SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9047, 7 May 1888, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

WAIUKU. Tiie annual meeting of tho householders for the election of a school committee took place on April '23. There were about 100 householders present. Mr. A. W. Manning was voted to the chair. Tho secretary read the report and balance-sheet, which showed that during tho past year the schools in the district had, with few exceptions, been carried on in a satisfactory manner, and changes were about being made in those schools in which the results were unsatisfactory. The results of the standard examinations in four of tho schools were excellent. The committee considered the removal of Mr. Sumner a loss to tho district, although believing his place at Waipipi was worthily filled by Mr. Worsley. The new teacher at Waitangi (Miss Lscott) was too short a time in the district for the committee to say anything respecting her. In consequence of the falling ofl in the attendance, Central Waitangi and Kohokolie schools combined with the new regulations as to calculating the average attendance. Tho services of throe pupil teachers have been dis{>enscd with, and the committee impressed on tho parents the imperative necessity of keeping up the attendance. When a school with a roll of about 50 fell to under 25 for the month, and one with .28 to 16, it certainly showed that the parents could not have made much effort to send their children. The committee in calling for tenders for cleaning the schools had effected a considerable reduction in tho cost of such work. Tho committee suggested that the present district be divided by cutting off Waipipi and Kohekohe, and that it should be an instruction from the meeting to the new committee to take the necessary steps to carry that out. The balance - sheet showed :—Receipts : Balance in hand, 1887, 7s 5d ; grants for ordinary individual purposes, £66 10s; tank, &c., Brookside, £8 10s ; shelter shed, Karaotahi, £10 ; donations, clearing, and grassing, Waipipi, £6 6s 6d ; sale of old desk, £1 : total, £92 13s lid. Expenditure : Cleaning schools, £30 3s lid ; fuel for school use, £4 12s ; repairs to buildings, &c., £15 9s (id ; books, maps, &c., £3 5s 7Jd ; Brookside, tank, spouting, &c., £8 10s; Karaotahi shelter shed, £12 12s; postage, telegram, &c., 12s; clearing and grassing Waipipi school ground, £15 Is 5d ; balance in hand, £1 17s ssd : total, £92 13s lid. Mr. C. Hosking proposed, " That the present school district be divided into two school districts." Seconded by Mr. Constable. Mr. Muir proposed as an amendment, " That the district be divided into four distrtcts." Seconded by Mr. Greenhead. After a long discussion, the amendment was carried by a large majority. The report and balancesheet were adopted. Eleven householders were nominated as a school committee, and Messrs. C. T. and A. M. Barriball were appointed scrutineers. At the close of the poll the numbers were as follows :— R. Bent, 111; A. Muir, 86; J. J. Deed, 68; W. Douglas, 65 ; J. T. Mellsop, 61 ; R. Craig, 54; T. Mitchie, 45; J. McDonnell, 41; J. L. West, 38; G. McPherson, 37 ; G. H. Selby, 30. The chairman declared the first seven duly elected. A vote of thanks to the outgoing committee and chairman brought the meeting to a close. At a meeting of the newlyelected committee, Mr. Bent was elected chairman and Mr. Mellsop secretary and treasurer.[Own Correspondent.]

WHANGAREI. The meeting of householders was held in the Council Chambers on April 23. There was a very good attendance. Mr. Robert Reyburn was called to the chair. The treasurer of the late committee (Mr. R. Mair) read the accounts, showing that the expenditure amounted to £33 9s 3d, and the receipts to an eqnal sum. The accounts were passed as read. The chairman of the lato committee (Mr. Broadbent) made a statement referring to the attendance, annual examination, and the amount allowed by the Board of Education to keep the school clean being quite insufficient. He spoke of the staff of teachers in a very complimentary manner, and to the great want of a school shod to protect the children from the inclemency of the weather, suggesting that an entertainment should be got up by their amateur friends for the purpose of helping to build one. A vote of thanks and approval Wits then passed to the outgoing committee. A new committee was elected, consisting of Messrs. Broadbent, Reid, Mair, Wilson, Palmer, Norman, and Reyburn. A vote of thanks to the chairman (Mr. Reyburn) concluded the public meeting. The new committee then held their first meeting, when Messrs. Broadbent, Wilson, and Mair were elected to the offices of chairman, secretary, and treasurer respectively. Accounts were passed to the amount of £2 6s. The secretary was directed to write to the Board of Education urging the enlargement of the school-house, as in one room there was a deficieney of 420 square feet of the space allowed to each scholar. A deputation was then appointed to ask the amateurs to give an entertainment to help the building of a shed. A rota of attendance was then fixed for the visiting of the school by the committee, and the meetings arranged to be held on the first Saturday of each month, at 10 o'clock, in the Council Chamber. This concluded the business.— [A Correspondent.] I'APAROA. The annual meeting of householders for the election of a school committee was held on April 23. Mr. Parsons was called to the chair. The abstract of the school funds for the past year is as follows:—Receipts : To balance in hand Januay 1, 1887, £10 l!)s 10Jd; receipts from Education Board, £17 ; use of school for Resident Magistrate's Court, £5 16s 8d: total, £33 16s 6id. Expenditure : By cleaning, £7 14s 4d ; repairs, £8 12s 6d; furniture, £2 7s ; stationery, 8s 6d ; rent for Wesleyan Chapel for use of Homestead School, £3 10s; balance in hand, £11 4s 2|d: total, £33 16s 6id. Messrs. Parsons, 0. C. Hames, G. Cliff, W. Goodall, Dodds, W. W. Ariell, and Skelton were then elected, without opposition, a committee for the ensuing year. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting, Tho newlyelected school committee then held their first meeting, when Mr. G. Cliff was reelected chairman, and Mr. 0. C. Haines was chosen to be secretary.—[Own Correspondent.] rOLLOK.

The school committee for last term held a meeting in the school-house on April 23, at 1 p.m., to look over the treasurer's books. They appeared to be right, showing a small balance to the credit side. At 2 p.m. on the same day, and at the same place, the annual meeting of householders was held for the purpose of appointing a new committee. Messrs. R. Houston, J. M. Clark, A. Clark, J. Torbet, M. C. Notman, T. Brownlee, and J. Scoullar were duly appointed a committee for this term. Immediately thereafter, the new committee held a meeting, and appointed Mr. R. Houston as chairman.—[Own Correspondent.] WAIRANGI. The following were elected the committee for the Wairangi school district: — Messrs. William Ross, G. Sampson, R. Lindsay, J. T. Mcars, I). Bruce, James Ross, and R. Mears. At tho meeting; of the newly-elected committee Mr. R. Lindsay was elected chairman and Mr. J. T. Mears secretary. GREAT barrier. The school committee election took place at the school-house on April 23. Owing to the day being very wet, tho electors did not muster up in full force. Tho affair was somewhat mismanaged. Seven candidates were nominated, but no one seconded the proposals. The chairman then declared the candidates elected. A ballot was called for, but was refused.—[Own Correspondent.] VICTORIA VALLEY. The annual meeting of householders took place in the schoolroom on April 23, at 2 p.m., when the chairman of the old committee gave a statement of accounts for the past year, which was approved of by the householders. Then the meeting proceeded to elect a new committee, composed as follows : Messrs. W. F. Thompson, A. E. Panther, C. H. White, J. Swit.zer, H. H. Thompson, D. F. Panther, and T. Wallace. At the first meeting, held immediately after, Mr. W. F. Thompson was elected chairman.—[Own Correspondent.] FOKKNO VALLEY. The annual meeting of householders for the election of a school committee took place on April 23. About 20 householders wcro present. Mr. Lyons occupied the

chair. Nine candidates were proposed as a committee—Messrs. Motion, Appleby, T. Wright, R. Pendergrass, J. Dean, D. Maxwell, C. Sharkson, R. Pendergrass, and E. G. Hobbs. Tho last two retired to save a contest, and the first seven were duly elected. The meeting then separated. The committee met immediately, and elected Mr. Motion chairman for the coming year.[Own Correspondent.]

WAITAKEREI. A meeting for the election of a new school committee was held at Swanson on Monday, April 23, at 7 p.m. Great interest was shown on the occasion, and the meetifig was rather lively. The following gentlemen were elected Messrs. Charles Brown, Samuel E. Cross, William Huatt, William Letts, Henry Smyth, L. Tierney, and George Wilkins. A meeting afterwards held for the election of a chairman ended in disorder, part being for the Rev. S. E. Cross (who was absent) and part for Mr. W. Letts. Nothing was decided.— [Own Correspondent.] OXFORD. The residents of tlu3 district met on April 23 at Rose's Hotel, Mr. 1). Griffiths presiding. After a goneral discussion of the educational requirements of the distr ct, the following were elected the comm ttee for the ensuing year : —Messrs. D. 8 eriff, H. Haseler, D. Griffiths, H. Kerr, J Tyson, J. Speck, and W. Medhurst. At a subsequent meeting of the committee, Mr. D. Griffiths was unanimously elected chairman.—[A Correspondent.] PUHOI. The school committee election took place on the 23rd ultimo. Everything went off very quietly. There was no "bunkum" indulged in on the occasion. Messrs. Rusack, Straka, C. Schischka, Scriven, John Scholium, J. Wenzlick, and George Weznlick were elected the committee for tho coming year, Mr. Rusack receiving the largest number of votes. Mr. Robert Scriven was elected chairman by the majority, and said he was a lover of fair play, and would endeavour to see justice done to all.—[A Correspondent.]

RAHOTU. The annual meeting of householders took place on April 23. 4here were 26 present at the beginning of the meeting ; afterwards about 40. Mr. Chapman was appointed chairman. Mr. Coffey called the attention of Mr. Gane to the fact of boys voting. They were asked not to interfere with the proceedings of the meeting. Mr. Anderson asked if people living south of the Moutoti could vote. The Chairman said, "Certainly. They were in the Rahotu school district, and held the same qualifications now as ever they did. The Oaonui district was not declared yet." The balance-sheet and report were read by the chairman, as chairman of the outgoing committee, and were unanimously adopted. There was on the roll for March quarter 32, average 25 ; June, 34, average I 25; September, 34, average, 18 ; December, 37, average 22; March, 40, average 32. The receipts amounted to £16 10s yd, and the expenses to £15 8s 4d, leaving cash in hand, £1 2s sd. A long argument arose between householders living on the north of Okahu and thoso on the south. The ones on the north had the presumption to dictate and say who should vote or not living south. The Board had called a meeting of settlers living south of the Okahu, who had met and suggested boundaries and elected a committee, although the Board had not declared the district. The settlers north wanted to define the boundary themselves, against the wishes of those living south, and say who should vote. Mr. Chapman amused the meeting by saying that, when the settlers south of Okahu held their meeting, not one from the north side attended. Surely not; they had no right. If they had attended, they would have been interlopers, and would not have been allowed there, as they were not settlers living ■within the boundaries named in the advertisement. Mr. Wright quoted the Board upsetting the chairman's ruling two years ago, allowing single men to vote. Mr Hemmingway was the only man from the north of Okahu River that spoke straightforward and impartial, for which the meeting applauded him. He spoke with common sense, showing the inconsistency of some other speakers. The following householders were elected: — Messrs. G. W. Gane, A. Coffey, T. Collins, G. Dunton, W. Conaglen, D. Lusk, and J. Bryan. The committee then met, when Mr. F. W, Gane was unanimously elected chairman of committee.— Correspondent.] DAIRY FLAT. * At tho annual meeting of householders, which was held in the Pukeatua Schoolhouse on the 23rd ultimo, the following gentlemen were elected as members of the school committee for the ensuing year, .:—viz Messrs. C. M. Clinton, C. Hardy, C. Jeffs, G. Green, E. S. Jells, J. H. Body, and W. Griffiths. At the committee meeting held afterwards, Mr. C. M. Clinton was elected chairman, being the third year in succession that that gentleman has filled the position.—[Lucas' Creek Correspondent.]