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Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 16 July 1915, Page 3

WHILEit is our endeavour to give correspondents every facility for the free expression of their opinion, it should be borne in mind that the views expressed do not, necessarily, reflect the opinions of the Editor.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Can you spare me space in your paper to respond, to Waikokowai Correspondence which appeared in your issue on 26th June re School Fund The school was built by public subscription in March 1905, Mr Jamieson took over books etc, £ll 6s 9d in Trust with the Management of school the end of November 1908.

Mr Jamieson received £6 per year rent for the School to end of March 1914. At the time of closing the school Mr Jamieson had received about £44 or £45. On 25th April 1915, Mr Jamieson sold the old school for £lO which made about £54 or £55, which he had received at the time he made a suggestion to me to spend £lO on a piano. I asked him what about grassing the school ground, he replied he had plenty. On May 12th I suggested to Mr Jamieson that instead of buying a piano with £lO I thought" the money ought to go to the Belgian Fund as the wounded ought to come before pleasure. Then the iron was in the fire, Mr Jamieson said I wanted ail my own way. I explained to him that as the money had been derived from Public Subscription, I thought it ought to go to same. On 19th June Mr Jamieson had a meeting which was the first for six years and seven months. At the meeting he did not produce a balance sheet. At the time of the meeting Mr Jamieson had put the ground in grass. He accused me of saying he was wasting money. That is not true

I did say that he should have grassed the ground long ago, as there was only about 3J4 acres. In winter time some of the children could not go to school as there was no feed for their horses. There is about one and a half acres of native bush and yet Mr Jamieson proposes wasting balance of money in planting trees etc., which is quite uncalled for at such a time as this. As Mr Jamieson wanted to spend £lO on a piano, it is quite certain if I had submitted to his proposal, he would not have spent that money on the school ground, and why should he require all this money now. Mr Leek has told you on June 26th that Mr Jamieson has carried on his duties in a fearless and straight - forward manner and his position would be hard to fill. Mr Leek had a lot to say but he was uninterested in the business. There was only three interested, concerned with the money held in trust, Mr Brown, Mr Jamieson and myself. THOMAS. TAPP.