OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1322, 21 March 1884, Page 3

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

The following matters of special interest to this district were brought forward at yesterday's meeting of the Education Board. On tho recomme'-- T ~77bn of the Finance Committee, it was resolved that the Oamam Committee be informed that the Board is not in a position to erect a janitor's residence, and that the application for repaira to the roof of the rectory bo referred to the architect for report. The report of tho Committee appointed to inquire into the Board's finances contained a recommendation to increase the salaries of the Board's cashier and cadet.

Mr M'Kenzie objected to this, whereupon the fol'owing discussion took

place : [ Mr Becrg said it was only after mature j consideration that the Committee had I agreed to recommend the increases. Mr i M'Kenzie, however, if he wore desirous of keeping down the expenses, might do so in another way. He observed that Mr 1 M'Kenzie, though he travelled on the free ipas3 granted him na a member of Parliament, charged the 9d a mile for travelling between Palmerston and Dunedin and back. If that charge were not made, the departmental expenses of the Board would be decreased to a considerable extent. Other members of the Board were not in the same favorable position, but yet they had to pay their expenses, and were but very poorly recouped by the Board.

Mr M'Kenzie said that the Od per mile allowed for travelling expense was not ! 6xed by him. It had been voted before he became a member of the Board. He thought it wa3 not right of Mr Begg to single him out as tha only member of the Board who used a free railway pass. There was Mr Green, for instance. Ho (Mr M'Kenzie), however, resided a greater distance from Dunedin than any other member of tho Board, and had frequently to spend a night, and sometimes two nights, on the way. If they thought he was likely to grow fat on anything he received as travelling alllowance from the Board they wero very much mistaken. He would, however, be quite willing, if Sir Besg and the other members so willed it, to have the travelling allowance done away with altogether. Mr Begg 3aid he understood Mr Green —the only other member of the Board who was a member of the Assembly—did not use his pass in coming to meetings. He believed he generally rode or drove into town.

Mr Clarke said he hoped this matter would drop, and the report was then adopted without further comment. The resignation of Selina Amy Bennett, schoolmistress, Oamaru North, was accepted, and the following appointments were made :—Alex. P. Drummond, head teacher Ngapara, vice Walker, transferred ; W. H. Walker, head teacher Moeraki, vice Little, left the service; Selina Amy Spedding, third assistant George-street, vice Stewart, left the service ; Annie Rivera, pupil teacher, Oamaru District High School, vice Scott, resigned. Mr Goyen obtained six months' leave of absence, and it was resolved that the question of holidays for tho Board's employees be referred to a Committee for consideration.

The Oamaru Committee wrote that they were still of opinion, notwithstanding tho Board's decision, that the Board had power to fix a date on which all the School Committees should vote for tho election of members of the Board. The letter was minuted as received. The Committee also wrote stating that they could not understand the Board's resolution recommending them to provide for tha surplus attendance at the North S-itiool in tho unoccupied portion of the District High S'ehool. The Board decided that the Committee be again reminded that the Board has provided sufficient accommodation in Oamaru for all the children there, and that if any difficulty has arisen from the overcrowding of one Echool, it is the duty of the Committee to apply or suggest a remedy. The Secretary stated that Mr Odell, the Board's anditor, had recently written to the Livingstone School Committee to the effect that he could not make out some of the particulars in their accounts as furnished to the Board for audit in ordinary course. To this letter the following reply had been received :

I ivingatone, March 13, ISS4, Mr Fred G. Odell, Education Office, Dunedin.

Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your favor dated 4th current. In reply, my accounts were not sent to ycu for audit; tbey were already audited. I sent you bank-book and receipts simply as an act of courtesy. If you cannot make the items as per accounts agree with my apportionment of them. I cannot help you out of the difficulty. lam unable to s e that any difficulty exists. The receipts are legal and correct, and show how all the moneys received have been expended. That should be sufficient for you. You can apportion them as you like. To do that myself is outside my duty. One matter I will explain—viz.: The Committee were indebted to M'Callum and Co. LS 2s. To meet this they had only L2 12* in the bank. They therefore accepted the offer of a temporary loan of Lo 103 ; hence it is that my payments exceed apparent receipts. This sum will appear in accounts for current year. Re stationery, the o-ly expenditure for which you hare no receipt: this wa3 purchased in such small quantities that I sought no receipt. I can, however, if paid for it, furnish each item, as well as the name of each correspondent for whom a stamp was used. I hope to hear no more of thi3 matter. You are giving .a great deal of troable to committees never contemp'ated by the Education Act. Classifying the expenditure of committies is the proper work of the Board Officers, not tho hon. secretaries —lam, 4c.,

Charles F. Boberts. Mr Begg said that was Mr Roberts' usual style of correspondence. Mr Ramsay asked what the Board could do in tho matter.

3lr Fraer said tho Board could stop the Committee's allowance until proper accounts wore furnished. On the motion of Mr Ramsay, it was resolved that the Committee's allowance be withheld until tho Board received satisfactory accounts.