Ashurst Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 9, 21 July 1891, Page 2

Ashurst Notes

Cfbom otjb own coeeespondent.) At the meeting of the Ashurst School " - Committee on the 15th there were present. Messrs E. Sanders, Chairman-— Riminer, Craven, Potts, W. Kiliord.Minutes of meeting June 18th confirmed. A letter was then from .the master drawing attention to the bad attendance. The total on the school Roll is 99 girls— and 105 boys— 2o4. The average attendance for the corresponding period last year was 159 with a less number on the- roll. While this year it is only 155. In view of the next examination the master urged the committee to do all in their power to ' increase the attendance. It was resolved to' obtain the names of the defaulting onesfrom the master, and the chairman will then go round with the constable, and ask the parents to show cause why their children should not comply with the re- ! quireuients of the Education Act as to f attendance. They next passed a resolution that the secretary be instructed jto write to the Palmerston School Committee, suggesting that a meeting he held of delegates from the various School Committee's on this side of the Bangitikei river, to discuss the adviseabflity of requiring separation from the Wanganui Education Board District, and the formation, of a new one with Palmerston as the centre. It was thought that the requirements of the country were very different from what they were when the Education District's were first laid out, and that the Bangitikei would be a very good boundary for the new district. There were other matters which a conference committee could" deside on. The protest of a single committee is just waste of pen and ink— but the protest of a united body, would be different. There is need of a readjustment of the capitation allowances and also some check being put on the useless waste of paper exercise and book's now going on. Let me tell you that the cost of copy books, drawing books, and foolscap is very considerable, and hard to bear, where a working man has 4 or 5 afc school, they would not mind so much if they were filled up, but now the pages are principally covered with red ink and red tapo, on one side. This is the age of - retrenchment, I know it is an age in, which every little money is earnt, and, people do not like to see it wasted. Since my last there are two more accidents to report. Mrs Searle of Feild- ■ ing road slipped on a small log near her house, and broke both bones of one leg. « The next day Mr J. Haynes had a very narrow escape, for while bush felling on Mr J. T. Hunt's section on the Awahou Foxton Block, a branch fell on his head, , injuring his left eye, and one side of his ■ face, and damaging his shoulder considerably but, how much he could not say — did not know whether his collar bone and shoulder were broken. He was hardly able to sit on his horse, which was led by his brother. Just imagine what a long time the poor fellow had to wait till a ' doctor could be summoned from Pal- ' merston. ' '