EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 718, 7 October 1876, Page 2

EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of this committee was held last evening, at the Gloucester street school. Present—Mr G. L. Lee (chairman), the Rev W. J. Habens, Messrs Col borne* Veel, Lose, Farr, Kirk, Thomson, and Jamieson.

The chairman raid he had thought it desirable to call the meeting for that evening instead of Tuesday, as the Rev Mr Habens could not attend on that day, and be (the chairman) considered it desirable that that gentleman should be present whan tlm letter recently received from the Minister‘ol 'Education was being discussed. A letter received from the Minister |n rpply, referring to the rate lately levied on the district, apd \yhicb fetter has alreaoy jeea published, wag then fead. After somg remarks, during y-’bich vyp stated that, as the Minister h&d invoked th@ <iid of the press to make his views public, it ,ad become necessary for the committee to give publicity to their version of the matters at issue, the clauses of tte following resolution were discussed seriatim and

approved, and the resolution, as a whole, unanimously agreed to. “ That the committee having under consideration a letter, of October 2nd, from the Secretary for Education, notices that it contains no reply to that part of the resolution of September 26th, which complains that the rate is in excess of what was required for the district, as shown by the letter of August 12th; the letter demanding only £2600, while the rate is probably calculated to produce £4500 ; also, that it contains no reply to that part of the resolution which complains that time was not given to consider what the district could afford to pay during the year ; such time for consideration having been asked for on the ground that works which the committee expected to have been charged a one-sixth of the cost, were found to be charged at one-half instead of one-sixth. «That since the Minister maintains that the estimates and letter of December 10th do not constitute an application for the performance of the works mentioned in the estimates, and gave this to the deputation as his reason for insisting that the district must pay one-half instead of one-sixth for certain works among those so mentioned, the committee fails to understand bow he can rely upon that letter as implying an application for buildings to be erected upon the site, which buildings the committee expressly excepted from the estimates, as shown by the following extract from the above letter :— ‘ The committee has not put on the estimates a sum for building an infant school, but in view of the rapid increase thinks it right to ask for a site at once, while a suitable one can be obtained,’ and that the commitee does not see that the terms of the former resolution are at all at variance with this or any other part of the letter, or of any communication made by them to the Minister. “ That the committee has not overlooked the 4th sub-section of clause 40 of the Education Ordinance, 1875; but, on the contrary, has, in correspondence with the Minister, and by deputation, asserted its claim to have all works that were placed upon the estimates of December 10th carried out under that clause, which contains the following words;—‘ Provided always + hat notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained to the contrary, the Superintendent shall for the financial period ending on the the 31st of March, 1876, grant to any district school committee or commissioner appointed in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance, a sum not exceeding fivesixths of the estimated cost of the buildings, fittings, and apparatus required, and the land required for a site or sites for the establishment of a school in any district, or the estimated cost of repairing or adding to any buildings that may exist on the school site, or the cost of increasing the area of the school site, or for any other necessary work connected with this school; and the contribution to be paid by any school district during the like period for the purposes aforesaid shall be one-sixth of such estimated cost as aforesaid. ’ ” “That the works which the committee consider they have a claim to reckon under this proviso were estimated at £4IOO, and that the difference between one-half of this amount and one-sixth is £1366 13s 4d, which corresponds to a rate of about 3d in the £. “ That the committee still protests that it has not incurred, on behalf of the district, such responsibility for works as warrant the striking of a rate of lid in the £. “ And that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Minister of Education,”

A reference to the report submitted by the last retiring committee showed that it was stated therein that an application had been made prior to that date for a site for an infants’ school.

The head master wrote that during the present week 991 children had attended the Gloucester street school, the average attendance for the week being 856 ; 204 children had attended JBingsland school, the average attendance being 177 ; South Belt school, 123, average attendance 108. Total number attending district schools, 1318. Miss Barker was appointed pupil teacher, subject to the approval of the Minister. After the transaction of some routine business the committee adjourned.