NGATIMOTI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 99, 28 April 1893, Page 3

NGATIMOTI.

[From our own Corresdondent,] After a long spell of unusually dry weather, this district has been favoured with a succession of mild, refreshing ahowere, just what was wanted for the uewbowq graes seed upon the large aiea of bueh land that has betn felled a-id burned this season. As the corn aud hop crops have been quite an average, aud the price of hops 18 lookiDg favouiajle, the settlers ure in better spirits than they have been of late yeare, for bißidea the above eiaojuraglng circuuifct-noes they are receiving consideiable benefit from the demand for sheep for the fretzing workz. There were harvest thanksgiving serviceß morning and evening at St James s Church, on Sunday, the 16th iust. The interior of the Uhuron wus neatly aud effectively decorated with flowers, evergreens, com, tto,, aud the gilts of fruit and vegetables were excellent, and made a fine display. The Rev G W Baker, of Richmond was the officiating minister, and delivered two eloquent and iinpresaive discourses to attentive and appreciative coDgregatious, the attendance, especially in the morning, being quite as large as the building could ounuortably accommodate. At the meeting of householdera on Monday evening there wub a large gathering. Mr R Sutcliffe being called upon to tak the chair, requested Mr J A Guy, the chairman and secretary of the rtt.iiug committee, 10 lay before the meeting the Committee's tieport as required by the Act. Mr Guy ttated that there wus do report ; as it had not been tte practioe of former committees to make a report, the preseut committee had not thought it necessary to do co. However, he would read a copy of the balance-shtt of accounts in audited and sent to the Education Board. Having done co, Mr Guy then proceeci i to read some other accounts which, in answer to a question by the chairman, he said were not iucluded in the accouu i sent to the Board, as the receipts in this fuud came from persons who hired the schoolroom for lectures, entertainments, &c, and were entirely distinct from grants to the Committee by the Board. The Committee had ear-marked these receipts and appropriated them to pay for prizes and treats for the children, as by the rules of the Board the Committee was not allowed to expend any of the ordinary contingency money for such purposes. Mr Sutcliffe (the chairman) tooK exception to this method of keeping the accounts as not being in accordance with the " Education Act," which requires that al' moneys must be accounted for in the balance sheet to the Board. A*ter considerable discussion on the subject the matter droppeed and the meeting proceeded to the election of the School Committee, "which lesulted in the seven gentleman whose names were sent to you for publication being elected without opposition. Several others were proposed but declined to stand, and it is sincerely to be hoped that the new Committee will he able to get more harmoniously with the Education Board than its predecessor.