HAWKE'S BAY EDUCATION BOARD.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3775, 21 August 1883, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY EDUCATION BOARD.

This Day. The Board mot tit 11 a.m. Present: Mr J. D. Orinoiid (olmirmtin). 31cv. D. Sidey, and Messrs H. Harding, W. White, S. Locke, J. N. Williams, D. Guy, und Captuin Russell. COIUIESrOXDENCK. The f silo wing inward correspondence was

read: — From Blackburn, applying , for £10 for two ventilation cowls fixed at the Blackburn and Makaretu schools.—Agreed to. \ From the master of the Slakaretu .school, stating that he had at his own cxpen.se effected certain necessary improvements to the school property, and asking the Board to recoup him for such outlay.—No funds at disposal. From Gisborne, reeommeding that .section 13 A. be secured for school purposes, it being urgently needed.—Resolved that the Board will approve of the committee making arrangements for the purchase of a portion of the site from Reed's trustees by the sale of sections 262 and 'Hi.} in the township. From the same, asking that Miss Rosic, who had for some time past been teaching at the school, should receive payment for her services at the same rate as was allowed tq Miss Browne.—Declined, the staff being J sufficient without Miss Rosie's appointment. From the same, recommending that Miss Forbes , services bo retained as pupil teacher. —Agropd to. From the same, recommending the appointment of Frederick Fan-am as pupil teacher. —-Consideration deferred. From the same, applying for a concrete tank, ho that a good supply of water may be available in dry weather.—The secretary was instructed to write to the Education Department pointing out that the building grant is exhausted, and asking what amount i will be placed at the disposal of the Board for the current year. From the School Commissioners, Auckland, forwarding an account for £-i 10s, being half cost for tho erection of a dividingfence between tho property of Mr Bushnell, Gisborne, and tho education reserves, lots 262 and 263, town of Gisborne, which vest in the Education Board of Hawke's Bay. — Consideration deferred. From tho Chairman Kumeroa school, certifying that JGIOO had been expended on tho now' soliqol building there. —Approved. ' From Hastings', asking for' the ' appointment of 'tin additional male teacher, the average attendance being sufficient to warrant the appointment.—Tho Board approved of another pupil teacher being appointed, and recommended the appointment of Robert Ryder, of the Ilavelock school, tho'staff of that school being complete without him. From Kaikora, recommending tho continuance of Miss Soloy's services as pupil toucher.—Approved. From a number of householders residing at Makaretu South, praying for assistance to have a school established there. A site of ono aero -would bo presented by Mr Charles Ellison.—Agreed that if a building is erected tho Board would assist in the payment of a teacher's salary at the rate ol fi-l per head on the average attendance. ' Mounec, enclosing tho resignation by Miss Eva "Peacock of her position as pupil tcaehc'r:— Accepted. From tho same, asking for grant for the protection of tho Meanco river embankment.—inspector to report on the subject ■ to next meeting. * From Matawhcro, urging tho necessity q| coiistruojing certain tfovktf, as per

schedule forwarded, in and about the school, the accommodation at present being very bad and quite inadequate. The committee also recommended the appointment of Mrs Harris as mistress, appointment to date from July 2nd.—Agreed that a sum of £3 lGs he granted to the master for an oven. Appointment of Mrs Harris agreed to. Question of requirement to be further considered when information re grant is received from Wellington.

From Napier, recommending the appointment of John Williamson "and Mary Grubb as pupil teachers in the place of Kate Dunn and Ada L. Teyehenni, resigned.—Approved. From the same, recommending the appointment of Miss Gilroy as chief assistant mistress. Appended to the recommendation was a memo, by the inspector expressing surprise that some candidate possessing a hi-borccrtificatc had not been recommended. The one selected by the committee held a lower certificate than that of any tearher who had hitherto hold the appointment.— After some discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Captain Ilusscll, that the Board desire, before confirming the appointment of Miss Gilroy, that the committee will re-consider their recommendation on the ground of her low classification, and it the "committee knew of any very exceptional reasons for the appointment the Board would like such to be submitted to them.—An amendment by Mr Harding, that the committee's recommendation be agreed to, was lost on a division by 4 to 3. From the same, asking the Board to pay a deficiency of £30 for work in progress in levelling the play ground. £70 of the total cost had been raised by public subscriptions, also a further sum sufficient for the erection of SAvinsrs and aymnasium.— Granted. From"Mr J. Gmbb, stating that, m the event of her appointment as pupil teacher, his daughter would bo unable to accept the scholarship gained by her on the conditions. From Napier, enclosing a letter from the head master asking whether the_ same inducement would bo offered this year to teachers to prepare their passed pupil teachers for Class Tj as Averc given last year.—The Secretary was instructed to reply that the Board will pay bonus same as last year, but on the condition that a full certificate is obtained.

From Ormondville, asking the Board to co-operate with the committee in obtaining an assistant mistress for the school, Miss L<:vy, pupil teacher, having left.—Agreed that the inspector communicate AS'ith the committee, and in obtaining an assistant for the school.

From tho Education Department, in roply to tho Boavd's letter of 10th .Tune, stating (hilt, in tho event of a vote being passed" by Parliament for native school buildings/ Government would contribute towards the providing of school buildings at Tarawera a sum equal to that advanced by the Board and the svttlers, on the understanding' that every reasonable facility and encouragement be given to the native children' to attend the school.

From Port Ahuriri, forwarding tho applications of M. Palmer and M. Murray, pupil teachers, for training school scholarships.—Tho Board agreed to tho recomonchttion of the inspector that a letter ho written to the Education Department enquiring as to number of scholarshqis that will be at the disposal of the Board this year. From Wainui, stating that tho school is closed for want of a teacher's residence.

From Wallingford, recommending tlio appointment of Mr Simpson as master, and stating that lio had entered upon his duties. —Approved. I'Yom Miss Ellen Taylor, asking for a year's probation at Wairoa .school to enable her to pass her examination.—Approved. TAK.Vr.VU SCIIOOTi. Mr Harding drew attention to tho fact that the Takapan .school had been closed in consequence of the alleged illness of the master. He (3lr Harding) had made enquiries rejecting the matter, and had received ii letter from the .secretary to the "Waipukurau hospital certifying that Mr Stewart's illness -was alcoholism. After consideration, the Board resolved to forward the letter received by Mr Harding to the chairman of the Takapau school committee. THE WATPAWA MASTER. A letter was received from the Waipawa committee drawing the Board's attention to the fact that the master, Mr J. M. Fraser, had recently appeared in the It.M. Court at Waipawa as defendant in a civil action, and enclosing the newspaper report of the evidence, &c. The evidence .showed that Mr Fraser had defended the case on the ground that the debt was a gambling one, and that a portion of the money advanced to him by tho plaintiff was for betting in a card match. Mr Fraser had explained to tlio committee that ho regretted the circumstance, and would take care such did not occur again. The Chairman said it seemed tho greater portion of the debt was for the use of a billiard table. There did not appear to be any great crime in a schoolmaster playing billiards if he felt so disposed, but the defence that had been set up by Mr Fraser was quite another inatetr, and could not be passed over so easily. Mr Harding remarked that tlio greater part of Mr Eraser's spare time was spent in the billiard room. He thought it might be much more profitably employed. Mr Guy said the most serious part of the affair lay in the manner in which Mr Fraser had resisted the claim. Some remarks on the defendant's conduct had been made by the R.M. that did not appear in the newspaper reports. He felt that tho committee should havo dealt witli tho matter, but presumed the reason they did not do so was bceaii.se Mr Fraser had interested friends in that body.

Mr Si'dey thought a vote of censure should be passed on Mr Eraser's conduct. The position Mr Fraser had taken in the matter was a very improper one. Mr White and Mr Guy advocated the matter being , referred back to tho committee, who should knots-best how to deal with it.

Ultimately tho following resolution was carried: — "'That, having considered the communication from the Waipawa Committee, and the report ot : the proceedings in the R.M. Court, the Board regrets that the school committee did not consider the case and make a recommendation upon it; this not having been done the Board is of opinion that tho master has appeared in an improper position, and one he ought not to have occupied, and conveys to him a caution that in future such conduct will be severely dealt with." aeciiitkct's KEroitT.

The architect recommended in his report that a ventilator should be placed on the roof of the main school at Mcanee, and two of Tobin's tubes fixed in the corners, also that the window in the gable end next road be removed to the centre. The cost of these works, including £,'> lO.s for taking down and re-building chimney, would bo about ,Clo. —Tho expenditure of this amount was approved. MISCELLANEOUS. The Inspector's report as to staff, and his proposed scale of payments to assistant teachers, was adopted, to take effect from this date. Captain Russell, by permission of the meeting, withdrew his motion, of which notice "had been given, respecting _ certain proposed alterations in the scholarship rules, but intimated that ho would bring the matter forward again on another occasion. Tho remaining busiuess was of a routine character. .