WAITOHI FLAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2293, 26 January 1882, Page 3

WAITOHI FLAT.

\ The annual meeting of (he householders of the Waitohi Flat district was held m the , schoolroom on Monday evening laat. There , wat a large attendance, and considerable interest was taken m the business of tbe evening. Mr J. Talbot (Chairman of the out--1 going Committee) was unanimously voted to tho cbair. The minutes of the last annual meeting hating been read and oonßrraed, tho following report of the late Committee was submitted : — " lite number of pupils on the eohcol register at present is 76, as against 73 at the end of the year 1880, the average attendance for the last quarter being 52. The teaching tt iff consists of Mr Mahan (master), Mrs Maban (-ewing mistreea), and Miss Mahan (pupil tenoher). The Committee app'ied to tbe Board of Education early m the year for an enlargement of tho schoolroom, but tbe application was deferred pending tbe reeul'< of un agitation for the ereolion of another school within the district. The Board hare now decided to carry out the work, and will at once call for tenders for adding 15 feet m length to tbe prerent, room. The well and pump at the echoolhouse ha* been a rource of trouble and expense during tho year, and a serious inconvenience to tho master. The well, which is upward* of 60ft m depth, produces a Tory precarious and generally inadeaua'e supply of water, and the quality ia alto very indifferent. The well was deepened and the pump repaired m April last at a cost of £4 10s. In September the master ogam reported that the pump wat out of order. This was put right by Messrs Henry and Findlay, but during ths late dry weather the supply of water has again failed, and the Committee, seeing no other course open, have decided to talco out the pump altogether, and to replace it by a windlais and bucket until a permanent supply of water it assured. The incidental fund, has been so severely lazed to meot the coit of the alterations and repairs that it will bo necessary to ask tho Board to recoup some portion of it. The Committee regret that the attendance is small m proportion to the number on tbe roll, wlii vh has been caused by a great number of children attending very irregularly. This state of matters is much to be deplored, as it shows carelesiDeis and neglect by pirents m regard to the education of their children, which is the more unpardonabla when it it considered that the mean* are so eaty of access. Children 6f trader years are also m some caies kept from school and made to do work unsuitable to their nge, showing an amount of cupidity and oelflthncis on the part of their parents almost incredible. The standard examination, held at tho beginning of the past year, was not so SRthfaotory as could be wished, due no doubt m a groat measure to the irregular attendance, it being utterly impossible for the master to do justice to tbo pupils under bis car* unless they attend to their work with more constancy. The annual examination has ju«t been held, but a sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the report being received. The Committee oommenoed the year with a credit balaace to incidental norount of £10 Is 2d, the receipts during tbe year on tbis account being £21, and the expenditure £22 6« 4d, leaving a credit balance of £« 14s lOd. This amount must, however, be charged with a quarter's payment due for oleaning the soho>l | this will therefore leave an actual available balance of £5 9s lOd. The amount recoived for salaries, and duly paid over t« the Uaoliers, was, £169 2s 6d. The accounts have botn audited, by Mr Bolton. Children's sports were held on Thnnday, January lftth. £8 8s ld'was collected, and £7 18s M expanded m prises and m providing a supply ot rakn, &.c, for a treat. Tho sport* were most suo> cestful, and (created a good balfaUy's enjoy rasnt for the children. The sohool is now closed for one month from January 18th m conaequenco of harvest operations, thorc having been, a* usual, only one week allowed at Christmas. . . Mr Currie proposed, Mr Tbornley seconded and it was carried — "That the report sub mitted to the meeting be adopted." The elootion of a Committee wai then pro

: ceeded with, the following gentlemen being > duly proposed and seconded, and after a ballot hnd been t'ikan the (even first named wsre declared elected the Committee for the ensuing year :— Messrs S. Currie, 24 ; J. Anderson, 24 ; J. Talbot, 23 ; D. Seaton, 22 ,- H. Harney, 20} T. Thornlr.y, 16; M. Moore, 14 ; H. Hnllen, 12 ; D. Cunningham, 9 ; A. Qilmore, C ; and MoCabe, 3.