MEETING AT CAMPBELLTOWN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 57, 12 March 1880, Page 2

MEETING AT CAMPBELLTOWN.

♦ ... A public meeting of settlers on the Douglas Block was held ou the Square, Campbell town, on Wednesday last, at 3 p.m. There was a large attendance, comprising over thirty sett lei's, and amongst those present we noticed Mr Henry Sanson, Mr M'Lennan, .Mr Whiteman, and other influential settlers. The meeting had been convened by notice attached to a board placed in a prominent position on tho Square, and by circular, and very great iuterest was displa) 7 ed in the proceed* ings throughout. Mr James Reid was appointed to preside over tho meeting, and briefly stated the object of the meeting to be to take steps to secure the expenditure of the sum of money voted by the Education Board for the erection of a schoolhouse and master's residence. He then called on Mr San son, who attended by invitation, to state what had been done in the matter by the Education Board. Mr Sanson said it gave him great pleasure to attend the present meetiag. Education was an all-important matter, in fact, one of the most important connected with the prosperity and well-being of a district, and he was pleased to see the settlers taking so much interest in it. If the Campbell'settleineut continued to progress as it had done in the past, he believed it would be one of the best in the Count}' of Manawatu, and he expected to see the day when Manawatu would be one of the best Coun. ties in JS r ew Zealand. The present meeting would lay the foundation of the settlement, and the object of it would largely affect the future of the children of the settlers. He regarded good churches and schools as the very best legacies that could be handed dowu to children. Referring more particularly to the object of the meeting, he would explain that on January 15, the Education Board of the District of Wanganui met to consider and draw up estimates tor the comiug year, and in a letter from ihe Government, they were, urged to keep them as low as possible. At that meeting he (Mr Sanson) asked the Board to place on the estimates the sum of either £600 or £700 (he would say the found* sum, being the lower of the two) for the erection of a schoolhouse and master's residence at Camp* belltown. Though he had not been interviewed by the settlers on the matter, he knew that so many families were now on the block that a school was already necessary. But he had another object. It must be evident to every thinking mind that the Colony could not for very much longer keep up the enormous expense it had maintained for the past few years in the matter of school buildings : £167,000 was the sum voted last year, and in view of the depressed state of the Colony., he believed this could not be kept up. At the same time he thought that in these times of distress the settlers wanted as much as possible for themselves, without putting their hands in their pockets for schools. He therefore thought that it would be better to secure a vote at once, as, if the Government stopped the grant, they might not get* a school until the present children were past school age. He therefore got the sum mentioned voted for the building. Tt would be necessary for the settlers to memorialise the Board to declare the school district, and call a meeting of house* holders, in accordance with the Edu-

cation Act^at which they would r&» quire to elect a local committee. The committee, upon being elected, would require to ask the Board to build the school. When once the committee were formed, the Board would leave all matters of detail to them, as to the building. &c, although any plans prepared under the supervision of the Committee would require to be supervised by the Board's architect. In the memorial to the Board it would be necessary to show that they can rely on a certain number of scholars attending the school, as the Board had determined not to grant a teacher unless he would recei v c I at least £100 per annum, and that sum he (Mr Sanson) thought as low as could fairly be fixed for a master worthy of the name. The basis of the Hoard's revenues is the average school attendance in the district, the sum of £3 los per head being paid each year by the Government to the Board. There was also a children's fund of 10s ]er head, which was divided equitably, and so as to assist ! weak districts. The probable attendance would therefore have to be represented, in order to inform the | Board what the income of the master ' was likely to be. If the settlers | acted promptly^ the school might | be opened by this time next year. j He hoped then the roads would b« better, and that the children would be able to get to school easier than they could now. The present was a good fiHia for clearing, and if they carriefE|§jl. the regulations regardingthe election of a school committee, and that body asked for a grant from tho Board ho would do what he could to secure it for the district. He hoped the residents would get the work of building the schoolhouse, &c, and that thus the money would be kept in the district. A settler asked Mr Sanson what boundaries he proposed for the new school district. Mr Sunson syid they might either give the boundaries of the Douglas Settlement Block, or with advantage extend it as far as Milner's road. A settler remarked that the Wai* tohi school district bounded. the boug* las Settlement Block on ou side. Mr Sanson said of course if it were desirab'e to make the boundaries of the school district the same as the block he had no objection. Another settler thought the Doug* las Mock quite large enough for a school district. Mr Sanson remarked that the school ages were between 5 and 14 years, and that no children could be com* polled to attend school who lived more frhan two miles away by the nearest road. Mr James Costall then moved — • "That this meeting learns with much satisfaction that the Education Board has voted the sum of £600 to buili a schoolhouse and master's residence at at Canipbelltown, and in order to comply with tbe Education Act as to the provisions to constitute a school district and elect a school committee, this meeting hereby lesolves to me* morialise the Board with a view to the expenditure of the sum voted, and this meeting pledges itself to cooperate with tbe Board. Subjoined is a list of families, with children cli* gible for school attendance : — Bottcher, 4 ; Beckman, 2 ; Hunt, 4 ; Browning, 2 ; Newman, 1 ; Tucker, 3 ; Bull, 1 ; Gundetson, 1 ; Kobinson, 1 ; Staff, 1 ; Erchler, 1 ; Costall, 4 ; Klinach. 4 ; Kennedy, 1 ; Hickford, 3 j Mitchell, 1 ; Risk, 2 ; Mudford, 1 ; total, 37." The motion was seconded by Mr Browning, and carried unanimously. The necessaiy memorial was at once drawn up, and signed by about thirty resident settlers. Messrs Staff, Newman, Uobin, and Keid were appointed a committee to secure more signatures. A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr Jarvis for the interest he has taken in several matters rolating to the school reserve. In replying, Mr Jarvis pointed out the necessity for action being taken to fell some of the bush around the school reserve, and .thought the settlers should ask Mr M'Lennan to have the work done for them. Mr M'Lennau said he would be happy to meet the views of the settlers, and would either exchange the school reserve for a section upon which the bush was already felled, or would fall that on the school reserve. Votes of thanks were then passed to Mr Sanson, the chairman (Mr Keid), and the editor of the ManAwatu Hehald, after which tie meeting closed.