MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5048, 11 June 1895, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of .e Masterton School Committee, as held last eveniug. Present—essrs E, Feist (Chairman), Daniell, card, EnsthopD, Hornblow, Prag)ll, Rive, and Morris. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meet;g were read and confirmed. TREASURER'S REPORT. The Treasurer reported a credit llanco, at date, of £2 7s lid, . headmaster's report. The Headmaster (Mr W. H. itckson) reported as follows:—No. n roll, 610; average attendrnce, 22; percentage of attendance, 86. his satisfactory attendance, is an idication that the action of the omnritte is bearing fruit. The scompanying list contains fewer ad cases than usual. Mr Fleming aid a visit of inspection to the jhool, on 31st ult., and his report is ist to hand. The Chairman explained that the ravel, recommended at last meeting, acl been supplied, and the Comlittee appointed, had made inquiries ? plants and shrubs. WANTS'SCHOOL REPORT. Miss Keeling repotted that the umber on roll, was 108; average ttendance, 88. Inspector Fleminc iiul paid, a visit of inspection on 7th of last month, and recommended hat she apply to the Committee foi , grant of two oi throe pounds foi (indergartcn matorial. Held over, as no funds are avail ible. TRUST LANDS TRUST GRANT. The Secretary prepared a repori or presentation to the Trust Land: trustees, in view of making applied ion to the Trust for the usual granl n aid of the school funds. It was •esolyed that the Committee maki ipplication for £80; £SO for genera imposes, £2O for the library, am 810 for scientific apparatus. ' INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The reports of Mr Fleming's lati nsits of inspection, were received and placed on the table. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to 12s wer passed for payment. TECHNICAL EDUCATION'. Mr Pragnell asked if it would no be well to make the Committei ippointed to report on tech uical education to the Trust Land I'rustees larger, by the addition o several of the School Committee am jtliors,oulside members of the Trust _Mr Daniell said the prcsont Com mittee was only a preliminary stej It was intended to make the basis a broad and practical as possible. Th present Committee would meet am formulate a scheme, and a permanon Committee would then be appointed somprisiiig members of (lie Trusl School Committee, and several also from outside. Any suggestions from this Committee would be readil" iccopted. Ho did not think llier' would bo any objection to an addi tion being made to the presen Committee, so long as it was work ible. THE TOWN HALL QUESTION, Mr W. G. Beard moved th following resolutions:— (1) "That this Committee views wit rem'ct the proposal of the Mastcrto frust Lands Trustees to erect a Tow If all out of the Town Lauds Trust fundi :md protests against nay such fund (outside the moneys received from th insurance of the late Town Hall) boinj expended in that direction." (2) " That this Committee strong! proltst against the proposal of th Irustccs to pledge the securities c funds of the Trust for any purpose, an particularly for the purpose of a Tow Hall." (3) " That as I he disputed question c pledging the Trust securities lias ucyc been submitted by tho Trustees to th residents of Mastcrton, who arc ci titled to vote upou the question, lb Trustees be requested, before applyin lo Parliament lo authorize a loan, t lake the opinion of such residents upo the advisability of pledging the Trus securities for the erection of a Tow Hall." (4) That this Committee requests tli Trustees to make special provision, b <ray of an annual grant, say of £2OOI least, for the educational requiremoul of the public of Mastcrton, and Hie such grant be specially protected again: any loss which may accrue, to the Tru: funds, in the event of a Town Ha being erected as proposed." Iu moving the resolutions M Beard drew attention to thopn posals made in tho report of tho las meetingof the Town Lands Trustee: If tho Trustees desired to carry on tho provisions of the Trust Act, hoi could they do so by tho resolution which were contrary to each othoi They also proposed to mortgago th property and funds of the Trust, si that no money would bo ayailabl for educational purposes, whici wore clearly tho first duty of th Trust to look after. Tho Trustee really proposed to rob the inhabi tants of Mastcrton, of a sum o £3,000, by building (his Hall, am handing it over to the Borougl Council. It tho resolutions wer carried, it would, he hoped, dete tho Trustees from pledging thei security to provide funds, wliicl funds should be applied to educa tional purposes, It was necesary t make every possible protest agains the proposal made in respect of thi misuse of funds which should hi jouserved for other purposes. Tin uaiinerinwhichMrLowespreveutec Jio motion being sprung upon him diowed how keenly conscious he wai if the interests he had to conserve [f the voto he proposed to take o: lie inhabitants went against them Jiey must abide by it. Mr Easthope seconded the reso. utions, and said they were a mosi itting protest to make against tin iroposal now before the Trustees oi lie Town Lands Trust. The pro losaloftho Trustees was nothing nore nor less than to erect a" dance louse " under the guise of a Towi fall. The resolutions proposed bj Jr Beard had his heartiest sym ratby. The borrowing proposal! hould be resisted at all hazards, ai io town in New Zealand was so wel avoured in the matter of educa' ioiml advantages, awl every mai ,nd woman should protest ngainsi he proposal to divert the Trusi aonies, set apart by tho donors foi ducation, to be used for the purposi f building a" dance-house." The Chairman supported the utions and said that if the resolu. ions'now proposed had been madi niblio and tho feature of the election e felt sure the result would hav( een somewhat different. Mr Daniell said he was pleased tc ee so much interest taken and thai lembers had got their blood warm, •nothingthey had forgotten wat bat tho project was .only spoken of d far, and tho real objects of the

resolutions wore already being dealt with. The condemnation of the Town Hall proposal was tho only now feature of-the resolution. If the Town Hall project was to have no other effect than that of stirring the peoplo out of their usual lassitude, it would do real good. _ Mr Pragnell supported the resolutions, and said that once the Trustees commenced, they would find that the proposed Hull would cost £SOOO in place of £3OOO. Mr Hornblow, said that until the matter of the Town Hall had bcou discussed by the Trustees, the present resolutions of condemnation were premature. He felt sure the Trustees would give duo consideration to the Committee's resolutions. He ridiculed the idea of canvassing for votes for or against, because it was possible to get the people to sign anything—in fact, both for and against. He could not support the resolutions. Mr Rivo said there wore more ways than one, of erecting a Town Hall, It was late in tho day, perhaps, but it was pleasing to see somo interest taken in the educational interests with which Masterton has been so well favoured. He would support the resolutions. Mr Morris also supported tho resolutions, Mr Beard replied and explained the position he bad taken up on the Committee. He would always continue to light for the educational tdvantages to be gained through this Trust to the Masterlon public. As soon, however, as the Jlastorton public showed that they did not care how the Trust mouics were spent, he would resign his seat on tho Committee. In place of £IOO, as Mr ■ Danicll bad said would be sufficient for the Technical School, he wanted the whole lot if it was £5,000. Pcr- ; sonally, it was probably moro to his . interest to see a Town Hall erected . in Masterton, but ho objected to that , Hall being erected by the Trust i Lands Trust, because it would drain . away the educational revenue. On the resolutions being put, it [ was decided that they be taken singly, when the first'throe were carried on division :-Ayes: Messrs Feist, Beard, Hive, Pragnell, East- ! hope and Morris. Noes: Messrs i Dauiell and Hornblow. The fourth resolution was carried unanimously. Messrs, Foist, Beard, Easthope and Pragnell were appointed a deputation to wait upon the Trust Lands Trustees at their next meeting, and urge the foregoing resolt ulions. s Mr Danicll invited the Chairman - to suggest some names to be added i to the Committee appointed by the f Trust, on the question of Technical 1 Education. , It was decided to suggest to the ■ Chairman of the Trustees that the , names of Messrs Feist, Easthope, 3 Hive and Pragnell be added, and j that several additional outside 1 gentlemen also bo asked to join tho t Committee, i The meeting then adjourned.