EDUCATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1000, 15 December 1910, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. ! Tho Wellington Education Board held its last meeting for the year 1910 on Tuesday, a fortnight earlier than the date of the usual monthly meeting, on account of the school holidays. There were present: The chairman (Mr. ftobert Lee), and Messrs. \V. [[, Held, M.P., A. It. Vile, AV. C. Buchanan, M.P., Win. Allan, J. hebbcll, A. W. Hogg, M.l\, H. Elder, and S. G. W. Aitken. • The statement of finances disclosed a debit balance of .£1220 19s, —the debit balance for the previous month was *£72-1 9d.—aud authorisations totalling £877% 17s. Gd. Tlio buildings account was in debit to the sum of .£3771 Bs. 3d.; manual and technical account, ,£llß os. 3d.; secondary account, .<£2lo 15s. lOd. Accounts "in credit were the general account, .£2022 17s. 6(1.; technical account, i! 77 15s. 10d.; teachers* salaries,'<£ 723 6s. 2d.; deposits account, .£SB 6s. 3d. - In moving the adoption of the financial statement, the cJiairman (Mr. Lee) remarked that the debit balance was actually considerably less than it appeared, several heavy payments having been made. Generally speaking, he added, the board had every reason to feel satisfied with its financial position. They had had to keep a pretty tight rein, on the finances, and would continue to do so. By the end of the year lie hoped to see tho building account completely wiped out. Right through the year, the board had endeavoured to administer its re» sponsibilitios under the restricted conditions which had been laid down by the Government, and he thought that they had succeeded. Mr. Vile understood that the Government had reinstated the account which had boon deducted from tho board's allowance. The chairman said that that was not so. Other boards had also suffered. _ Mr. Vile: Have our estimates been framed upon this restricted allowance? Thft chairman answered in the affirmative. At a later stage the chairman announced that the Government had just made a. grant of ,£7OO towards the re-instate-rnent of tho Kilbirnio School. The v-ork of reinstating worn-out schools was really part of the board's functions. In the case of the Kilbirnio School, part of the building was worn out, and part was out of date. Tha building really .required to bo reinstated, and, under the circumstances, he thought that a grant of ,£7OO was a liberal one. The board would probably require to spend nn additional three or four hundred cu the work. On the recommendation of tho Finance and Works Committee grants jnr works and supplies for the Te.Aro, Clyde Quay, Koscneath, Northland, Maugatainoka. and Noririal Schools were approved. Applications for gas fittings at Te.Aro, and a wash-house and bath at Ivoputaroa, were declined. In tho latter case it was pointed out that the 'requirements applied for had been included in the general statement of requirements for school residences. ; Tho clerk of works was instructed to report upon tho merits of the offer of n teacher's residence at Pongaroa, and an application for tho erection of boundary fences at Brooklyn. It was also resolved that the insurance' of school buildings bs increased in 1911 by ,£2950, at an increased premium, approximately, of <£11 17s. Bd. Further consideration of the question of establishing a high school proper at Petono was deferred for . another month.