EDUCATION BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 June 1928, Page 5

EDUCATION BOARD

WEST COAST BUSINESS (Special to “Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, June 22. At to-day’s meeting of the Canterbury Education Board, the report of Mr. W. H. Johnston for the month May-June was as follows: —As most , of the month was taken up with the term holidays, only a few schools have been visited. I found it necessary to inspect some of the root-growing competition plots, and also have to report that they are progressing satisfactorily. It has been my experience, on some few occasions, to visit schools and find them closed for sickness or some other cause. As the distance travelled is often considerable, much inconvenience and waste of time is the result. This would easily be prevented if teachers would notify itinerant instructors, but as they have no instructions from the Board, they frequently neglect to do so. With reference to the Board’s letter of May 21 regarding the Ross school fence and requirements at the Arahura road afforestation area, I report as follows: The amount of cyclone netting required for the Ross garden plot is 43 yards of 3-foot wide diamond mesh netting. The Arahura Road afforestation area is a Government plantation area .between Hokitika and Ross, and is rough country from which timber has been cleared after the manner of sawmillers. Part-ly-burned logs of all sizes occupy much ground, while second growth is fairly thick. The land itself varies in wetness, some parts being well drained and other parts sodden. The Arahura Road area, however, is all wet. As some four seasons have passed since the first planting was done on the Hokitika-Ross area, fairly reliable information is now available as to the most suitable trees tor such country. From enquiries made, I have to report that the trees which are doing best are cupressus lawsoniana (Lawson Cypress), thuji plicata (Pacific red cedar) and cryptomeria japonica.

As the harvesting of the potato competition crops is now completed, practically all the data in connection therewith has been sent in, and I submit a separate detailed report. From this, it will be seen that the winners are. —Ngahere 90, Ist; Ruatapu, 79, 2nd; Wallis Siding, 78, 3rd; Humphreys, 70, 4th. Ngahere; Aucklander, 9 tons 10 cwt; Up-to-Date, 8 tons 7 cwt.; Sutton’s Abundance, 9 tons 9 cwt; King Edward, 11 tons 11 cwt.

Ruatapu: Aucklander, 10 tons 16 cwt.; Up-to-Date, I'l tons 13 cwt; Sutton’s Abundance, 7 tons 6 cwt.; King Edward 4 tons 15 cwt. Wallis Siding: Aucklander, 5 tons 8 cwt; Up-to-Date, 8 tons 7 cwt; Sutton’s Abundance, 6 tons 10 cwt; KingEdward, 16 tons 3 cwt.

Humphreys: ’Aucklander, 7 tons 0 cwt; Up-to-Date, ,10 tons 16 cwt.; Sutton’s Abundance 5 tons 14 cwt; King Edward, 8 tons 13 cwt. The Board was sitting when it was announced that a deputation from Culverden was waiting outside. The Chairman (Mr. C. S. Thompson): Shall we receive them? Members: Yes.

The Chairman: Well, as they have come over seventy miles we will hear thdni, but the deputation should have requested an audience through the proper quarter. The deputation then entered, and asked their business, “We came to see about a window,” said the spokesman.

“That has been arranged for by the Board,” replied the Chairman. “Have you any other questions?” The deputation thought for a while and then asked that a male teacher be appointed to the district.

“A male teacher has' been appointed,” was the reply.

The deputation had nothing more to say after travelling 70 miles for a hearing, and made their exit after an audience which lasted less than five minutes.

The following appointment was confirmed: Greymouth, Miss L. Williams (Assistant Mistress). The following resignation was accepted: Bell Hill, Mr. W. A. Rowe. The Building Committee reported: Greymouth—As the condition of the slates on the roof of the school calls for immediate attention, it was resolved that the foreman be instructed to clean portion of the roof and paint same with bitumen, as an experiment. The Kaiata School Committee wrote stressing the necessity for providingadditional accommodation at the school. The architect’s plan for an addition of 10 feet to the building was approved.

The Koiterangi Upper School Committee stated that it proposed to expend £lO incidental money on ground improvements, and to carry out additional work to the value of £lO as a voluntary contribution. The Committee applied for a grant of £lO to enable the improvements to be completed. The request was acceded to. The foreman’s report for the month was received and adopted. Hokitika: Authority was given for the roof of the school to be painted with bitumen in red. It was resolved that the Blackball School Committee be requester to ascertain if a new site can be procured, in anticipation of rebuilding the school.