The Head Master of Eton is also more or less
in conflict with his Under-Masters, but we confess we think he has the right on his side, and that some of the Under-Masters are going in for a " seniority " principle which would take all life out of the school, and render the Head Master's responsibility more or less of a name. Mr. Hornby, as it seems, has asserted his right to place the Under-Masters whom he deems fittest in the places for which they are fit,—in other words, to intro- duce the principle of selection in matters purely educa- tional, sometimes, for instance, putting junior masters to teach senior classes, and senior masters to teach junior classes, if for any reason, and it might well be in compliment to the senior masters, they seem best fitted for the hardest of all tasks, to teach beginners well. Against this there is an outcry, but surely, after getting rid of seniority in the Civil Service and Army, we shall not protect it in our public schools. What is the head master's authority worth, if he may not organise the plan of the school ? It may be quite right to let pecuniary emoluments such as the headship of a boarding-house gives, go by seniority, but no competent head-master would submit to an arrangement depriving him of the power to assign teachers to classes in accordance with his own judgment. To make seniority paramount is consistent with neither a monarchy nor a republic ; it is yielding helplessly to a fatalistic custom.
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