SOUTH RAKAIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1542, 26 April 1887, Page 3

SOUTH RAKAIA.

Thl annual meeting of householders was held on Monday evening when there was a good attendance, some 40 being present. Mr Hardy pcoupied the chair. Tbo outgoing Committee reported as follows:—Your Com* j mitteo have been enabled during the past J year to maintain the school buildings m an . efficient state of repair, and both they and tht offloes and ground are kept m a creditable ■tate of neatness and oleanliness. Behevirg that healthful exeroise during play hours is a eucoessfull adjunct m a good education, they have obtained a grant of materials from the School Board, and the gymnasium has been renovatod and made thoroughly efiioient, Through the liberality of the South Jtakaia Sports Committee and others, the ohildren were enabled to have their annual treat, which was very successful. Your Committee have held fourteen meetingß during the year and the attendance of members is as follows: —Mr Hardy (Chairman), 13; Messrs Stewart, B;.Broadbent, 14; Eeyoraft, 7; Oxley, 13; llakieg, 9; Cox, 14. The result of the examination shews uneven results, good m Standards IV, V and VI; very moderate m . Standards II and 111. With infants and Standard I satisfactory progress is being mad*. The discipline is highly praised aa veil aa class movements and drill, and the children's manners are being carefully cultivated. Theteaohing staff has been re-arranged, the Master taking the superintendence of the weakest part, and if parents will see to the unremitting attendance of the pupils without Which no school oan suooeed, your Committee hope that their successors may with con. fidence expoot a satisfactory result for 1887. Mr Brimicombe spoke very strongly against the Master, m a forcible manner stating that his children were not receiving proper attention.—Many others spoke most highly of the Master's (Mr Dixon's) work, and expressed themselves as being highly satisfied with it and with the progress their children were making,: After some remarks were passed about the costliness of thejmmp, the Committee's report and balance-sheet showing a oredit balance of £10, was adopted. The next business was the eleotion of a new Committee. Thirteen gentlemen were nominated, the result of the ballot being as follows :— J. Turner «. •• .. 81 ; Stewart .. .. .. 27 Broadbent 24 Oxley •« •» ..23 Pjke 22 Windsor .. .. ..18 Johnston «. .. ..12 On the motion of Mr Hardy, seconded by Mr Stewart, a hearty vote of thanks was acoorded the teaohing staff. Mr Brimicombe moved as an amendment —"I'-ata vote of censure be passed on the Staff," and stated that Mr Dixon ought to be kiok«d out of the school. No one waa found to eeoond the amendment. Mr Dixon returned thanks on behalf of the Staff. He denied that any of Mr Brimioomba's Itatements were true. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings. The newly elected Committee then met, and eleoted Mr fyke Chairman. This gentleman also under* took to aot as Treasurer and Seoretary. The Chairman and any member of the Committee were authorised to sign cheques. It was resolved to hold meetingß on the first Wednesday m eaob month, at seven o'clock m the evening. Mrs Sturgeon's tender for oleaning the sohool was aooepted at £18. The meeting then adjourned. [Pbbss Association.] Dunedin, April 25. At the meeting of householders m the George street sohool distriot an animated disonsßion took place on the truant question. The Chairman stated that the Committees, one and all, wero determined that looking after absentee ohildren was not a duty that devolved on them. Ie was necessary m order to carry out the compulsory clause that there should be proper officers speoially appointed. Boys and girls were admitted into faotories who could not paso the examination under the Aot, and m these cases the faotory proprietors sbonld be obliged to find means by which their education should be completed. Nai>irr, April 25. The meeting for the eleotion of a Sohool Committee here to-night was probably the largest yet held m the colony. The sohool was crowded to suffocation, and large crowds assembled around the doors; After a rowdy scene, due to:an attaok by one of the outgoing Committee men on his colleagues, an adjournment was made to the Theatre Royal, which was immediately densely packed. The samo Committeeman renewed bis attacks but when attempts were made to reply, his supporters, whojpaoked the middle of the hall, refused a hearing. A scene of great uproar and confusion resulted. The maohinery provided by the Aot was quite inadequate for taking the votes of soon a crowd, but at last it was agreed to give each one a voting paper as he went out, to be then taken over to the sohoolhouse and deposited. The proceedings lasted three hours. It is questionable whether the wholo proceedings were not irregular and the election illegal The results of the voting will not be known for several hours yet; Nelson, April 26. At tb& election of a Town School Committee fist night the Theatre was crammed. The question at ißSue was whether the use of the schoolrooms Bbould be granted for religious instruction immediately before sohool hours. The religious party won the day.