ALEXANDRA TOWN COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 718, 21 January 1876, Page 3

ALEXANDRA TOWN COUNCIL.

—o— The ordinary meeting of the Town Council was held on Wednesday, January 12th 1876. Present, the Mayor, and » full meeting of the Council. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The outward correspondence was read and approved, and the inward received. A letter was received from Mr Chappie, protesting against the Town Hall being built until a more urgent want had been supplied, namely, water supply for the Town ; he also regretted to hear that the Council had applied to the Waste Land Board for a grant of land (on a pure sand bed away from,the town altogether) for the purpose of planting trees, when they are already in of Block XI. and XII, containing eleven acres, eminently fitted for the purpose. Resolved that the Town C’erk reply to Mr Chappie’s letter, thanking him for his suggestions, and to inform him that the Council have already fully considered the matter referred to, and believe that what they purpose doing will be for the benefit of the Town. A letter was read from Mr Warden Simpson, asking the Council to pay their proportionate share of the expense in advertising the Licensing meeting. The Town Clerk was instructed to reply to the same, signifying the Council’s intention of paying the same. The tenders for excavating the site for the Town Hall were opened and read— from Dewer and Brown, LI2 5s ; Henry Tohil, LI 4 ss. Dewer and Brown’s tendjr was accepted The Works’ Committee reported that the channel lately constructed by J. Thomson had given way, and wereofopinion that if it had been done according to the specifications it would not have given way. After considerable discussion it was left ■with the Works’ Committee to arrange with Mr Thomson for the work done, and report to the next meeting of Council. Resolved that tenders be invited for "building the Town Hall, and the Town •Clerk he instructed to advertise it in the Dunstan Times, Cromwell Argus and Tuapeka Times. The Town Clerk laid on the table tho audited statement of Receipts and Expenditure of the Corporation for the past financial year, vvhHi were examine 1 and signed. The Town Clerk to advertise the same. The meeting closed with the usual vote to the Chair. CROMWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE. —o—(Unavoidably held over from last issue.) On Monday evening last the annual election of the Cromwell School Committee took place, with the following result: — Messrs Grant, Taylor, W., Woods, Thomas, Wbetter, Pierce, Marshall, Rev. B. Drake, and Preshaw. We have no desire to appear Invidious, but would call special attention to the incongruous constitution of the present Committee. In the first place, of the nine elect, no leas than seven of the members belong to the same Lodge and order of Good Templars, and out of that .. number there arc no less than four who are ' childless, two ethers basking under the happy hallucination surrounding a state of ■simile blessedness, while Mr Marshall is an entirely new member, and Mr Preshaw is the only one of the old stock—the pioneers of education in the Cromwell district—who is pe’-nutted to participate in the deliberation of the new School Committee. Doubtless he feels tru'y grateful for the marked honor bestowed and the questionable confidence repose 1. Viewing the subject from a disinterested point, we are led to ask what are the peculiar qualifications possessed "by some of the elect Committee to entitle them to govern the education of the young, and to he the chosen in preference to those who have not only spent their time and ■money, but. have had and are still rearing a family ? Is a single man likely to interest himself in the management and direction of the school to a greater extent than a hnsI an I and a father would ? Is it likely that parents will neglect to take any interest in the training of their own flesh and blood ? To hold such views would be opposed to all cirnion sense. Give a person an interest ■i i the undertaking, let him feel and know that the greater the success the larger will his reward be, and the stimulus to increased perseverance is at once established. What parent likes to see his children grow up in ignorance, and, therefore, the stricter the ■watch is kept upon the School, the bettor it is for the master, the pupil, and the S ate; and, who more competent to judge than the men who have borne the hard fight—the great and glorious fight of rearing local E Incational Institutions in connection with the establishment of which their names are identified. Ten years ago, this work was taken in hand, and up to last Monday evening, one of the promoters (Mr John Marsh) hold the important position of Chairman during that entire period. It might be profitaole to take a cursory glance at the work done by the old and ill-nsed Committee In tho fist place, without apparent encouragement, they liberally advanced money and by persistent, straightforward conduct, succeeded in having a fine School-house erected at a cost between seven and eight hundred pounds, and last year they sold the old school house fora very handsome sum, and erected a substantial wall around tho school grounds. It is usual in •lisraisa- ■- ing any servant to allege a re ason or furnish a charge, but the old Soho-d Cnmmitfceo have not .been treated even with such bare consideration. What, then, was the cause of their non-election, and of tho Committee in office being so closely associated ? Wo could suggest the answer, but will it to the future to disclose. Ono thing pretty evident, an I that is that the majority of those present wore Good Templars, and from tho number of votes recorded, compared with the number in the room, pretty

clearly indicated that the Templars voted in one direction, while we know that at no former election has the attendance been so numerous or punctual. Harsh as to some it may seem, we feel constrained to admit we labor under the conviction that the voting was the result of pre-determined and combined action on the part of the Templars. They may or may not have good reasons for so acting, with this wo have little to do. It is the cause of Education that requires protection. With the Templars or the Committee wo have no quarrel nor do wo desire one. The late selection cannot therefore be taken as an expression of publ-'c opinion, as the proposed meeting was not advertised, and many who would have been there were unacquainted with the fact that such an important meeting was to be held ; whereas, the others wore fully prepared and mustered in strength. If it had been shown either in the Tress or in any other legitimate way, that the old Committee had failed in their duty, had, in fact, forfeited public opinion and esteem, then we should not have spared them nor had occasion to find fault ; but when, on the contrary, everything shows they worked well and harmoniously together, they secured success and credit, they built up, not a fragile, but a substantial structure, they strove and buried all class and sectarian distinctions, they devoted their energies to the furtherance of the one grand object, we think the voters of Monday evening should have paused, should have asked themselves Have these men done their duty to society? To such a question, what would have been the inevitable reply in the mouth of every honest ratepayer—Yes, they have, and I’ll abandon every personal feeling, every party feeling, and let them enjoy the honors lor which they struggled so long. We think that the conduct of the few »ho attended last Monday’s meeting in indefensible, as good citizens were rejected to . suit the whim of a combined majority To the parents who have expressed their intention of supporting another school, we make bold to advise them not to exhibit such childish weakness, as, by so doing they would but spread the seed of cqnfusionand disaffection. That the cause of Tcmplary claims and merits support is unquestionable, but if it is to develops itself as on Monday last, the sooner its hydra head is destroyed the better. The election of the Rev Mr Drake would have been better left alone, not but what he may be a very devout and good man, but where children of different persuasion attend the same school, the circumstance of a minister of religion, bo he ever so good, having a directing hand in its management not unfrequently tends to the loss of more than one or even four or five pupils. We hope no injurious effects will follow from Monday’s election, and that the proper training of the young and rising generation will command the care time and attention of the now elect Cromwell School Committee for the year 1876.