SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3890, 2 October 1928, Page 17

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

QUARTERLY MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. The quarterly meeting of the Schools’ Committees’ Association of Otago w-as held on Thursday evening in the Education Board’s office. Mr R. Armit presided. The secretary of the Anderson’s Bay Public School Jubilee Association wrote stating that the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the Anderson’s Bay School would be commemorated by celebrations commencing on Thursday, October 4. The association was asked to be represented at the celebrations.—The president was appointed to represent the association. The secretary of the Matakanui School Committtee wrote in regard to the grant received from the Education Board and the expenditure of the school. It was a small school, with 14 pupils residing in a sparsely-populated district, and the committtee had little opportunity of rai.ing money by means of concerts. The committee asked for information in the way of obtaining a larger grant.—lt was decided to recommend the Matakanui Committtee to -apply to the Education Board for relief. The secretary of the Anderson’s Bay School Committee wrote extending an invitation to the association to be represented at the unveiling ceremony and dedication of the 'memorial arch and gates, to take place on the afternoon of October 4. —Mr D. C. Cameron was appointed to represent the association. The secretary of the Wellington School Committees’ Association wrote asking the Otago Association to support it in the protest to the Education Department against the proposal of the department to place all moneys received from rentals from lawn tennis courts and the hire of halls in the general fund, instead of leaving the money in the special fund, as at present. These amounts were only posisble by the work of school committees and local efforts. The committees’ rights should be safeguarded and enable them to expend the money on further ground improvements.—Several members expressed the opinion that the letter should not be received without some resolution being passed.—Mr R. Ferguson moved that the Otago Association expresses its sympathy with the Wellington Association, but informs that body that it would not take action until some definite official information was forthcoming.—Mr N. Maclean moved an amendment to the effect that the Wellington Association’s action be endorsed. He said that he was opposed to the rents being used for the general fund. —Mr Ferguson said that no line of demarcation would be drawn between the two accounts.—Mr J. H. Wilkinson said he considered it was a wrong idea to think that the department was antagonistic to the school committees in this matter. He supported Mr Ferguson. Mr Ferguson’s motion was carried. Mr D. C. Cameron, writing from Invercargill, drew attention to the action of the Southland Education Board in refusing to allow teachers leave of absence to bring a Primary Schools’ representative team to Dunedin to play a football match with the Otago Primary Schools. Because of this action a game which had been played for the past 25 years was notp layed. Schoolmasters gave a great deal of time after school hours in giving tuition to scholars in games. He suggested that a resolution be forwarded "to the secretary of the Southland Education Board protesting against such action.— Several delegates pointed out that it was not the business of the association to dictate to the Southland Education Board, and the letter was received. Messrs R. Armit and W. H. Steele were appointed delegates to a committee recently set up to deal with the betterment of the physique of school children. The matter of schoolboy insurance when playing Rugby football was referred to the secretary and executive for consideration;

ADDRESS BY CITY LIBRARIAN. At the conclusion of the business, Mr W. B. M'Ewan, city librarian, gave an .interesting address on the work accomplished at the Dunedin Public Library. Mr M'Ewan sai'd that the Library consisted of seven departments, namely reference, New Zealand, lending, juvenile, and school library, newspaper room, and magazine room. He described in detail the work of each section mentioned. The lending library was opened on July 3, 1911, with a stock of 7000 books. At the end of July this year the stock numbered 22,535 books, which proved that this branch of the institution had grown beyond all expectations. In the first year of the lending library 82,562 books were issued for home reading. For the year ended on March 31, 1928, the number of books issued reachgd the grand total of 273,584. The present proolem; said Mr M'Ewan, was connected with the lending department. There was a lack of space both for the accommodation of books and the public. This congestion had been brought about by the amalgamation of the Greater Dunedin .'movement. One feature of the lending department was the few losses of books. Mr M'Ewan next dealt with the juvenile department and with the recent development in the school library scheme. This scheme was worked in such a way that books were sent to the children at the schools, with the result that there was no necessity for the scholars to go to the. Library. This scheme was proving beneficial to those scholars who resided at a great distance from the Library. The reference library was opened on. November 22, 1909, with a stock of 2698 books. To-day the stock numbered 7868. Last year 54,519 books were consulted. This was sufficient evidence of the growth and development of this particular department. The policy in connection with, the reference department was to form a permanent reference library for Dunedin. The New Zealand section was housed in the room adjacent to the reference library. In 1913 the late Dr M'Nab donated 4200 volumes to this section, one of the conditions of the gift being that the City Council added to the stock as opportunity offered. It would be realised that this condition had been fulfilled when it was. placed on record that to-day this section contained 7088 books, pamphlets, and pictures. The total stock in all departments of the Library on July 31 this year was 43,738 volumes.

In conclusion, Mr M'Ewan referred to the handsome gifts of money which had been received from the Dunedin Savings Bank and the many gifts of books from numerous citizens. Mr M'Ewan was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.