OTAKI SCHOOL COMMITTEE,

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 45, 30 January 1880, Page 2

OTAKI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A public meeting of the householders of the Otaki school district was held at the Courthouse on January 26, ISBO, at 7 p.m., in order to receive the annual report of the outgoing Committee for the past year, and to elect a new Committee for the current year. Mr James Cootes was voted to the <:hair. After th 6 notice calling the meeting hud been read, The Chairman of the outgoing Commit* tee, Mr Simcox, read his report, as follows : " When you met this time last year for the purpose of receiving the report of the former Committee, and electing the one whose term of office is now about to expire, the report presented to you was a very ' unsatisfactory one. There was in fact at that time nothing lo report, except that the Committee was in treaty for a pieca of ground as a site for a school, aud that the funds required for the purchase of the land — £63 in all — had been guaranteed. " The Committee then elected, consisting of Rev J. M l William, Messrs Madfield, Death, Carkeek, Jenkirs, Bright, and Simcox, was not able to advance matters much for the first five months, owing to difficulties experienced in obtaining a legal title to the site selected, and delays that occurred in getting plan, &c, of the proposed build-

ing sent from the Wanganui Board. It was not till July 1, that these difficulties were surmounted, and the Committee was ab!e to call for tenders for the erection of the schoolhouse. On July 2G, eight tenderß were opened, ranging from £325 to £527, and the lowest one — William Chalmers, for £325— was recommended to the Board for acceptance. Another vexatious delay now occurred The lowest tender was withdrawn before the Board had an opportunity of accepting it, and the lowest but one— for £398— was considered too high, and declined. By direction of the Board, fresh tenders were called for on the Ist September, to bo sent in by the 26th. This time ten tenders wero sent in — ranging from £348 to £720. The lowest tender — Gordon & Pledger's, for £348 — uas recommended by the Committee, and accepted by the Board. This tontractis now being carried out, and has to be completed on or before March 3, undi-r a pennlty of £1 per diem for any time during which the work remains un finished after th«t date. Mr W. Udy has been appointed by the Committee to inspect the works during progress, at a salary of £6, payable on completion of the contract. So far, only one progress payment, of the amount of £35, has been made to the contractors on the building. By arrangement with the contractors the Committee has agreed to stop a cortain per centage out of all progress payments made by the Board for the purpose of paying Mr LiddelJ's account for timber. The Board has not yet authorised any expenditure upon a residence for the teacher, or upon extras for the school, but a requisition for £26i> to be expended in the manner indicated has bean sent in by the Committee, aud as the sum asked for is very reasonable, it will probably be agreed to at the next meeting of the Boards' Finance Committee. Several applications for the post of teacher to the school have been received by tho Committee ; they have been forwarded to the Board without any one in particular being recommended. A meeting of the Board's Teachers' Committee is called for Tuesday noxt, and a list of applicants will probably then be sent to the Local Committee for consideration. " Finance.— Tne total amount of subscriptions collected to date for purchase of site is £43 Us; total expenditure on do, £33 os ; leaving' a deficit at the present j lime of £1.1 Ms, due on purchase of site. There are still some subscriptions unpaid. It is believod that tho incoming Committee will have no difficulty in wiping out the deb*." The following householders were then elected a Commit tec for the current year : — J. Cootes, W. H.Simcox, Rev. . l. M' William M. Carkeek, F. Bright, W. Jenkins, J. Death.