EDUCATION BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15398, 15 July 1914, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD.

ORDINARY'' MEETING. I The Education Board .net yesterday wlien thero were present—Messrs J. S. Rutherford (chairman), G. J. Seal-ey, T Shefratt, J. Maze. G. W. Armitage, W. Lindsay, W. M. Hamilton, G. Lyall, and C. S. Howard. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The cliairman reported that since tho previous meeting Mrs Cayo had been acting an locum, at Timaru West, and Airs J. Milled- had for a time to relieve Miss Oliver at Pleasant Point.- Ax, Pa-reoia West, Miss Breinner was acting as assistant until Miss Parr could take up' her duties. Of the retiring Hoard members, Mr Howard for middie ward and Mr Lyall for .South ward . had been returned" unopposed, while Messrs Armitage and R. Macaulay wero nominated for north ward. The poll closed at 5 p.m. on Monday July 27th, and tho voles would "be counted on Tuesday. August Pith. He welcomed Messrs"Howard and Lyall back to the Board, and wished' *em a pleasant term of office. STAFFING. The f')U<i\vin« appointments wero confirn.ed -*-Miss A. Steel, solo teacher Hunters; M"rs Mcintosh, assistant Timaru Main; and Miss Parr, assistant Pareora West. Tho resignation of Miss Steel, sole toacJier, Tycho, was accepted. Applications were received and dealt with in the usual way. for the positions of assistant at Timaru Main and Fail-lie lespectivevy and solo teacher at Four Peaks. ' ST- ANDREWS. '■ Mr Lyall reported that there had . been a serious fail of plaster from the roof of the new room at the school; and ;>l» other paces it was cracked and the, position was somewhat dangerous. For. tiiriaioy I'here .vas no one in the room when the tail occurred. The work was done hv a contractor.

The foreman was consulted and he expressed surprise at the. occurrence. He had inspect sd the work and considered it a first rate iob. The fall might hare been occasioned by a swelling of the laths. The matter was left with the foreman to attend to. S -- CONVEYANCE. Conveyance; a'lowance was granted R. Bronidands to Orton, and G. and K. Stevenson to Glen.'tvy. DEPARTMENTAL AFFAIRS. Tlw Department wrote consenting to the lionrcl giving a, piece of the school ground for road widening in Trafalgar street, but asked if they had considered the possibility of making up the loss to the school grounds in any otlhc.r way. The .secretary said he had explained that the land "was being taken off the master's ground and not the school ground. 'the Depart font forwarded copies of a gazette notice regarding Arbor Day, for'distribution amongst schools in the district.

The Auditor-General wrote thanking the secretary for the legal opinion forwarded in regard to the distribution of contributions and subsidies, and stated that after discussing the matter with the Department the Audit Office would tako no further action.

This is the .upshot of a controversy between the secretary of the Board and the Auditor-General regarding a "tag" which appeared en the Board's accounts. It has been the practice of the Board to retain r subsidies but to. forward contributions to District H : gh Schools. The auditor this' year ■objected, and after «°ve-a-l legal ooinions for and against, tho DeipaTtmerit accepted that of Mr Kinneniey, the Board's solicitor. . -

As a result of- the, South, Canterbury Board's action, all Boards have been ■'ireuiursed : n the matter staring that it is the right and-duty of the Roardtc assume such control of school funds a? would secure their legal ■expenditure.

COMMITTEES' REQUESTS. The Clandebcye committee was granted £2 10s for deepening a- ditch.Peimission to top .paie trees was granted the Rangitata- committee. . The foreman was authorised to remedy a defective fireplace, at Geraldine. and to report on applications for repairs to residence, and school at Haz-:-lburn, ventilation and floor repairs at Timartr Mam,, lowering grates and erecting a new w.e, for infants at-Woodbury." Tho Douglas committee aslye'd for £ls towards the erection of a sh'ed and tree planting. It was decided'ithat the usual grant, be made. This .amounts to £9 10s. a The.Board agreed to make an application for a grant in respect of addi-" t:ons at Fail-lie Technical school. Orari • Gorge asked for fencing at tho residence' and that ten-dors-be called locally for the'work. The Board agreed to call tenders for the erection"of a fence with and.without netting. •The Pleasant Point-committee asked for six loads of shingle for the residence.—The matter was left to MiMaze to inspect and authorise the purchase if necessary.

It was decided to supply a new clock to Butherl'fmds. and permission was granted to remove scleral trees.

Tiinaru South offered £IOO towards the cost of-erecting an iron fence around the- schol ground. Mr Sealcy explained the- position. and stated that an estimate of tho tost- had been arrived at. Hs thought the foreman should be instructed to. inspect and-''draw up a specification. The nia-ter was left to the foreman and Mr Sealey to .draw u.p spec.fieations and call tenders, to be"in at next meeting. . - ' x

1 Mr Howard thought that after the prodigious effort of the South committo?, they ought io be given permission to go "on with tho work. The Temuka' School committee wrote asking _ for information regarding the inspection ,of laud for a side school made by. -Department rei>i"e;;eutat'ves, and offering up_ to £SO for j*icrcasing \ the'playground space.Mr. Armitage said tho site proposed was an admirable one for the puroose, and ho moved that tho Department bo asked to grant £<,ViO for the- purchase- of tho 4 acres 3 parches offered bv Mr W. F. Evans. * . ' . Mr SborraU s?condcd and this wai agreed to. Tho 'matter of .playground e-xten-s on was hek! over meanwhile,- *he secretary to jrct further information regarding the land. The Waitohi Fiat committee wer" granted permission to sell the old library ,-nd build a new one. Cons.de-rab:e correspondence was read in regard-to an application by the "Waimate committee for nenuiswon to rent H acres of land at" £-3' 10' per annum for four years.

The Woodbury committee was granted permission to remove some- trees, which keep Ihe.snn off the school.

MT. NESSING. A letter was received from tho settlers of Mt. Ness-.ng stating that at a meeting of settlers interested in the proposed school it was unanimously agreed that a school for the district was necessary, but in t'he matter of a site they faded to agree. Of the ssit'ers present six supported the reserve, and eglii- a- site about 1;} miles from the reserve. A list was enclosed showing vhe number of persons interested and children likely to attend.

The chairman 'thought- the Board should make a visit- to the settlement and see the position for themselves. The .secretary .said vhai, a buddinsomewhere in the vic : nity was necessary as Chamberiain would soon he in need of additions. The matter was held over until ihe Board vis.ts the locality. ■SCHOOL CO:\OII'i'TEES. " The* secretary reported that a fresh election had taken place at- Albufrv and tho i'o.lowiiiic were- eii.cted: —iViessr.s J Austin (chairman). C Kenward. S. Pyc, M. O'Roilly, 0. Bracken. J. Ciran; and G. JYlurruv. Messrs F. Patrick and J. Ellis weiv elected to complete the Gapes" Vallav conun.ttec, w-h.iv Mcssiv \\. Scott, ami' A. N alder ->were appointed to act as commissioners for Burke's Pass school. The necessary permission was granted.

iNSW SCHOOLS. Mr Govv, clr.ef inspector, reporterl that Lo had visited llockwood with Mr Maze, where there J.ad formerly been a cottage fcho::.', the use of which, was to he w.thdrawn. Thev had made a raiiipbu; iiis■ / .vt;oii of the il.ak'ito in search of a. i;i:/'cab!o si i.e. but- owing to the very hilly, jiatun: of the. (</niitry it was diltieuh to ire I. Thev had beer, successl'iii. ni Ljca.uy; an '•offer of 2 acres i i wni Mrs (toukl at £6 per acre, and they thought ibis was {.he most suitable site. The res'dents <lid r.ct objcvi. to undertake the cartine; of all die building material. He recommended tliat Haw site be procured and a -ehool creered thereon!

The inspector's rfpoil was received and adopted, and it *as deckled to make application for a -rant for ih.> eroetion ut a new school.

Mr Goiv a'so reported that 1- had v sited YYnikakahi sehool with the foreman, in conso.-quonce of a •petition to shii'.. ti.ie school from its present position to the school reserve. The ,-chuol at present was in a iin«: awkward portion t'.nd was not avre'sibie by any road. A n:en!s-r ol' vie A'ttbrmet tiae inspector on bis visit, and onlv oue oi' the. number objected to the removal of the school. Tile school site wa.s a little -nvi r >wo miles irom the present -itc, but i,-. was approachable by two haul roads. Th- children now had to (Vo across naddo'ks and swnuips to t'ft to the school. Me recommended that the sehnei hi ted to the school reserve, wlreii was at the junction of (.roouhi!| and River roads. The foreman iv;r; aKerwards consulted on the question of' removim;- the .school. ami the IJoml int.mutely agreed to hold the matter over ti'.i next mcf.tLDi: when an () f Uie

cost of removing the building will ba sumilied. GEXERAL. A letter was received i'ro c tin Mr.ckcnzie County Council pointing out that tho responsibility of norse grubbing at Cricklcwcod lay witu vlio committee- and not with the Council as had bc-en stated at a previous meeting. A report was received from ttio National .Mortgage and Agency Co.. in connection w'.ch flic sale of the P.easant Point, residence, and stating that no sal© was eft'-eeti-d although an offer was expected. The .secretary ,nas authorised to let the house in the meantime if a suitable tenant offered. The Skipton School Committee thanked the Hoard for their suggestions regarding the opcr. : i)g school there. The settlers however could not see their way to guarantee £4O or £SO. or offer to find board for a teacher. They suggested that the school be closed until October, when a. fresh s.arfc could be made.—Tin's was agreed to A letter was received from tho Timarn Main Committee forwarding a resolution, regarding the medical inspector's report.

The headmaster. Timaru South (Mr G. T. Palmer, M.A.), thanked the Board ior the improvements effected at his residence, and expressed his high appreciation of the work 'done.

TRUANCY OFFICER. The Truancy Officer, (Mr Chapman, Temuka), reported that during tliic year warnings had been given in 430 cases; a, number of cases had been taken to tho Court, with the following results: 2 lined 10s and 7s costs, 1 fined 5s arid 7s costs, 1 fined 2s and 7.s costs. 8 fined 2s, 1 convicted and discharged, and 1(3 disnrssed. The secretary stated that none but the grossest cases were taken to Court. In some of the districts the attendance was very had, and the. Board were losing capitation ai'l the time. In one case in particular two boys Si ad been kept from school for months to help their father, hut th:s m.ght be the plea in any number of cases. Mr Sherratt asked the cause of the postponement of the cases. The secretary said he understood it wfs to give an opportunity of attending school, but before- anyone wag proceeded against, vhey had previously •been .warned r,t least once. In some cases two and even three -warnings were given. It was ultimately decided that the Board's solicitor be asked to bring the next cases before the Court.

SCHOLARSHIPS. A letter v as received from the headmasters of the three district high scheoW. asking that the scholarship regulations be amended in such a way ab to encourage the study of scientific agriculture in schools. They recommended that at least half the senior scholarships should be. agricultural scholarships. The matter was left with the inspectors to cnnfeV w.th the three headmasters.. REPORTS. Reports by the inspectors- and the foreman were read and adopted. WAIMATAITAI. Tenders were received for the erection of additional latrines' a';. Waimataitai as follows: —ILesErs Malcoimson and Tweedale £Bl. • Nesbit .Ltd.- £77 13s 6d, Pring £9B, Hertnon £75 18s (accepted/ Hunt £81) 7s.