GREY EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING

' The monthly meeting- of the. Grey Education Board held last night was attended by Messrs. Bignell (chairman), Noble. Ryall, Penhalluriack, Williams, and Kettle. . - NEW MEMBER WELCOMED.

The chairman welcomed Mr. Williams to a seat at the board table. He knew he had always taken a keen intrest in the cause of education, and was sure that his work would be of service to the board. He trusted that the relations between him and the other board members would always be most, harmonious. Mr. Williams thanked the" chairman for fiis kind welcome. He did not come' without having- served his ap-, prenticeship in matters educational, as he had been on the Cobden School committee for a period of nine years continuously. He trusted that while lie held a seat at the board table he would do nothing to mar the harmony that had prviously existed among the board's members. MR. W. S. AUSTIN INTRODUCED. The chairman also welcomed Mr. Austin, the . new inspector to the board. He was confident that Mr. Austin would, give every satisfaction in his position, and that the cause of education would progress under his directorship. ' Mr. Austin thanked the board for their kindly welcome, and also for thehonour they had done in appointing him to the position, which he recognised was a ;very important one. It was. with great pleasure indeed' that lie took /up the work. The work, he recognised, would be pretty arduous at first, as the examinations were just coining on. With the .board's permis-' sion he wished to presnt a report each I month on the work that he had done' Kduring the month, and this would •deal : not only with ordinary school work, but also with technical education. /, . : ' CHAIRMAN'S .REPORT. t • The chairman read the following report: — ' Since your last meeting all matters entrusted to my care have received due attention. / Ngahere School. — The excavation work is completed, and has been passed by me as being we.ll and faithfully executed. Payment, as authorised by the Board, has been made to the committee. : Slatey Creek School. — The work of removal and re-erection will be finished in a day or two. ' . " " : Blackball School.— The fencing contract •is completed, ; and-, has been passed by the committee; and- various of the other authorised repairs have been effected.' I will visit . Blackball and Slatey Creek during the present week, and give instructions for the completion of the authorised repairs, etc., required at the former school.' Marsden School. — A grant of £j has been made to the- committee for urgent and necessary repairs to the school chimney". Ryder's Mill School.— The Inchbonnie Estates Company have generously offered the Board an acre of land for school purposes. In connection with the present application for a new school, I will visit the district and select suitable site, and at the same time deliminate the boundaries of the new School District. '.' Grey D.H. School. — The new building application grant as advised by Sir Arthur Guinness and the Hon. Mr Hanan was duly re-made through the Department, and all information, reports, p^ans, and estimates ' required by the Hon. Mr. Allen to advise the Cabinet are in possession of the Department. _ The matter is receiving 'consideration in Wellington. The School . Committee and all concerned may rest assured that nothing.possible is _ being left undone to achieve the desired result, . The Inspectorate. — Mr. W. ,S. Axis- 1 tin entered upon the duties of the position on October ist insk, and already he has made considerable progress with the annual examinations. Taylorville School — Six applications have been received for the position of head teacher, and I would suggest that the names of four candidates be forwarded to the committee for selection. In this connection I w r ould further move that the resignation of Mr. John Noble be accepted with regret, and that he be relieved from duty as from the 29th inst., as requested by him. .'■'..♦ New Member. — Mr. L. D. Williams has been duly elected a member for the Northern Ward, and to him I hajve much pleasure , in extending a courteous welcome on behalf of the 1 boar^d. -.-.... The report was received and adopted. . ■ HEAD TEACHER TAYLORVILLE. The following applications were received To-;, the position of head teacher for the TaylorvUle School :— England. 6 W. D4. Present position: Head master Tautoro (native) school Bay of Islands.. Griffiths, EHgabeth, Di and^ extra "uibjec'ts, first class cookery certificate. Ffteen years teaching under Grey Board. . Present position : Head teach er of Kokiri School. Hargreaves, Alice, >D^. Eleven years teaching under Grey , Board. Present position: First assistant, Taylorville School. x Hogan, Catherine, D 3 and part C. certificate. Teaching experience, six years under Westland Board and two years under Grey Board. Present posi-' turn: — Sole teacher, Blue Spur School Westland. • Malone. Michael, Di and extra subjects. Twenty-seven years teaching experience under Grey Board. Present position : (and for seventeen years) head master of Hatters School. . Moriarty, Michael, D 5 *and Part C. certificate, Four years teaching experience under Grey Board. 1 Present position : Sole teacher of Moana School. ■.'•'■ On the motion of Mr. Kettle, seconded by Mr. Penhalluriack, it was decided that the names s of Misses Griffiths, Hargreaves, and Messrs. Malone, and Moriarity be forwarded to . the committee. • : Mr. Kettle said that Sir A. R. Guinness would be back in a fortnight, and it would be then possible: to hold a full meeting of the High School Board. Sir Arthur was., hopeful of being able to get alKthe money required for the new school. Mr. Kettle moved" that, as the board would not meet for a month' the chairman be empowered to confirm the appointment made by the Taylorville School Committee. . ,;This was seconded by Mr. Ryall and carried. ; - HON. J. MARSHALL'S DEATH. The chairman said:— Since your last meeting death has taken from our midst the Hon. James . Marshall, iM.L.C, who from the inception of the board (some twenty-five years ago) ; until his decease, was continuously a member and for several terms its chairman. Sterling, honest and true, by his death the Dominion has lost one of its noblest , pioneers and statesmen, and education one of its most value"d and earnest champions. To you who knew him so well and revered him for his many inestimable qualities, it is not necessary to sound his praise, but as a 'mark of regret to his memory and one -of respectful and ' profound sympathy' with Mrs.

Marshall and her family, I will move that this meeting do now adjourn.

Continuing^- the. chairman^ said; that there, was no need for him to add much further. Those present' knew the late Mr. Marshall much better than he did. He had known him for the last twenty-six years, arid no one regretted his death more than he (the chairrrian) did. He was a kind and sincere friend. The funeral- . was largely attended. There were not many from Greymouth,. he was sorry to say, but people came from -all other "parts- of" the district. The old men whom ' Mr. Marshall had helped were all there'; and to see how those 6M chaps 'mourned the death of- Mr. Marshall was a good indication of the e'steem = in which he Avas held by those wlto knew Jiim. . ' Mr.- Kettle, who seconded the motion said that when he first took his seat at the Board's "table' twenty-six years " ago. Mr. Marshall was: then chairman. They had lost several fine men who had been members of the ■Board. There was the Bo". T/ Krrr^ Mr. Na"'' arrow, nnd Mr.' Joseph Po trie. They had nil bnen cxce I lfnt men. • Th*. Hon. ."■•J. Marshal], was also a splendid type of N man. Hr never had a baa word for anyone. He was a good citizen and a' good father. /He (the speaker) had 'been- intimately acquainted with Mr. MarshalViortthirty years. They could not, help noticingat .the lasH;' few meetings that Mr. Marshall's time would soon come ; but Mr. Marshall had always; strong hopes df pulling, round. It was not to be, however. Of Mr. Marshall it could be well said that he 'had "left footprints on the sands of 'time: ■ : Mr: Noble said that he extremely regretted Mr. Marshall's- death, • and. he (indorsed all that Mr. Kettle. had said with reference to the good qualities^ of the deceased geritlemari. He was kind and " approachable to everyone. • Miv Ryall expressed -regret at the death of > the Hon. J.Marshall. The cause of education in the Grey district had suffered an irreparable loss. Mr..: Mar- j shall. had done a great deal to help J education, not only in Grey but in. the whole Dominion. He felt that he had lost a personal friend, one who was hot merely a friend in name, but also in deed. He\hoped ..that the board's resolution would be of some consolation to the widow and Bereaved family. - •■■"■■■ "■'■'■*. ■ ' ' "•■' ■' ;• Mr. Penhalluriack said that he wished to extend his sympathy to the family. He had sat only once at the board's tab!e with Mr.' Marshall, but he had known him : for five ; or six years. : He had bad many ta'lksi. with j him, and he was convinced .that the deceased gentleman possessed . all the i qualities that go to constitute a true gentleman: ' • '■ I Mr. Williams said that he had known Mr. Marshall for many years, and what he had admired -most in. hischaracter was his straightforwardness. That was the stamp of man that was greatly wanted, and his loss would' be hard to fill. ...-:• The motion was. carried and the board immediately, adjourned. ;