REEFTON NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 February 1937, Page 12

REEFTON NOTES

[OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

REEFTON, February 17

The annual meeting of the Reef ton School of Mines was held at the Council Chambers last evening, Mr. J. B. Auld, president, occupied the chair. The chairman reported that tenders had been called, for the erection of the new class room and the work would soon be under way. The annual report of the Council was read as follows: Early in the year the Council lost by death, two very active members in the persons of Messrs I. Patterson, president, and T. O’Brien treasurer. Both did much to assist the school. The annual statement of income shows that our reserve fund in the Post Office Savings Bank has be-, come depleted and steps will have to be taken this year to increase income. Assay fees have decreased £395/11/6 due to prospecting operations having been completed by 'several dredgingcompanies. Members’ fees show an increase of. £l/10/-, but of this only seven members’ tickets were, purchased by the general public. Subsidies and grants from the Mines Department and Education Department are decreased £136/19/1; this decrease is due to the shortage in amounts collected on assay work. It is necessary that the library be brought up to date. The Council thanked the director and staff for their work and the students for the creditable examination results. The balance sheet showed that expenditure for “the year totalled £937/19/4, and receipts £1054/12/2 and £l6O was drawn from the Post Office savings bank. The credit balance of the school at December 31, 1936 was £277/12/10.

The annual report as presented by the director showed that 50 students were enrolled including nine from the District High School in the annual examinations. TWo students sat for first class coal mine manager’s certificates, one being successful and one gaining a partial pass. One student, gained a partial pass for a first class coal mine manager’s certificate and two passes were gained for a second class coal mine manager’s certificate. Two deputies certificates were obtained and a hullion assayer’s certificate under the Customs Act was obtained. At the annual Government School of Mines’ examination, 15 students sat for 35 papers in 14 different subjects. Excellent results were obtained by students in the. above tests and in only 5 of 35 papers were third class passes obtained, the remainder of the students being successful. In the laboratory a total of 1369 samples were treated and of these 132:1 were gold and .silver assays. Thirty-eight, mineral determinations were also made and 25 small parcels of gold smelted and' cleaned for subsidised prospectors free of charge, 'rhe thanks of the director| are due to the staff, the various mine I managers in the district, the supervisors of the examinations at Waiuta, and at Blackball for their voluntary services. The reports and balance sheet were

adopted. The election of officers resulted: — President, Mr. ,1. B. Auld: Treasurer, Mr. F. W. Archer: Secretary. Mr. T. S. Patterson. Council: Messrs R. Aiborn, C. Willis. ,1. Quinn, .J. McEwin, A. Saunders, C. I). Buist, J. Noble, J. W. Pattersen. Hayes. James Patterson. The meeting night for the Council was fixed as the second Tuesday in each month. Mrs. Hill of Christchurch is visiting her aunt. Mrs. J. W. Pattison. Waitahu. Michael Turner, who had a foot in-

jured when at work on the road deviation at the Saddle Hill on Monday, is found to have had the foot broken in two places.