LITTLE RIVER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 161, 1 February 1878, Page 2

LITTLE RIVER.

A publio meeting ws , * ho\d in the schoolroom Little IlivL'i otn tlio 28th inst., to receive the report of." tho School Committee of 1877, and to elect a now Committee. There was a atxeiulance of householders. Mr Tyson riominatcl Mr Allan for the chair, wliich was bocoin'tcd i>y .Mr Harris. The chairman prorrjcJM to read the Committee's report, thp substance of which has already appeared m the Mail. On the motion of Mr 11. Davis, the report was adopted, as read. The balance-sheet was then banded in by Mr Degg, Chairman of Committee, who explained that the accounts had not been audited, as he had received on Saturday last, instructions from the Board of Education to have this done at leaet

throe days before the present meeting, but as one clay only {Sunday) intervened between that on which he received these ■instructions and the day of the meeting, it was impossible they could he complied with. This was, the reason the accounts were not audited.

Mr Harris proposed that the chairman should audit them, but the chairman declined. Finally Messrs Gilliatt and Olphert undertook the task, but failed to accomplish it, finding more time required than could be afforded under the circumstances. Mr <i. R. Joblin thought undue importance was being attached to the matter, and it was a pity the proceedings of the meeting should be delayed. The late Committee were free from blame, as it was impossible they could comply with the instructions they had received from the Board. The chairman suggested that Mr Joblin should embody this opinioti in a resolution; which he did, and accordingly moved that in consequence of the impossibility of the existing Committee complying with the instrucrions of the Board of Education relating to the audit of the accounts, the Committee now to be elected do undertake the responsibility of appointing an auditor. Carried.

The nomination for members of the new Committee then took place, but much diversity of opinion prevailed relating to the manner of taking the votes. The chairman proposed that the name of those nominated should be written on a sheet of paper, and that each voter should come to the table whereat he was seated and record his votes.

To this mode of procedure many objected as being tantamount to open voting. Mr G. R. Joblin dissented. He considered the plan proposed objectionable, as it was opposed to the express stipulation of the Ordinance, that the voting should be by ballot. He thought if the names of those nominated were written on the black board, and the chairman provide a blank paper for each voter, and placed his initials thereon, the voters could retire to the side table and record their votes, each folding his paper and returning it to the chairman, after which, scrutineers could be appointed. The chairman could not concur with this plan, as some voter might give more votes than he was entitled to, andto avoid this, it was necessary he should witness the recording of the votes. Mr Gilliatt thought that such a plan would be equivalent to open voting. He would propose that the black board be placed in a conspicuous place with the names of those nominated written thereon, when each in rotation could, with a piece of chalk, record their votes. Considerable objection to this prevailed, but the chairman invited the electors to record their votes in the manner he proposed, which he said was approved by the Press newspaper. Mr G. R. Joblin read from the Education Ordinance the clauses bearing on the matter, and contended that the method proposed would render the election illegal, and he should protest against it. The chairman said he should acknowledge no protest; he considered the course he pursued was perfectly legal, as certain powers were vested in him as chairman. Mr A. Joblin and others protested that the course pursued by the chairman was arbitrary and illegal. The chairman declined to give way, and Mr G. R. Joblin with about a dozen others, refused to proceed with the election and left the room.

The votes of those remaining were then recorded, and resulted in the followingpersons being elected : —Messrs Foulton, Harris, G. R. Joblin, Jacobson, John Reynolds. J. F. Stanbury, and Tyson. A vote of thanks to the chairman, and to the outgoing Committee, terminated the proceedings. Immediately afterwards the new Committee met when Messrs Joblin and Jacobson were proposed as chairman, but Mr Joblin questioned the legality of tho proceedings, and declined to act till the decision of the Board of Education on the matter had been received. The majority of the Committee contended for the legality of the meeting, and elected Mr Jacobson chaiiiiian. GERMAN BAY. The annual meeting of householders for the election of a School Committee for the present year, took place in the schoolroom, on the evening of the 28th ult., there being but a small attendance, with Mr R. Dawber in the chair.

Before proceeding with other business, the following report of the retiring Committee of the schooi was read :—" At the annual meeting of householders, licld on April 9, 1877, "the retiring members of the Committee, Messrs Thos. Penii, George Breitmeyer, and Jas. Hammond, sen., were re-eiected, and Mr R. Dawber was again ■appointed the Chairman of the Committee. Since then Messrs J. Suiu-keil and Thos. Pfiui have lei'r the district, and Messrs Jos. Prince and W. C. Imnan have been elected to supply their places._ There has been a "Change of teachers since the last meeting, but the school is now efficiently conducted by Mr Thos. A. Gates as schoolmaster, and Miss Jane Roberts as assistant mistress. Mr A. Angus is master at the side school, and receives £50 per annum, which is paid by the Board of Education through this Committee. In June last the Board made the Committee a gift oi : trees from the Domain, also a grant of £10 for planting, but this amount has not yet been received. The Committee have had under consideration the purchase of- an harmonium for the use of the school. The master is an efficient teacher of singing, but cannot undertake to teach the children without the aid of an instrument. The difficulty is, how are the necessary funds to pururchase one to be obtained? The sum of £1(58 4s 2d has been received from the Board of Education for the payment of teachers from the Ist of January to the cad of December, 1877. and the same amount has been paid ; £40 has also been received for incidental expenses, and £5 9s 6d for prize fund, and there is now a balance in hand of M 5a 8d for incidental expenses. There are now 40 children on the books, and an average attendance of 26 - 5.—Robt. Dawber, Chairman German Bay School Committee."

The election of householders to serve on the Committee for the present year was then proceeded with, resulting in the election of the following gentlemen, viz., Messrs Robt. Dawber, .las. Hammond, J. Prince, Edwin Chappel, Wm. Jolly,. Edw. Harrington, Albert Phillips. At a meeting of the newly elected Committee, held afterwards, Mr Kobt. Dawber was again elected as chairman.