NEW COMMITTEE APPOINTED

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 174, 20 April 1937, Page 6

NEW COMMITTEE APPOINTED

Hataitai School SEQUEL TO DISAGREEMENT WITH BOARD Following a disagreement with the Wellington Education Board over the appointment of Mr. E. Marriott as headmaster, the’ Hataitai School Commitee recently resigned in a body. The members of the committee were: Messrs. 11. R. Searle (chairman), T. Abbott, W. J. M. Aitken, A. E. Cook, G. Miles, J. H. Mills, G. M. Silver, It. J. Williamson and C. F. Worth. The meeting called by the board for the purpose of electing a new committee was held at the school last night, upward- of a hundred householders attending. Mr. R. H. Williamson was voted to the chair. Messrs. C. H. Nicholls, J. J. Clark and C. E. Blake, city members of the education board, were present. There appeared at first a decided reluctance ou the part of householders to allow their names to go forward as committeemen, and the view was expressed by one that there was little chance of electing a new committee till the meeting had heard the reasons for the old committee’s resignation. The chairman: That seems quite reasonable. Most of the people are curious to know why the committee resigned. In reply to the chairman, Mr. 11. It. Searle, chairman of the old committee, said he had no statement to make except that there were members on the committee who had been associated with the school ever since 1921 and others for lesser periods. All were competent business men, and they considered they bad a good reason for resigning. “We prefer to let it stand at that.”

A woman’s voice: “Is all this necessary? Can’t we just elect a new committee?”

Mr. T. Woodcock: This meeting has been called by the education board. Let’s hear what the board members have to say. Mr. Clark explained that the committee having resigned, the board had to call a meeting to give householders an opportunity of electing a new committee. If no committee were appointed, the board would then appoint commissioners. Mr. Nicholls: The statement made by Mr. Searle came from a gentleman in possession of all the facts and I want to congratulate him on making it in the way he did. At this juncture I have no further statement to make. Would Resign Again.

Nominations for the committee were then taken and all the members of the old committee were nominated.

“Have we any guarantee, if the old committee are re-elected, they won't resign again five minutes later?” a woman householder asked and it then transpired that that was their intention. Their names were, at their own request, withdrawn from the list. As nine names only remained the following committee was declared elected without the necessity for a ballot: — Mesdames E. M. Hart and G. Cross, Messrs. I. Harvey, E. C. McKay, G. E. Turney, T. Woodcock, O. Binnie, 11. IL Levick, and W. J. Dowsett. Mr. Nicholls paid a tribute to the untiring efforts of Mr. Searle and the other committee men in the Interests of the school. The board was sorry to lose their services, he said, and it was to be hoped that in the immediate future the little difficulties between them and the board would be washed away and some if not all would be available to carry ou the necessary work for education.

Mr. Searle, in reply, referred to the excellent work done by his colleagues on whose behalf he wished the children and the school all good fortune and success in the future.

Mr. Clark congratulated the meeting on its wisdom in electing a committee rather than forcing the board to appoint commissioners. The old committee had resigned on a matter of principle, he said, and that principle would not be lost sight of by the board.

After the meeting the new committee met the headmaster. Subsequently, Mr. Woodcock was appointed chairman, Mr. McKay, hon. secretary, and Mr. Dowsett bon. treasurer.