KAITANGATA.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 186, 1 February 1878, Page 6

KAITANGATA.

The meeting in the Kaitangata district *was lield in the schoolroom on Monday

orebeiifc, and Mr VV. T. ?.iii-h was callvd on to occupy the chair.

The Chairman having read the notice calling the meeting, called on Mr Welsh, the Secretary, to read the annual report, which was as follows ; —

The School Committee in laying before you the report of the year's proceedings beg to state that they have held 20 meetings during tho past year. Their firs'- duty alter taking office was to advertise for a schoolmistress, when Miss Osborne was. appointed, afc a salary of £1.10 per annum, and has performed her duties to the satisfaction of the Committee. The Committee having decided to erect a new class-room for tho schoolmistress, applied to the Education Board for assistance, when it. was immediately granted to the extent of two-thirds of the coat, after vhich tenders were called for it. and that of Mr W. G. Smith's was -.cce-nted for th--** sum of .BUI 0..

The attendance of pupils has not been very satisfactory during fc..p p -st yoar, tho number of pupils ofi the. roll being 112, with an avoragf* attendance of 30 pupils, being a decrease of 1G on ehe preceding year.

Tho CommiHso also mades aiT-v-pr-'-menis whereby they took control of ihe school fens, giving Mr St'-ven two-ihird.-- of tho amount raif'd, but have experienced considerable flifTloulr.y in collecting them, the sum of L.IS boing still in arrears. The income of the past y<*ar has been, exclusive of school fees, f. 150 14s 3d, and the" expenditure £1915 IGs sd, leaving a debit balance against the Committee of £47 2s 2d, which the Committee would have taken step* to reduce before now, but seeing so many calls made on the district in connection with the new church and other matters, they thought it better to leave it alone for a time, aud now, seeing that the new Act is in operation and school fees abolished, tlie Committee trusts that the district will make an effort to reduce the debt as soon as possible.

Tn conclusion, the Committee desire to express their regret at the protracted illness of Mr Taylor, tlieir chairman, and siucerely hope tbat he may soon be restored to health and strength. The report was carried unanimously. The following gentlemen were theii elected as members of Committee ' for 1878 : —Messrs W. M. Shore, R. Darling, Wm. Aitcheson, W. T. Smith, J. Hislop, G. Smith, and J. Welsh.