THE SCHOOL QUESTION

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 283, 14 September 1886, Page 2

THE SCHOOL QUESTION

itbi.tc :iKETixn ok settlebs. On Saturday nigh' ;> public in; of settlers, convened bv Mr Mill ..n 1 ohalf of t.m> Edurali.m B.'.ard Was held at the S.'dlOoilloUSi.' to c-t ul-i.itT the qUes/K'U of school i'.vo.miiio'Hiio:! i:i the outer districts. Mr Eiil prc.-i if. 1 , mil there wore about 50 present. Mr I'ili. in opening the meethi::, said 'no mmo at the request of the Education hioord, mid unless they agreed to something that night t'nere was a strong prohability of tiieir losing the grant. Jfe had brought with him the wivle correspondence on the mutter from the various districts. In June. ISS;;, Mr G. Hutehins wrote, asking for a school near the Maunga-atua river on the Napier road, and offering conditions as to clearing, etc. The Board replied that they would apply to the Land Board for a site when funds were available : that: they would erect a building on condition that the settlers felled the, site and cleared it, and provided a fund sum of not less than £KO to a teacher. In June, ISSS, Mr Xevill wrote to the Board urging the erection of a school, and stating that the settlers in the Victoria Block would give £IOO if a school was eree'ed there instead of in the site originally proposed. In reply to the Board's enquiries Mr Hall, on behalf of the Victoria Block settlers, proposed to erect a building with two rooms for teacher's residence, for the sum of £220, if the Board would give a "rant of £IOO. This the Board agreed, subject to the proposals being carried out. In December a petition was received trom the settlers in the Bush-mills Block, asking for a school on Pinfold road, and offering to fell the site and provide £SO towards the cost. To this the Board replied that they would provide £IOO towards the cost, providing the settlers undertook to fell and clear the school site, and erect and furnish a building to the satisfaction of the Board. The next communication was from Mr Hall, as chairman of the Amalgamated Committee, stating that the settlers of the different districts had agreed to a school to be erected on section 8.3, Maun'a-atua road, to provide aeeomino lation for the children of the who'c district. Consideration was deferred pending a report from Messrs Hill and Haggen, who reported in favour of the proposed central site, and it was decide.! that two acres be purchased for a site at a price not exceeding .110 per acre. At the last meeting a petition was received from 1(5 settlers, representing the Pin told road site, disapproving of the central site. The full consideration of the question was still further postponed till the August meeting. They were aware that another petition was received from the settlers in Woodland's road, asking for a school there. There were, therefore, four proposals, and it rested with thatmeetin , f to say what they would like done, iiiu Board simply wished to consult the settlers themselves and see whether they could not arrive at some conclusion in the matter. Not a single guarantee had been carried out. Mr Bellshaw begged Mr Hill's pardon. The Board promised that if the lower Maunga-atua settlers felled the site they would build the school, which the settlers had done. Mr Hutching referred to the history of the L.-nver Maui ra- itna scliool question, and said they had replied to the Board telling them that all they could do was to fell the site. Ho contended that .£17.3 had been voted for the school, and said he remembered a letter being received to that effect. He thought therefore that the conditions had been compliol with. The reason that they did not get the money was that the Board was short of funds, but tin y were to get it when the Board got their next mono}- from the Government. Mr Hill said it was correct that the mone,y had been voted. He explained that every year a sort of financial statement was made out of the wants of the district and of money winch it was hoped would be received from Wellington. The £175 was placed on this statement, but had not been received from Wellington. Mr S. Hutchings said he had been the chief mover in the Amalgamated Committee. The lower Maunga-atua people were the first to move for a school in the outlying district. He pointed out that at that time there were two of the largest families in the district there, but they had since left owing to want of school accommodation. However their places had since been filled by others. They had about 25 children of school age and about many as not. It had been said that the central meeting was not a representative one, but if it was not it was the fault of the people who did not attend. He thought it was a representative meeting, and it was certain they would not get two or three schools. He thought they should accommodate themselves to each other's convenience, and suggested that they should meet one another half-way as near as possible. He contended that the site chosen was a central one and suitable to all. The Pinfold Ibiad school site would be no good to the Woodland's road people. Mr Sidey seemed to know all about it but he knew a great deal more than Mr Sidey. He thought it would no; be long before the Woodland's road children would be accommodated, but if not, they were not so badly suited, as they could come to Woodville. If the central site was not chosen it was certain they would not get a school in the Victoria Block, and they would be shut out just for the sake of a i'ew. Between man and man he contended that the central site was the site for the present (cheers.) He suggested, however, that the school should not be a permanent one but might bo afterwards removed to where it would be more required. Mr Haggen spoke on the matter, urging that the central site should be settled on as the only way at present of securing a school in the country districts. It was at his suggestion that the meeting had been held to consider the question, and acting on the resolution passed by that meeting as representing the majority of the people interested he had strongly supported this central site in the Education Board. The sum of £'-150 had been

d f w this sciiud’, an.! the Board had for -.fiie lime i e -h prewar M to go «.n with tie- wur-i, hm tlw difficulty of s. tiling a s,o' ;md Mw io.-a! dissent ion had s<> inlei inTe i v,;!n iOr matter that the amount was piactically s,nick off and the most they could evo-.ft to get, would now be very .-Mi di. Toe tune was nut far distant when sell I,.is Wo:;! | have to he establi-lied in ii'i tie* di-irr i ; Mr winch sTiim.ls were n w :i!. !■ u at pres,ait they could only gel otic : i:; Cm hot vvmild have tube ma 'o of ,i had c >e. .Jr C. H.-di i xplah c! the action of the Upper M-mn-.'a-atua .-..ttlersin cn-’e v >ring to have a school in their district. Tie- c uve-poiid, nee was to the efle ;t that £HT) wo .11 l o granted to them if a school were rreeled t) the value of .‘."220 and a site o' 5 acres felled, liurne ! and cleared. So far as the site was concerned they had carried out their proposals. Meantime the Pinfold school had been granted within Tj miles from the Vicouia site, and was it likely that school could survive with only 2-5 children to both 2 That was why they did not llnd the money because tiny would have had to make up another iMO for the teacher. He referred to the central committee having recommenced a site for which the Education Board granted the money, and then withdrew it on a petition from a few paltry people. He asked what were the Education Board composed of ? Mr Hall then referred to his efforts to obtain the necessary laud for the school, and stated} that ho had consulted witu Mr Wariio, and being unsuccessful with him he had communicated with Mr Guillard who had offered two acres of land at a reasonable price and this he had informed the Board of. He also sp a e of the sparsity of the populaa the com;try district, pointing out that there were only three children to the square mile, lie moved that the meeting by resolution endorses the following propositions : That as the present number of children of school age (in the outer district of Wnodvdle), is about three to the square mile it would be unwise at the present time to build schools to embrace a less an a than about 14 square miles. (2). By building them to embrace a less area the school attendance would be too small to command efficient teachers, and the result would be unsatisfactory. (3). That this meeting hereby confirms the action of the last public meeting and the action of the amalgamated committee in choosing a central site at the junction of the Maunga-aiua Boad with Conduit Hoad, and recommends that MrGuillard's offer be accepted. Mr S. Hurdling seconded the motion. Mr Thompson was in favor of the central site as recommended by the committee. As lo Mr Hall’s remarks he could get 52 children on Woodland’s Hoad and Bush-mills, and they were entitled to a school there. He was in favor of the cent' al site and a school on Woodlands Bo .d and saiu these would accommodate all the children at the present time. (Cheers). Mr Ti acker asked Jif tie,’ could build two schools. He quite agreed that a school should lie built on the Woodlands Bead, but the majority of the Bush-mills sections were on Pinfold Koad, and there were about 2(i children who would attend the lTul’o;d Boad school if built, and the Committee were quite prepared to carry out the arrangement made with the Board. Mr S. Hutching aslel for the names of the children who would attend the Unfold Boad school. Mr Thacker said ho unfortunately had not the Jisl but Mr Hill could give it. (Laughter.) He was speaking the truth and he would defy the world that what he said was true. Mr Hatching said he was not questioning his truth. Mr Hill then read the petition from the Pinfold Boad settlers. Mr Hughes said he had not signed the petition and he had only three children, not five as stated. Mr S. Hutching: Did you sanction its being signed. Mr Hughes: No. Mr S. Hutching; Then Mr McCormick owes .15 to the Waipnkurau Hospital Mr Thacker: Perhaps Mr Hughes will recognise his own handwriting. I think Mr Hill you were at a private room at Murphy's when the names were signed to the petition. Mr Hill did not remember, but thought there were not more than sis there. Mr Thacker said if Mr Hughes name was on the petition he signed it. A voice: Hughes didn’t signed that petition. Mr Thacker maintained he had. Mr Hill said the signatures were different so far as he remembered. Mr McCormick sail this petition was not the one in question. Mr J Hughes was quite right, he had not signed the petition. Mr Hughes was one of the first men who asked him to call the first meeting regarding the Pinfold Boad site. Mr Healy was another. If any doubled his word he would leave the challenge of the -£’s in the hands of any two gentlemen to decide. (Cheers.) He supported the Pinfold Koad school. It was a central one. He moved as an amendment, That the Pinfold Boad site be recommended to the Education Board as the central site. Mr Currie seconded the amendment. Mr Hughes said he was never asked about the second petition and had never signed it. Mr Thompson questioned Mr Thacker’s statement about his having fiye children of school age, but Mr Thacker asserted he had ton children who required schooling. Mr Bellshaw said ke had half a dozen children. He could not go so many as ten (laughter.) His oldest girl was 13 and had not been to school (he ir hear.) He had been seven years in the bush and had five children of school age and not one of them had been to school, and if the school was on the Pinfold Boad they would not go at all. He wanted the central site. He was not present at the meeting on the previous occasion because he thought the Education Board was a humbug (Laughter.) They had made so many promises and never fulfilled them, and when a meeting was called he put it down as all rot, and only a waste of time (roars of laughter.) This Education question was a more serious thing than they’ thought of. He said the Government were cutting up the country into small farms, but because there wore no schools the settlers would have to sell out and go to town in order to have their children educated. The result would be that the country would have to depend on the towns instead is the towns on the country. That was why there were so many loafers in the towns. Struggling settlers had to forfeit their lands and go to the towns in order to get their children educated. Mr Meacham said he had a boy ten years old who had never been to school and he had four others. Mr Hughes here explained that the only thing he had signed was as a bouse-

holder to it l ' **' * ,rt ‘ Bond. ~ , Mr McCormick said bo wa-(p...' V he bad not misrepresented Mr Bnsrms. He himself bad never sigmn a r for nnv man. , . . a- ..... Mr'Hah sympathised "'ith -'“.m. Thacker ami Currie. Mr Thompson said he would um.e -.1 a school <m Woodlands Bond when t.,i. Hor.nl were in funds. Mr Thacker here _reau a ~•«« h a Mr Ormond regarding the ■ ~<s In ‘ school ami contended that ‘he J ;‘'. Maunpa-ama people w<>u 1.1 so.-nl-nc the railway by which to send tncir chilmen l ° One°oentlema.t asked if the Department would run trains for the purpose Mr Hill rend the letter sent to Mi Thacker by the Board ns to the I mfok Bond school requiring the settlers to build and furnish a school. Mr asked what the Board meant hv furnishing. _ „ Mr Kill replied that it was m fit up the school internally with the necessary apPfl Mr Thacker said that was a different ™Mr Hill then put the amendment and the motion asking that those direct.,v interested should vote. The voting resulted in 12 for the amendment and 19 for the motion, which was An objection was raised to Hr C. Hall voting, on the ground that he had sold Ins property, and the vote was msa owci, making 18 for the motion, which was carried. . . ~ , „ , On Mr Hill’s suggestion the hrst and second parts of the motion were struck ° U Mr "Walker referred to the Woodland’s Hoad school. A vote of thanks concluded the meeting.