TOWN V. COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 32, 1 November 1917, Page 7

TOWN V. COUNTRY

THE SMALL SCHOOL QUESTION.

One of tlie pet grievances of Mr. A. W. Hogg is that the Executive Committee of the Wellington Education Board W constituted of city members to tho exclusion of country members. Thie committee was set up to cope with current events, and must necessarily be composed of those members whose attendance at meetings can be secured with no great inconvenience.

At yesterday's meeting Mr. Hogg charged tho Executive Committee with the-mistake he alleged it had made in deciding to closa the small school at' Mmigahao. Mr. Hogg gnid there were sixteen children attending the school, and it was four miles away from any other school, yet the , committee had decided to close the school down. They should not take, such action and leave so largo a number of. small children without the means of education. The School Coinmitteo had only done its duty iu making a protest, and he protested against the executive, composed exclusively of city members, doing such things as closing up the little schools, which were doing eush useful work. Only a few weeks ngo they wished to sell or lease another school ?itc, which, according to the inspector's repaft, was damp and liable to bo flooded. Since the last meeting of the boai'd he had received a letter from a settler in the locality saying that so far from being dump, tho sito was (lie best lo be had in the district. Mr. Morley, who had presented it, hail slated lhat during t'uo many years it had been in Ms possession Die land, had never been flooded, as tho water from tho river had never bflfln within 16ft. (in height) of Ilia hud. Yet on that inspector's report the exerativn were.' going to sell or leas?. He suggested i that it was timo that thfi country work I »f tho board was left lo the ecus cry members.

..The chairman stntod that, ho Vievpo , the board would say rbat tho ExKuiive Commiltoo had fiilly justified , its creation.

Mr. London eaitl lh?.1 iho noparent inconsistency in tho- aJiUon of "the execu"had been caused by reprcsetitßt'onti having been madfl that the attpfi.-iar.c. a.t thoec.hool (Mangalmo) did not inslSfy itfi being kept open, but sinco then ii had been learned thai it nol 6nly had a full attendance, but there w«s a. surplus.