Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1878.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 50429, 4 May 1878, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1878.

The Education Board appears to be doing its work iv an industrious and effective manner. K"o one will doubt the administrative rapacities of the chairman. He was worth electing, in spite of the circumstance of his inevitable absence during a portion of the year. The same, however, does not apply to the other two members of the House who have seats on the board. They would make good average members, no doubt, if they were in a position to be constant attendants j but any of our municipal councillors, say, who are here all the year round, would make just as good. Besides the chairman, the Rev, Mr Sidey and Mr Lee bid fair to be useful men; but we think they must yield the palm to the member foi' Makaretu, Miss Herbert. Her speeches do not occupy a very large space in our report, but they all contain valuable suggestions, based on local knowledge — suggestions which have, in consequence, for the most part, been acted on.

The Government have acted in a manner worthy of the practical good judgment which has certainly distinguished most of their administrative doings, in sending Mr Hislop round the colony to •communicate personally with the members of the various boards while they are commencing their duties. It will save a vast amount of circumlocution hereafter. We imagine the plan adopted by the board for promoting education in sparsely populated districts, that of aiding schools under the 88th clause of the Act, is the best, or, perhaps, the only plan open to them. Still, there are some of these districts so poor that it will be very hard if not quite impossible for the residents to "do anything for themselves. Eor such cases, special provision should be made.

It will be seen that Mr Kenrick has resigned his seat on the board for Gisborne, and a successor will have to be appointed. His resignation need cause no surprise ; the only matter for surprise is that he should ever have allowed himself to be elected. In order to choose his successor, the whole process of the original elections has to be gone through. Each committee lias to nominate its man, and when all the nominations have come in, eacli committee must select its candidate out of those nominated. We should think, however, that the process might, on the present occasion, be reduced pretty much to a matter of form. It will be generally admitted that the northern part of the educational district should have something in the way of representation on tho board. The Hawke's Bay committee therefore would best consult the interests of the whole district, we think, by voting for the Gisborne nominee.