EDUCATIONAL MEETING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 869, 28 January 1879, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL MEETING.

OAMARU. The annual meeting of householders, held in accordance with the C4th section of the Education Act, for the purpose of receiving a report and balance-sheet for the past year and electing a new Committee, took place in the High School last evening. There were about forty gentlemen present, and Mr. W. J. Steward (Chairman of the outgoing Committee) was voted to the chair. After reading the section of the Act ordering the meeting to be held, the Chairman called upon the Secretary (Mr. John Hardy) to read the annual report of the Committee and balance-sheet for the past year. We have not space at our command to publish the whole of the report, and shall therefore give only those portions of public interest, as follows : " Large additions have been made to the High and North School buildings during the year; and, on the recommendation of your Committee, the Education Board of Otago have purchased seven freehold sections in block 75, tc which it is proposed to add an eighth, making a square block of two acres as a site for a new school for the south end of the town. The Rectory has also been put in thorough repair, the accommodation increased, and the Rectory thereby made available for the residence of boarders. j "Your Committee have, however, to j report that a number of repairs and additions are absolutely necessary for the school buildings and offices, and that they have urgently represented this matter to the Board.

" While on this subject, the Committee have to represent that the quarterly allowance to "the school fund, made under the new administration, amounting as it does to only L7O per quarter, or L2BO per annum, is quite inadequate for the payment of regularly recurring charges, and that it will be necessary either that the allowance per head be increased, the compulsory clauses put in force, so as to increase the attendance, and so to increase the revenue, or the payment of the music master and the drill instructor, at the cost of the Committee, must cease. " By the balance-sheet of receipts and expenditure presented herewith, it will be seen that the total receipts of tho year have been L 1316 Is Od, and the total expenditure L 1353 6s 2d ; leaving a debit balance of LD7 4s 3d, as against a debit balance of L 159 8s lOd at the beginning of the year; this satisfactory reduction of the amount of indebtedness being due to the recovery from the Board of a sum promised in aid of repairs effected during the proceeding year, and tbs fact thnt during the winter the cost of fuel wrs to a considerable extent defrayed by private individuals.- '

" During last session of P»r!u>raent, the Committee took preliminary action, with a view of obtaining an Education Board for the County of Waitaki; but owing to the of the various committees of the County, the proposal was not proceeded with. " The Committee cannot conclude their report without congratulating the district

"on the passage of a Bill ititrojii-A S. E. Shrimski,Esq.,M.H.R. )p S for the establishment 'of an High School, and, on the whole" that the year.now past has been?!; marked progress as" regards oufv educational institution." • * The report also stated that «. j officer had been appointed to taij necessary proceedings - and guardians who fail to comp]V, the Act, the- Committee had abstjj, from putting the compulsory clarjjj force. The Chairman explained that Auditors had not completed the tad auditing the accounts owing to some, understanding that appeared to between them and the Secretary as ( 0 time at which they were to meet t« tlu'ough the balance of the accounts, had no doubt, however, that the accoi were perfectly correct, and that balance-sheet was a correct one. On the motion of Mr. Shrimski,secoj by the Rev. A. B. Todd, the report balance-sheet (subject to audit) \ adopted. The election of a Committee was i proceeded with. A large number gentlemen were nominated, but a \ majority of them declined to go toav Amongst those who refused to beq candidates were five of the old Q mittee—Messrs. Steward, Hislop,Gj| Headland, and Falconer. Eleven nn were submitted to the vote, the re being —D. S. Montague, 112; Fleming, 52; F. Dunlop, 39; Herdman, 32 ; W. J. Smith, 20 ; D. fl If) ; J. T. Evans and T. Morris, The other candidates were Dr. Garlj Dr. Wait, and Mr. H. Aitken. Ma Evans and Morris having tied for seventh place, the Chairman gave casting vote for the former, stating! he did so because he noticed that of! wise there would only be one membj the old Committee in office this year, that Mr. Evans had not served a full j on the Committee, having merely t elected for a portion of the time, to an extraordinary vacancy. The Chairman then read a notice gi by the Education Board, fixing the | meeting of the new Committee to be 1 at the High School on Friday, j January, at half-past seven. A vote of thanks was, on the mot of Mr. Shrimski, accorded to the o going Committee, and acknowledged the Chairman. The meeting then terminated. * ; PALMERSTON. Ffrom our own correspondent.' There was not a very large attendm at the educational meeting last evenii The following gentlemen were electei School Committee: —Messrs. Char Haynes, James Arkle, R. N. Reid, M'Donald, James Kitchen, Alex. Giliim and J. M'Kean. The proceedings w very tame. J , PUKEURI POINT. [from a correspondent.] The annual meeting of household for the purpose of electing a School Cn mittee for the ensuing year was held the schoolhouse, Pukeuri Point, li night. Mr. G. A. Goodall was calledl the chair. The annual report shorn that Mr. James Dickison, who i master at the commencement of li year, had resigned, and had been u ceeded by Mr. W. G. Wallace, tho pi sent master. Also, that Miss Margia Watson had been appointed schoolj tress in October. For the quarter cndi 31st March, 1878, there were 72 pupilsi on the roll, with an average attendaa of 60 ; and for the quarter ending 2i December, 1878, there were 115 on 4 roll, with an average attendance of! The following pupils had obtained certi cates under clause 79 of the Edacntk 4ct : —Class I. : Robert Wilson HoJiae John Waddell Gray, William LocU Gray. Class 11. : James Watt, Georj A. Watt, Eliza Gray, William Robbi Messrs. Easton, T. Y. Duncan, 6. I Goodall, Holmes, Watt, Dennison, at Hillier were elected as School Connnitt) for the ensuing year. ♦ ■ NGAPARA. (from our own correspondent.) There was a very poor attendance! the Schoolhouse last evening, there beii only fifteen householders present. Mi\ Thomas Reid was voted to ft chair, and after stating the object of tli meeting, read the sections of the Edna tion Act relating to the voting for mei bers of the Committee, &c. The balance-sheet was read, and sho? that the funds had doubled since tho 1 annual meeting, the Committee wi having LIG to the good. It was proposed by Mr. J. Pride, it seconded by Mr. W. Jessop, thaj ft nominations of persons who were abses should be accepted. To this an amendment was proposed \ Mr. Charles Jessop, and seconded byM| H. Little, that only those present shot) be nominated. The amendment was carried. The election qf a Committee was til proceeded with, and on a ballot beii taken, the following gentlemen tra elected:—Messrs. H. Roxburgh, D. B Leith, J. Collie, T. Reid, Jas. CaropW Win. Jessop, and H. Little. I The Chairman then read a notice fM the first meeting of the Committee ft Friday, 31st January, at half-past sew o'clock. Mr. Walker (schoolmaster) proposal hearty vote of thanks to the retiring C«j mittee for the harmonious, agrees manner in whicH they had wor ',] together. He also, took the opporti"? q? thanking them for the manner in w they had shown their appreciation of l services by voting him a sum of hid addition to his salary. The vote having been passed, the Civ man declared the meeting closed. '