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Dunstan Times, Issue 780, 30 March 1877, Page 3

(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT. A public meeting, convened by the Secretary of the School Committee for the purpose of deciding on a site for a new School building, for which the Committee are now calling fortenders, was held in the Shamrock Hotel on the evening of Saturday last. The meeting was well attended, and after Mr Spain had been duly voted to, and taken his place in the chair, the Secretary, Mr Barren, proceeded to state that he had called the meeting as Secretary, on his own responsibility, not having consulted the Committee previous to issuing the notices, and it therefore rested with the Committee to consider how far they would be bound by the decision of this meeting. Here he was interrupted by Mr Pitches, who said there was no use of holding this meeting if the Committee were not to bind themselves to act in accordance with the voice of the meeting. It was then explained, after a good deal of altercation, that though the Secretary acted on his own responsibility in calling the meeting, the Committee had since endorsed his action ; that calling the meeting had been forced upon them through the action of a few of the residents interviewing Warden Simpson on Tuesday last respecting the site the Committee had chosen, and which the Warden had promised to recommend. They called this meeting therefore for the purpose of he: ring the objections these gentlemen had to the site selected, and their grounds for interfering between them and the Warden. The Committee would explain the reasons they had not called a public meeting before they hj vil gone so far, as some said they ought to have been done, but though they were quite a ;reeahle to work with the majority of the district, they would not he hound to ar adverse vote of this meeting. As they were aware, by (be support they had received, that they had a majority to hack them, though that majority may not he here present. It was explained then by the Secretary and others of the Cnromettee that the present Cenimittee, with slight exceptions, had been in office since January 1870, and the charge to get a new School built was left them by their predecessors. The present proposed site had been picked out by them over twelve months ago, and shown to Mr Petrie, Inspector, last year, who highly approved of if They concluded that not hearing of any objection from any one since that time, that if a subsidy could be got the site bad the approval of all, and until the subsidy was granted and subscriptions asked they were not aware of any objections, and what objections wore appeared to bo from only a few parties. It was pointed out that the present school site, which was preferred by those objecting, had already boon refused to a former Committee on the ground that the site was auriferous. That, independent of that objection, which there was good reason to believe would bo preferred again if an application was made, the Committee did not consider it a suitable place to erect a building like which they proposed, and that the other had more advantages in their opinion as being the most suitable site. On a motion being carried that some of those who interviewed the Warden give their reasons for doing so,

Mr Pitches said that ho went with some others to tho Warden, and was not ashamed of doing so ; he considered tho present site tho best for the School, and believed it could bo got, at least if tho building was erected no one would ever think of taking it down. He denied ever knowing that tho site was proposed to bo changed until he was asked for a subscription. Ho said there had been a deal of underhand work going on Here ho was asked to explain, and another altercation took place, after which It was proposed by Mr Fitzgerald and seconded, That.the action of the Committee be sustained. Mr Pitches proposed an amendment to tho contrary, and Mr Cavan seconded, but it was ruled to be a direct negative, and that the motion would decide, which was then put, and carried by 17 votes to 8. Mr. Alexander-, the Treasurer of the Committee, stepped forward and thanked the meeting for their vote. He trusted now they wouldjbury the hatchet, and introducing the subscription list, said he would be most happy to fadd any additional name, stating that the work required the united efforts of all. To this appeal’there was no response. One party who had subscribed asked that his name be withdrawn. This was received with a murmur of disapprobation, but was pressed and adhered to, he saying he would not only withdraw his subscription, but his children also.-At Mount Sinai it was written that the sins of .the fathers would descend upon the children, and surely this was the straight road to fulfill the Law. The meeting then closed with the usual vote of thanks to the Chair, but not without a threat from Mr Pitches that it was not all done yet, which shows that he did not intend to adhere to the voice of the meeting. I wish I could close this account by recording a like remark you say was expressed by those attending [your late Concert, viz.,—“ That they always do well in Clyde” —a remark vhich shows that your united efforts has been the means of procuring you many a boon. You have your School, which was once pronounced to be one of two, which had all the necessary requirements in the Province. Your Athenaeum, your Town Hall, your valuable water-rights, your Bridge, and lastly your Church, which 1 have no doubt will give you credit, have been obtained by being united, Here, the only places the public can credit themselves with, are their Schoolmaster’s residence, and the rieketty old structure of a Schoolhouse, perched up on a bleak, barren spur, facing the north-west gales, and which is now proposed to he supplanted by a substantial structure in a more congenial place, and though the Committee consider they are in a position to go on with the work, they having not only the voice of the meeting above referred to, hut have a large majority of the residents to support them, and also, though it is known they will leave no stone unturned to carry out their object, yet, if any of your readers are sporting men they may come here and make a level bet, or nerhnps, get odds that the building will not go up.. You will naturally ask, Why Because it is always so in Blacks.”