LAST MONDAY'S MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9266, 28 April 1892, Page 4

LAST MONDAY'S MEETING.

Sir,— Kindly grant mo the use of your valuable and much appreciated paper to sny a few words in reference to last Monday's meeting for the election of a school committee. First of all, I would cay, thnt the disorderly conduct displayed by a large number of men nnd boys who attended that meeting proves to my mind thuc onr present Education Act wants altering considerably, whereby such Rcenes as wero witnessed last Monday evening may not be permitted to occur again. The Act has been somewhat altered, I believe, since the old committee were elected, and I am inclined to think from what I saw nnd heard last Monday evening that a veiy serious mistake haa been made in making the alteration, for Hiich filioutiug and hooting in I think anyshing but desirable, nnd if encouraged will be the mentis of keeping respectable citizens from attending such meetings in future. Another thing nlso I will mention which seems very strange to me, and that is that boys about 17 years of ago can demand voting pnperx, and vote, .knowing as we do that they have no interest in the mat tor further than to make a noise and upset the whole proceeding. 1 would aUo, --ir, with your permission, like to brine under the notice of tbe iugoiug committee one or two matters wbich I think are worthy of consideration. Of late the children's dinner time has becu altered from 12 to half-past twelve o'clock. Now I maintain, sir, that it is not a desirable change to make, for the reason that 85 per cent of the children attending our public schools are the children of the working classes, and as such the recognised dinner time is from 12 to 1 o'clock : therefore under the present rule a child cannot take its meal with its parents. Another matter which I think is of more importance is the appointment of a truant inspector for the whole district, say for a period of time. I recollect some years ago the M anganni Education Board bad occasioß to appoint an inspector, and I believe the result from such appointment was money well spent and gave the Board every satisfaction. Trusting, sir, you will comply with my request and insert thia letter,— l am, &c,, B. S. Lacbv. Napier, April 26tb, 1592.