MEETINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1936, Page 5

MEETINGS

HOKITIKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE. ! Lour own correspondent.] I ' .... HOKITIKA, February 6. . Th© monthly, meeting of the Hokitika District High School Committee was held last evening. Present: Messrs. A. C. Armstrong (chairman), J. Conning, W. H. Shannon, A. Leslie, R. J. Pedder, H. W. R. Sweney and Rector (Mr, -J. L. Menzies). j Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. W. E. Richards and G. Adamson.

Miss Dexter, of the Dental Clinic, reported having attended 111 pupils during the month of December, and performing 237 operations, and for January a total of 21 pupils with 50 operations,

The West Coast School Committees’ Association advised that a meeting would be held in the Grey Main School on Saturday, February. 7. Mr. Sweney repotred that he would be unable to attend the meeting on this occasion.

The Acting District Dental Superintendent wrote expressing appreciation of the Committee’s; assistance and cooperation in furthering the dental services to the children.

The action of the Chairman and Secretary, in leasing the school grounds to Wirth’s Circus was confirmed.

The Education Board wrote confirming the appointment of Miss M. McGovern, as assistant mistress; also advising that the Board had decided to paint the caretaker’s, house and the detached buildings of the school. —It was decided to thank the Board, and to request that when finances permit, to paint the school building and the Rector’s residence.

The Board advised that the Board’s foreman had been instructed to renew the flooring in several of the schoolrooms. The Rector reported that the work had been completed during the. vacation.

The Prime Minister (Hon. Mr. M. J. Savage), the Minister for Education (Hon. P. Frazer), and Mr. J. O’Brien, M.P., wrote thanking the Committee for their good wishes on theii* appointments.

Accounts amounting to £l5/16/4 were passed for payment. The Rector reported that the year commenced with 66 boys and 59 girls, a total of 125 in the Secondary Department —an increase of 8 pupils on the roll number at the end of last year. The Primary School commenced with 175 boys and 141 girls, a total of 316. The number of new entrants was 19. New appointments to the staff were Miss McGovern, Miss Lane, Miss. White in the Primary, and Miss Penlington in the Secondarj r . He reported six girls were in. residence at the hostel, and four lady teachers. A lengthy discussion took place on the present position of the Girls’ Hostel, and the action of the High School Board in permitting the. present lessee to maintain her three sons on the premises. It was stated that the Committee issued a prospectus to the parents of the girl boarders at the Hostel on the distinct understanding that no young men were to he permitted on the premises. It was finally unanimously decided to write to the High School Board protesting strongly against their action in upholding the present.tenant in her action, as it was a distinct breach of the terms of her contract, and further that unless immediate action was taken to remedy the position, the School Committee would disassociate itself from the institution as a girls’ hostel. Messrs. Swenej' and Pedder were appointed visitors for the month.

. HOKITIKA BOROUGH COUNCIL. [our own correspondent.] HOKITIKA, February 5. The Hokitika Borough Council met last evening to discuss the proposed water supply scheme. Present: Mr G. Perry (Mayor), Crs. H. T. Parry, A. Thompson, J. King, T. W. Duff, E. (Teichelmann, A. R. Elcock, ,H. L„ Michel, and E. L. Park. A number of citizens attended.

i The report on the proposed pumping scheme by the engineer, Professor Campbell, was read. A petition, signed by 81 ratepayers, was presented requesting the Council to defei- the poll for the loan on the pumping scheme until the public had the opportunity to consider the alternative gravitation scheme. The Hokitika Fire Brigade wrote, stating that it wholeheartedly supported the gravitation schemes, irrespective of expense. ,

The Mayoi* opened the discussion to the public. Mr J. J. Mclntosh, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, enlarged on the Brigade’s letter, and the reasons why it considered the Lake Kanieri gravitation scheme the. most suitable. He suggested -the Council should meanwhile defer the renewal of the reticulation.

Mr E. W. Heenan suggested the full particulars of the two schemes be made public. Mr C. Ross asked whether the new pipe-line froiff the Lake already laid was included in the estimates of the gravitation scheme. The Town Clerk explained that this was not included.

Several speakers spoke in favour of the gravitation scheme, mentioning the quality of the water. Mr Jeffries said that a number of mistakes had' been made by the Council in the past, and he hoped that as anything that was done now would be paid for by the coming ratepayers, as well as the present ones, no more mistakes would be made.

The Mayor explained that as far as reticulation was concerned the pipelines might last a year or* two longer, but were in a bad way, and that the Council considered it was more prudent to anticipate trouble than to wait for it. For this reason they got Professor Campbell, who was recommended as an expert, to come over and inspect the proposal. He stated that the Kanieri Electric supply cost to the consumers compared favourably with other centres. The reasons given by him against the gravitation scheme were, firstly, the bad’ state of the town reticulation; secondly, the difficulty in raising suitable loans for the gravitation scheme; while the loan for the pumping scheme was assured. The increase in the rates caused by the adoption of the pumping scheme would be about 25 per cent, of the present rates, while the increase incurred by the alternative scheme would be about 40 per cent. The Council’s water rights to Lake Kanieri could not. be lost even if they wished, which they certainly did not. The gravitation scheme could always he gone on with, in the unlikely event of the pumping scheme proving inadequate. Dr. E. Teichelmann explained the increasing likelihood of the Lake water being contaminated as it became increasingly popular as a tourist resort. Answering Mr Mclntosh, the Mayor said the real alternatives were a new gravitation scheme from the Lake to the. Reservoir on the one hand and the pumping scheme and town reticulation on the other. Cr. Parry said the cost of the gravitation scheme would be £17,000 with an annual cost of £B5O, with possibilities of breakages, while on the other hand the pumping scheme would cost about £lOOO to install

and about £350 per annum foi* upkeep, the extra amount of the loan being used for replacing the reticulation.

Cr. Teichelmann said the pumping scheme was only an auxiliary scheme and that the Lake Kanieri pipe-line would not be abandoned until they were compelled by circumstances to do so.

The Mayor thanked those present for the fair discussion and sympathetic hearing, and closed the meeting after .a vote of thanks , and appreciation had been moyed by Mr E. W. Heenan and seconded by Mr J. J. Mclntosh.