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NATIONAL DEPOSIT FRIENDLYI…

DYMOCK. -- I

¡FORMER MUCH MARCLE POSTMAN…

IBOSBURY.

LEDBURY POLICE. I -I

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HEREFORDSHIRE ASSIZES. I

I -,HEREFORD MARKET. I

COLWALL PARISH COUNCIL. I

Parochial Committee.I

-BIRTSMORTON. -; VI

% HEREFORDSHIRE STRIKE. )…

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HEREFORDSHIRE STRIKE. ) Teaohers to be Evicted. ( At a meeting of Union teachers who are 00" strike, held in the Hereford Town Hall, on Saturday, there was an attendance of 1250i. and the greatest enthusiasm prevailed. All parts of the county were represented. A, resolution was passed thanking the Union for its action and expressing loyalty and firmness to abide by decisions of officials. In the course of an interview, Air Nicholls, who is in charge of the Union's affairs at Here- ford, said that ha had had applications for Here- fordshire teachers on strike from many counties, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Durham, but at present, they would not be.. advised to apply. Interviewed as he left: Saturday's meeting of1 the special committee of the Education Com- mittee, Colonel Prescott Decie, Chairman of the County Council, said that the Education Committee did not intend to budge. They were filling the vacancies as rapidly as possible and would re-open the closed schools as-quickly as they could, It is certainly not a fact that we have asked the Board of Education to intervene," added the Colonel. "We do not want their intervention at all." Mr Wiltshire, Secretary of the Education Committee, laughed at the idea that the Board of Education had arranged an inquiry in Herefordshire. On the question of the number of appoint- ments which had been made by the' Education Committee during the week he was silent We have made appointments, and some to-day," was all that he would say. Mr F R James, solicitor, Hereford, attended Saturday's meeting of the Education Committee, and it is stated that he has been instructed to institute legal proceedings with a view to obtaining possession of the Council scnool houses at present held by strike teachers. SIR JAMES YOXALL'S REPLY., I Sir James Yoxall, M.P., secretary of the National Union of Teachers, is still ready to negotiate with the education committee. We are prepared," he said in an interview, to go into the question of facts and figures with the committee at any time. No one deplores the present state of affairs more than I do, but the alternative of leaving the schools to be filled up with the flotsam and jetsam of the profession is a very much worse prospect for all concerned. With regard to the schoolhouse difficulty, he said it arose owing to the action of the committee in advising school managers and others to secure, the ejectment of teachers. In many cases the wrong persons were directed to take action., The teachers are prepared to hand over their houses whenever a legal demand is properly made. The National Union contemplates contesting cases to see whether a special education com- mittee have the powers of a full committee. In a Government return just published Here- fordshire is the lowest of all the English coun- ties in regard to its rate for elementary educa- tion and even if the additional 4d. was included the total rate would still be considerably below the average of the other counties. OVER FIFTY SCHOOLS STILL CLOSED, Although the Education Committee have had.1 over three months to think about appointing headmasters in place of those resigned, their efforts have been singularly unsuccessful. Out of the 58 .schools which the county education secretary admits were closed last Monday week, only five reopened on, Monday, and one school has been closed. Nothing has been done to supplement the many schools working with insufficient teachers. Six, at least are without headmasters, supplementary, or uncer- tificated women being in charge in several schools. The average attendance is very much lower than usual, parents still objecting to old teachers. being superseded by strangers. As to what other appointments are likely, to be made, the education authority is silent. All that can be got from them is a statement that they are filling vacancies as rapidly as poss- ible." A few more resignations have been received, including some more head teachers. One of the most amusing incidents since the commencement of. the strike is-the request made by the Vicar of Strettcn Grandison to the master out on strike. When the newlyrappointed vicar heard that Mr Osbocn had resigned he wrote a letter saying he was sorry, they would not be working together, and asked whether, as he was bringing his own master and (mistress from. Upper Sapey, Mr Osborn would, as a" fellow North Countryman,, get out of the schoolhouse as soon as possible. This story has caused much amusement, but Mr Osborn adds, with a smile, "they cannot get me out of the house for months yet, so we shall see what happens. Many actions to, get the teachers out of the schoolhousea are expected, and they will be fought by the National Union. The houses attached to some of the church schools are trust property, or belong to private indi- viduals. Anyway the suggested, evictions have done the committee no good, for teachers are determined on the point, and, the general body of ratepayers are not in, favour of such high- handed proceedings. I COLONEL. DECIE: IN LONDON People are beginning to wonder how much longer, the deplorable position, of education in the county is to be allowed to. continue. The Education Committee meet once a week as if nothing uncommon was going on, and are appar- ently waiting; for outside teachers to apply for the schools, That applications are few is evident from. the extraordinary appointments made. Some of these teachers, since their last active work in the profession, have filled such 'varied occupations as those of a market gardener and an asylum attendant, while one head mistress is the wife of a farmer and another of a station- master. Again, the "emergency" teachers are receiving salaries higher than those paid to the old ones—in some cases by as much as 230 or £ 40 a year. Colonel Decie, ohairman of the county council, was- in London during the week on a visit connected with the education crisis and the hope frequently expressed by the managers of the schools that he will see the Board of Education officials. Unless Government intervenes, the struggle will go on indefinitely. Leintwardine School was closed on Tuesday, making the total number now closed 53. There is no change in the position at Ledbury. and both boys' and girls' schools are likely to be closed owing to illness. A Miss Wilmshurst has taken the place of Miss Dunk at the girls' school.

-'--'--OPEN LETTERS.

TO THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

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MUOH MARCLE.

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I LEDBURY LIBENSINC SESSION.…