MOUNT COOK SCHOOL COMITTEE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 17

MOUNT COOK SCHOOL COMITTEE.

MRS TASKER'S ELECTION VALID. The protest against the election of Mrs Tasker as a member of the Mount Cook School Committee was discused at some length by the Education Board at its meeting on Wednesday. The Chairman said the question the Board had to consider was whether Mrs Tasker was a householder or not. He had referred the matter to the Board's solicitors (Messrs Brandon, Hislop and Brandon), who stated that the decision of the Baard as to the validity of Mrs Tasker's election was final. They pointed out that under section 2 of the Act of 1891 a person to be a householder must (1) reside in a dwelling-house within the school district, and (2) be either owner or tenant thereof, Mrs Tasker claimed to have been tenant of the house at the time of the election. To constitute her a tenant as alleged there ' must then have been an agreement or, deed in writinsr signed by the parties by which a rent was reserved from Mrs Tasker to Mr Tasker, and it must have been intended: by the parties that the agreement was to be operative. If the Board was satisfied there was such an agreement in existence at the time of sh;©' election they might hold that was a householder and her .election was valid.

The Rev J. Paterson asked whether Mrs Tasker's name appeared, on the burgess roll,

The Chairman: No, Mr Fitzherbert: She might be a tenant without being a ratepayer. The Chairman then read a letter from Mr Tasker, who said the lease referred to was between himself and Mrs Tasker, and was in writing, rent being payable monthly at the rate of <£2B per annum'. Four months' rent had been paid. The term of lease was six months from the Ist January, 1895, with the understanding that unless •the property was disposed of the lease would be extended for a like or longer period. Mrs Tasker paid the rent out of her own private funds. He (the chairman) had received the memorandum of agreement, and also tho rent book, showing the payment of four months' rent, With regard to these documents the Board's solicitors wrote that if the Board was satisfied the agreement was entered into three months before the election/and that it was really intended to take effect, and that Mrs Tasker was really the tenant of the house, she was eligible. If the agreement was entered into simply with a view to giving her a vote, and it was not actually meant to render Mrs Tasker liable as a tenant, and to give her the use of the house and I make her the responsible paxty in connection therewith, then the Board would be entitled to consider it merely as a blind, and not, in fact, meant to have any effect in law.

The Eev.. J. Paterson said if the Board questioned the legality of the election, it declared those docviments forgeries. The Chairman said that was not the case. If the Board was satisfied Mrs Tasker entered into the agreement for the purpose of giving her a vote, it was invalid, but if not, then the election was. valid on the document. Mr Buchanan moved, "That in the opinion of this Board Mrs Tasker has not been legally elected a member of the Mount Cook School Committee." There was, he said, nothing put before them in the correspondence as to why this Unusual arrangement should be entered into between the Taskers, and he was fairly entitled to assume in the absence of any explanation that it was entered into with a view to qualify Mrs Tasker for election. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. Mr Bradey said it was a most-■■unusual thing for a wife to pay her husband's rent. Mr Fitzherbert moved that the election of Mrs Tasker be considered valid.

Dr Newman seconded the motion, saying in his opinion the papers-laid on the table made it perfectly clear that the election was valid. ■• Mr Young •• Just as valid as it can be. The motion was carried without dissent. Meetings of householders for the election of school committees are to be held in the schoolrooms at Whakataki, Gladstone, Upper Hutt, Kereru, Judgeford and Kilbirnie on Monday, 17th June, at 8 p.m. The Hawke's Bay Education Board has declined the application of the Eoman Catholic Bishops that the Board's Inspector be allowed to examine the Catholic schools in the district, on the ground that the time at'the disposal of the inspector is already fully occupied. The Gazette contains the notification of the appointment of Bishop Wallis, the Hon T. Kelly, M.L.C.; Messrs John Graham, T. L. Buick, A. W. Hogg, F. Pirani, M.H.R/s, and Messrs F. Arkwright and A. Warburton, as members of the Middle District University College Council. Messrs B. Lee and T. E. Fleming, the Education Board School Inspectors, are to visit the undermentioned schools as follow: —Mr Taratahi, 29th inst. ; Makara, 4th June; Ohariu, 6th; Vogeltown, 10th, 11th and 12th ; Wadestown, 13th and 14th. Mr Lee —Ohau, 3rd June ; Tokomaru, 4th j Shannon, sth and 6 th; Keruru, 7 th. t Chbistchtjrch, May 23.

Diploma Day was ' celebrated with the usual ceremony at Canterbury College today. '; Mr H. E. Webb, chairman of the Board of Governors, said the gathoring clearly showed that degree day was looked forward to with a great amount of interest, and he would be sorry to see it abolished. The students sang several original songs, and subjected the speakers to a certain amount of chaff, but the proceedings were orderly. Twelve students received the M.A. degree, 21 the B.A. degree, 2 the B.Sc. degree, 1 the LL.D. degree, and 4 the LL.B. degree. It was stated that of the 422 graduates of the New Zealand University, 178 were educated at Canterbury Colleges. Auckland, May 27. . Seventy students have now been enrolled for the Technical School classes, including female-students for domestic economy and dressmaking. It is : expected the school will open with one hundred students.