boy had been blinded. Per-

haps ' the engineer '• did net :: think - the matter : was as serious as it-turned out to be. If that sort of thing Were 1 allowed to go "on' one could not walk the r streets? The-affair" must- be thoroughly investigated. - Crs. Cook, Stubbs, ''White, Clapham/ and Pratt all spoke in support of the motion, which was carried unanimously. On the motion of the Mayor and Cr. Cook it wis resolved by eight to two that the whole of the men employed on that work on the day in question "re suspended until the culprit was found out.