WAREPA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 139, 9 March 1877, Page 5

WAREPA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the above School Committee was held on the 27th ult. Present ; Messrs Christie, Waters, Slawson, Cooper, Stewart, Farquhar, Milligan, and the Secretary. Mr Slawson took the chair. The following letter, under cover to Mr T, H. M'eeking, was read : — Tokomairiro, February 13, 1877. Messrs T. H. Meeking, schoolmaster, James Cooper, bootmaker, and Rev. John Waters, Warepa. Dear Sirs, — I have been instructed by Mr Wilson to demand from you the immediate payment of £54 15s lOd, for supply of materials for, and work and labour on, the Warepa Schoolhouse, as por particulars enclosed. If this amount is not paid to my client or myself by Saturday next, a summons will be issued against you. — Yours truly,

(Signed) Donald Reid. The Secretary informed the Committee that the above bombshell had been in his possession for the last fortnight, but had not disturbed his usual serenity. Resolved — "That the account of particulars referred to in Mr Reid's polite note be rejected, but that the note itself be carefully preserved in the archives of the Committee as an interesting specimen of legal assurance." The following orders on the Committee were passed for payment : — On account of R. J. Wilson, contractor. — J. Crawford, L 5 5s 5d ; G. Munro, L 7 10s ; J. Cooper, Ll7 12s 6d.— L3o 7s 1 Id. For labour and materials — William Yorke, L 6 ; William Christie, 12s 6d.— L6 12s 6d.

The inability of the contractor, Mr Wilson, to complete the contract entered into between him and the Committee being evident, it was resolved to request that individual to meet the Committee on Saturday evening next, to arrange terms' for relieving him of the Work.

Mr Christie brought forward his former motion for the immediate erection of a shed and gymnasium for the children. As a father he Avould raise his voice against the cruelty much too common, of working the very inside out of children at the harvest, and all other busy seasons, and when no more work could be given, to pack them, off to school to their lessons. School should be made attractive to the scholars, and one way to make it so Was to place at their command, within the precincts of the school, means of amusement and relaxation. It was no less than stupid cruelty to allow a large number of children to congregate oiuside day after day and year after year with positively no means of promoting cheerful healthful exercise. Leading educationists of the day viewed the playground as a means of education secondary only to the 'schoolroom. Whilst gladly admitting that science, art, commerce, and Christian civilisation wore

effecting tlie .most brilliant conquests, he thought few .would be found to "deny that the tone of the world to-day was warlike, unmistakably. The universal call for

soldiers, able-bodied, lusty, young fellowfl 1 for war material, together with the pre- 1 vailing uneasiness regarding the future 1 fate of Europe (to the leading nation "of i which, every man, woman, and child in i iffew Zealand is more intimately connected ji than is often supposed), were symptom* if tar too important, too solemn, to be pas-jod I over with neglect. One would not see t.ol many round-shouldered, narrow-choste.l, 1 under-sizod young men among us, if their i physical training had had only half the 1 proper attention in their youth. It had 1 been well said by the classic Pope— I I " The proper study of mankind is man." | This is true under all the various phases 1 man presents ; physically, no less so than 1 what he presents under his higher and I | nobler attributes. And it should be borne | in mind by the Committee and parents* 1 generally, that body and mind act and re- | act upon each other. Notable exceptions 1 may be given, no doubt, but as a general 1 rule it will be found that tho leaders of sj mankind, whether in war, ; politico, or f:j science, are men of good physique, and it-first-rate constitution. In fact, whatever 1 be the path in life in which it may plca-'O j God to place our children, whether as I leaders or followers, one of tho first condi* l l tions to success is health ; health of body }! health of mind ; both capable of cultiva- ! tion in youth, but confessedly a difficult ! condition to attain to afterwards, He i would, therefore, move— "That active j steps be at once taken to provide a shed ' and gymnasium for the benefit of the I school children.'''

Rev. Mr Waters seconded the motion. I Subscriptions to the amount of L 5 were 1 at once promised by those present toward* I these objects, and it was resolved that I sixpenny readings be established through- f out the winter for the purpose of raisino- '$ funds for the balance. The first of the 1 readings to take place on the second Satur- *( day in April. |