Huntly School of Mines.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 27 February 1914, Page 3

Huntly School of Mines.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the members of the Huntly School of Mines was held in the the District School on Monday, Mr J. P. Bailey presiding over a representative attendance. MINUTES. The minutes of the preceding annual minutes were read and adopted. Report. The Council's annual report was as follows : "Your Council has pleasure in submitting its report for the year ended 31st January, 1914.

1 "During tha year the Council r met on eleven occasions and I dealt with some very important matters, one ot them being the [ incorporation of the School under - the Incorporated Societies Act. The draft rules, which have been ’ approved by the Council, will be submitted to the meeting to- , night for confirmation. The title of the section so generously donated by Mr W. J. Ralph is expected to be available shortly ; the plans for the school have been prepared, and the building will be erected immediately the title comes to hand. For this purpose the Minister of Mines, as the result of representation made by the Council, has granted £3OO. Your Council has been fortunate in securing the services of Mr James Lamont as Director. Mr Lamont holds first-class certificates for Mining, Mathematics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanics and Steam, and has had considerable experience in various coal mines throughout the world. He is expected to take up his duties early in March. FINANCES. “ The finances of the school are in a very satisfactory condition The cash in hand amounts to over £57. To this must be added a Government subsity of approximately. £7O, and by the end of the next financial year over £IOO is due in subscriptions. The income for the ensuing year may thus be estimated at £250. This amount will be required to pay the Director’s salary, but as the Government find half of this amount the school will have £125 to meet expenses for the year. MINING. (Hon. Lecturer, Mr J. Fletcher) “ Sixteen students paid fees for this course, and during the term gave instruction in the following subjects:—Mine Gases, Theory and Practice of Ventilation, Pumping, Timbering, and Mining Arithmetic. PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY. (Hon. Lecturer, Rev. M. J. Evans) “ The work of this class was hampered by lack of room, but the four students who completed the term did some very useful work, including the testing and dividing of all the common metals. MATHEMATICS. Instructor, Mr J.Carmody) “ Thirteen students took this course, and, though the work done was necessarily of an elementary nature, the benefit of teaching will be felt by both students and teachers when the school re-opens. The thanks of your Council are due to Messrs Fletcher and Evans who freely devoted their time and services to their respective classes, and to all those who assisted the school financially and otherwise.’’ BALANCE SHEET. The Balance sheet as presented read as follows :—• Receipts. Members’, Students' and other subscriptions, £ 8 D

REPORT ADOPTED. In moving the adoption of the report and Balanee sheet the chairman briefly sketched the short history of the school. In starting with nothing, the council had a big hurdle to face. < He approached the various local bodies with the result that the Waikato and Raglan County Councils had promised an annual donation of £ls each ; the Huntly Town Board, £2O; the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., £2O; while the residents of town had shown their sympathy with the movement in a laudable manner. Then Mr W. J. Ralph had come to their assistance by the generous donation of a valuable site, and the Government had voted £3OO towards the erection of the necessary building. During the past year various classes had been instituted, good work having been done by both teachers and pupils. The school was now in a fairly strong position, and its future success might be taken as assured. Mr Fletcher in seconding the motion, gave, at the request of the chairman, a resume of the proceedings of the conference of delegates from the various Sob'' of Mines in the u held during the year Ellington. "”ie report and balance sheet ) adopted as read.

THANKS.

On the motion of the Rev. M. J. Evans, a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Fletcher for his services at tbe conference. RULES.

The rules, as drawn up by Messrs Napier and Smith, and revised by the Council, were read and adopted, the motion to that effect being proposed and seconded by Messrs Bailey and Jones respectively. THE TEACHERS. The chairman, after testifying to the good work done by the honorary teachers, and of the value of their instruction to the students, moved that the indebtedness of the members to the instructors be recorded on j the minutes. Seconded by Mr E. A. Jones, the motion was carried nem. con. The Rev. Mr Evans and Mr Fletcher acknowledged the vote in fitting terms. ELECTION. The result of the ballot for the various offices was as follows, Messrs W. H. Bailey and the Rev. M. J. Evans acting as scrutineers Hon Presidents: Messrs W. J. Ralph and J. P. Bailey; President: Mr James Fletcher; Vice Presidents : Messrs Jas. Elliot and Robt. Greenwell; Secretary" and Treasurer: Mr E. A. Jones; Council: Messrs W. Brownlie. M. J. Evans, W. Gowans, F. Harris, D. Graham, W. Jolley, and G. S. Langford.

APPRECIATIVE. Messrs Greenwell, Evans, Fletcher and Jcnes spoke of the excellent service rendered to the school by the retiring chairman. At its inception the hope of establishing a school of mines in the town seemed a forlorn one ; but by dint of perseverance, and by constantly urging its claims in and out of season, Mr Bailey had been successful in establishing the school on a firm basis as far as finances were concerned. To the work of his office he had brought superabundant energy ; his efforts had been untiring; he had spared neither time nor expense in the advocacy of its necessity; and he could look back with pleasure on the first year of the school which he left in so sound a position. The highest honour in their gift was the honarary presidency, and, in electing him and Mr Ralph to that position, they were perpetuating in the only way they could their high appreciation of services rendered by the one, and their sense of gratitude for the generous donation by the other. Very often when an official retired from office his connection with the particular institution came to an end. While the present generation were familiar with their benefactors and were cognisant of their benefactions, future generations had no means of knowing to whom they were indebted for the initiation and inception of institutions to which they belonged, so that by including, and always keeping included, their benefactors as honorary office-bearers,they were not only perpetuating their sense of obligation for favours received, but were practically writing on their

“ honours' board ” the history of the school. The motion thanking Mr Bailey for his services was carried by acclamation. Mr Bailey, in acknowleging the honour, stated that as he looked upon the growing lads as his own children, it was his duty to help them to improve their position in every way he could and in what he had done as first president of the School of Mines he had been actuated by that motive. Nothing gave him greater delight than to help the onward progress of Huntly, and if he succeeded in doing even a little, he felt amply compensated for his work. He congratulated the new president on his election, and hoped that under him the school would make greater progress than it had. His assistance and help would always be at the command of the Council, and his best wishes were with the institution which, he was sure, would prove a boon to all desiring to improve their position. Meeting of Council. The Council met immediately after the general meeting, Mr Fletcher presiding. Mr Greenwell moved that as the council was fully satisfied with the authenticity of Mr Lamont’s certificates, he be asked to assume the duties of director at as early a date as possible. Seconded by Mr Brownlie, the motion was carried nem. con. It was resolved that the work of the secretary be recognised by the payment of an annual honorarium often pounds.

Tennis.

A Huntly team visited Hamilton last Saturday when a return match was played against the representatives of the Wesley Club, the game ending in a win for the home players by eight matches to four, or 103 games to 74. Appended are the details the names of the Hamilton players being given first: — Men’s Doubles. H. Worsley anil S. Pethybridge v. MeWilliam and S. Gleeson, 11—3; A. Sims and F. Bauckham v. A. andW. Ruston, 10 —11; T. Dillicar and W. Livingstone v. A. Green and J. Burgess, 11—4; H. Lindsay and F. Jamieson v. J. Burgess and C. Gleeson, 11—9; Ladies’ doubles. Mrs Dillicar and Miss Kibblewhite v. Miss Herd and Green, 9—l. Combined Doubles. Mrs Dillicar and and T. Dillicar v. Miss Herd and W. Ruston, 4 —9; Miss Kibblewhite and W. Livingstone v. Miss Green and J. Burgess, 9—l; Mrs Hooper and F. Jamieson v. Miss Horwood and C. Gleeson, 9 —7. Men’s Singles.

H. Worsley v. S. Gleeson, 9—5; S. Pethybridge v. MeWilliam, 6—9; A. Sims v. A. Ruston, 9—6; F. Bauckham v. A. Green, 5 9.

Class Fees ; 70 12 6 Mining, 4 0 0 Mathematics, 3 5 0 Chemistry, 1 0 0 £78 17 6 Salaries; Caretaking, etc. 9 17 6 Printing, advt., etc., 6 6 9 Supplies, Stationary, postages, 3 16 1 etc., i 5 11 Credit balance, 57 1 3 £78 17 6