PATEA SCHOOL YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1933, Page 10

PATEA SCHOOL YEAR

REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE. The Patea school committee in its report mentions with regret the death of Mr. W. A. Collins, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board. Careful supervision of the school and grounds had been maintained, advantage being taken of the No. 5 unemployment scheme for the levelling of the horse paddock, which was almost finished. The'school break-up in December took the form of a fancy dress ball, arranged by the head teacher and staff. Friends contributed a number of items which ensured the function’s success. The annual school excursion was not held owing to the depression. A combined picnic was held in the Patea domain and proved successful, a large number of adults attending. A sports programme was arranged. Messrs. Locker, Gardiney, McKenna and Glenny contributed io the success of the picnic. The committee expressed the hope that dental clinic fees would be paid promptly by parents to enable the 1933 programme to be followed. Ths small credit balance indicated the need for stringent economy to keep within limits. WHAKAMARA SCHOOL. COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the Whakamara School Committee stated that the year opened with a credit balance of £2 12s, the balance at the end of the year being £3 Os 3d. The grounds were kept in good order and favourably commented upon by officers of the Education Board. Advantage was taken of the No. 5 unemployment relief scheme to level the old horse paddock and round the school. The inspector’s reports of the school works were very satisfactory. Small improvements were made by the board at the school. Two school concerts were held. The library benefited by a fair sum. The children were to be congratulated on the success in different sports.. The boys held the C. J. Williams Football Cup for local competition, and the seven-a-side junior cup won at Patea and medals for each player. The girls under the tuition of Mrs. Williams did very well in basketball matches. The school had a very successful year in the boys’ and girls’ clubs’ competitions. The school held its jubilee celebrations which were successful both financially and socially. On December 13 Mr. McKee, traffic inspector, gave a talk on the rules of the road, followed by a practical demonstration. Five pupils sat for proficiency during the year, four of them being successful. WHAKAMARA NEWS. WOMEN’S DIVISION MEETING. The annual. meeting of the MokoiaWhakamara branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union was held in the Whakamara hall on Wednesday. Mrs. S. Buckrell presided over a good attendance of members. The. president in her report mentioned that the branch had been in existence only eight months and a great deal of good work was accomplished. Demonstrations were given by members during the year in rug-making, organdie work and slipper-making. Miss D. Corrigan gave a lecture on the. League of Nations. Before Christmas a home-made Christmas gift afternoon was held, samples being displayed which proved very instructive. A bring and buy afternoon was held and resulted in a good profit to the branch. An egg drive resulted in 25 dozen being contributed for the unemployment relief at Hawera. An evening was spent in the hall when Messrs. Denize, Cameron, Elliot and Powdrell, of the Hawera Debating Society, entertained a good audience. A card evening was held in aid of the Wairoa-Gisbome earthquake fund, the sum of £2 being forwarded through the Farmers’ Union. .

It was decided to send £1 to the community chest. Mrs. E. A. Langley was appointed to deal with correspondence pertaining to the new journal of the work of the W.D.F.U. and other matters of interest to the country women. GENERAL AND PERSONAL. The first of a series of euchre parties was held last Friday. The weather proved very, boisterous and in consequence there was a small attendance. Prizes were won by: Ladies, Mrs. J. Barkla; men, Mr. J. Kennedy. Music was supplied by local residents. The annual meeting of the Whakamara hall committee was held on Monday evening. The old committee was re-elect-ed. A very satisfactory balance-sheet was presented by the secretary (Mr. N. Barkla). At the Jast Presbyterian service at Whakamara Mr. E. Lamb contributed two solos which were much appreciated by the congregation. It is the intention of Mr. Lamb, the Presbyterian choirmaster, to bring twenty members of the Hawera choir to the next church service at Whakamara. Mr. B. Prior has returned home to Whakamara after eight months at Hamner. VITAL STATISTICS. SOUTH TARANAKI FIGURES. South Taranaki vital statistics for April are as follows, the returns for April, 1932, being shown in parentheses:— Hawera: Births,' 26 (22), marriages 9 (15), deaths 9 (9). Eltham: Births 3 (4), marriages 0 (2), deaths 1 (1). Opunake: Births 13 (9), marriages 2 (2), deaths 0 (0). Manaia: Births 2 (2), marriages 2 (2), deaths 1 (1). Waverley: Births 5 (4), marriages 0 (0), deaths 0 (2). Patea: Births 7 (8), marriages 4 (1), deaths 1 (2). Kaponga: Births 2 (6), marriages 2 (1), deaths 0 (1). Totals: Births-58 (55), marriages 19 (13), deaths 12 (16).

. ADVERTISERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS. The meeting called at Manaia at short notice last week with a view to forming a relief committee was not largely attended and it was decided to convene another meeting for to-morrow night. The , object is to form an organisation representative of the town and country to relieve cases of necessity. Ladies are specially invited to the meeting, which will be held in the town hall. The annual meeting of the MokoiaWhakamara branch of. the Farmers Union will be held in the Mokoia hall to/moxrpw at

SICKNESS AFTER DANCE. EXPLANATION BY PRESIDENT. With reference to a paragraph in the Daily News recently referring to sickness after a South Taranaki dance Mr. A. W. King, president of the Auroa branch of the Fanners’ Union, states that he assumes the dance referred to was the ball given by the Auroa Farmers’ Union. As there were other rumours concerning ptomaine poisoning he wished to make an explanation on behalf of the union. .' “The supper at our ball consisted of poultry, ham and ox and tongue, ‘boiled’ pork, fruit salad, and cakes,” said Mr. King. “About 350 persons attended. Your correspondent said tin tongue might have been the cause of illness. No tinned tongue was served, and as for the few that escaped sickness I will say I am not able to interview all, as so many came from outside districts, but out of 75 living only 1J miles from the hall only four persons had a slight sickness, and none received medical attention. I can name five people who did not attend or help with the supper who suffered the same illness. Certainly one man who partook of a sample of ox tongue for his tea, but did not attend the ball, was very ill with ptomaine poisoning, but we have absolute proof without doubt that the tongue was quite good when brought to the hall, and no proof has been given to say it was contaminated when it was taken from the hall. One man from a distance was also very ill, but no proof has been given that our supper was the cause. “Now taking our four cases out of 75 local people the number of sick cases could not have been very great. My own opinion is that the sickness was caused through a rich supper on. a hot night, and dancing too soon afterI wish to congratulate the small band of ladies and gentlemen who worked so hard to make the ball a success, and the public can rest assured everything possible was done, and will be in the future, to make- the ball and. outstanding success.” MANAIA PUBLIC SCHOOL. YEAR’S ACTIVITIES REVIEWED.. The chairman, Mr. T. A. Bridge, reported at last wight’s meeting of householders that the work of the Manaia School Committee had been carried on satisfactorily during the year. The attendance of members had been excellent and the headmaster, Mr. J. Browning, had attended each meeting and given excellent assistance. The school had been kept clean and in good order, as were also the grounds.' This had involved little expense to the committee owing to the use of unemployed labour. A new rockery was formed and planted. An outstanding event was the school jubilee held last June, all functions passing off with great success. The display of work and drill by ‘ the pupils was worthy of special mention. The committee assisted the football arid basketball tournament on June 3 and also the annual school sports, both being very successful, although the attendance at the. latter was small. As the horse paddock was required for basketball the committee had arranged for a new horse paddock entirely separate from the school grounds. This reduced the danger of accidents. The junior fire brigade, in conjunction with the committee, ; organised a concert, half proceeds being for the school, but this was rather poorly- attended. The oldtime ball was a great success, and the school picnic, although the weather was uncertain, passed off successfully. The committee thanked the ladies’ committee, which has been the mainstay at all social functions, and had been ever ready to devote time and labour for the welfare of the children. The committee has acted as dental clinic committee, and this work had gone on smoothly without expense to the parents. I HAWERA FOOTBALL CLUB. NO ENTRY IN COMPETITIONS. The Hawera Association Football Club at its annual meeting last night decided not to enter a team in the Julian Cup competition owing to transport difficulties, but to play friendly matches. Application is to be made for a match with a Wanganui team on June 3 and the secretary was instructed to write to the Taranaki association asking for ~the Chinese Cup to be resumed to Hawera for competition in South Taranaki. The following officers were elected: Patron, Mr. J. E. Campbell; president, Mr. D. McCormick, vice-presidents, six were elected; secretary, Mr. R. E. James; treasurer, Mr. McCormick; auditor, Mr. K. Mahoney; club captain, Mr. F. E. Starling; selectors, Messrs. A. Haseltine and W. Adams; delegates to Taranaki Association, Messrs. McCormick and Haseltine.

PORT OF PATEA. May 1:—In port: m.v. Inaha. Expected: Hawera, m.v., from New Plymouth; Kapuni, m.v., from Wellington. High water to-day at 2.10 a.m. and 2.42 pun.

AUROA SCHOOL MEETING. YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED. The Auroa householders last night elected the following school committee: Mr. A. C. Langlands, Mrs. Benton, Messrs- H. Wood, T. Blair, R. E. Davison, A. W. King and W. . Brown. Before the report was read the meeting stood a moment to show .respect to the memory of the late Mr. Andrew Lees, who did much in the cause of education in Taranaki. . The report stated that a- permanent caretaker was appointed at a salary of £25. Visiting committees - have paid monthly visits, inspecting the buildings and grounds. Negotiations were instituted with the Education Board to have an electric pump installed to replace the windmill, and it was arranged to instal a pump, the committee. finding £8 10s towards the cost. A. power pole was donated by Mr. A. C. Johnstone, The windmill was later disposed of. Improve-, ments and repairs included lining the corridor between the infant, and junior rooms and painting, repairs to the shelter shed and seats renewed. Willows were cut and the swamp area cleared by labour under the No. 5 scheme. Mr. Blair sprayed the willow roots to kill the growth but the result was only . temporary. A culvert was made in the grounds to give access to the. garden plots, and pipes for this were donated by Mr. Davison. The drain opened up in Mr. Browns property to drain the swamp water away. Mr. Blair supervised the work. Netting had been procured for the tennis courts. A parents’ day was held by the teachers at the end of each term' to show progress " and school work. The teachers organised a children’s fancy dress ball, which netted £lO profit. ” Mr. Kilpatrick (chairman) resigned owing to leaving the-district and Mr. R. L. Hooper was appointed .to fill the vacancy. The committee made a presentation to Mr. Kilpatrick. A drum and fife band has been' instituted by Mr. Fairbrother and . the boys showed great progress. This training would no doubt,, fit them for places in senior bands later. ELTHAM SCHOOL YEAR. REVIEW BY THE CHAIMAN. L At the annual meeting of Eltham householders last night the chairman, the Rev. J. A, Rybum, in reporting on the work of the school said: “The average attendance for the year was 375, which kept the school in grade 6a. The roll for February was 355. If this is not increased the school will be brought down a grade. The decision to admit children from six years of age instead of five has had a detrimental effect on the roll number. During the year re-, signations were received from Misses Harper, Brooker and Fissenden and Mr. Percy. Those appointed in their place were Misses Ray, Fraser, Thompson and Griffin.and Mr. Gudopp. We trust that the is now settled, and will con- t tinue to render.as good service as .those with us in the past. The inspectors report on the staff and their work was very gratifying. “We have maintained all buildings and grounds in good repair. Having two separate schools, however, adds to the ; cost of maintenance, but the Education Board has always been mindful of our position. Financially our position is fair. We are down on the general account, but it is hard to make ends meet with a declining grant and nearly the same upkeep. We acknowledge financial help from the borough council (£lO towards the baths), Mr. Reid’s concert £8 5s 3d, picnic £4 2s 3d, also a special grant of £8 Ils from the Education Board. “An application was made to conduct Bible reading according to the Nelson system, but the committee declined this, ■ ~ “The school baths have been well used during the summer, and the boys and girls are making good progress in learning to swim. The Eltham Amateur Swimming Club held sports at the baths, and also, helped the committee in the maintenance of the baths. “The annual picnic was again held at, Ngamotu, and the outing was much enjoyed by all. “Mr. Reid,- who has been training a school orchestra, gave a concert before the Christmas holidays. The orchestra showed a high standard as the result of the teaching received. Certificates for ■ regular attendance and swimming were presented at the breaking-up cremony. . , . “I desire to tender thanks to the headmaster and staff for their splendid work in the school, rendered so efficiently, and : for their helpfulness to the committee.” ;

NO ELECTION AT MANAIA. ATTENDANCE OF' ABOUT 50. . The Manaia meeting was well attended, Mr. T. A. Bridge presiding over nearly 50 householders. No election was required, two of the eleven candidates nominated last Monday retiring from the contest. The new committee comprises Messrs. T. A. Bridge (chairman), G. Butler (secretary), O. T. Parry (treasurer), V. Adlam, B. Bloor and H. Silby (re-elected), P. Instone, G. H. Stoddart and V. Winter. There were no discussions, all present being satisfied with the affairs of the ichopL

MANUTAHI SCHOOL WORK. SUCCESS IN COMPETITIONS. . The main features of the school year were the appointment of an assistant at the school and the success of the children in the Boys’ and Girls’ Club competitions, stated the annual report to Manutahi. householders.- The school was awarded the Pederson Cup. for the best effort in the root crop competition, and met with conspicuous success in the caffrearing competition. The children were to be congratulated on the excellent condition in which the animals were brought forward and in winning every prize in their group, as well as five ..first, two second and five third prizes at the shows held at Hawera, Waverley and Kakaramea. .During the year the committee had taken advantage oi relief labour to effect further improvements in the grounds, and with the completion of those' now in hand the grounds should be in excellent order. The usual school functions were held and part of the proceeds used to establish a school - stationery scheme which had proved economical and successful. > Miss E. S. M. Tapp was appointed additional assistant for 1932. The committee expressed its appreciation of her z conscientious work. The school was raised in grade at the beginning of the year and Miss M. Colver had been appointed permanent assistant. The year has been one of harmonious work, most cordial relations existing between the committee and the teachers.