WANGANUI EDUCATION BOARD »- . .

Manawatu Herald, 29 July 1881, Page 2

WANGANUI EDUCATION BOARD »- . .

(From Wanganui Herald). Meeting held on Wednesday, July 27th. Present— Measrs W. H. Watt (in the chair), C. Coutts, G. S. Bridge, J. W. Baker, J. Notman, H. Sanson, Rev. J. Ross. — Minutes read aDd confirmed. Appointment Committee.— Letter read from Palmerstos declining to allow. Miss Goodision to remain in the school. Resolved, that Miss Goodisson having been transferred to Feilding, and Miss Stevens to Palmerston, the Committee approve of , the Ba me. Finance Committee. — Following report read : — Your Committee met on the 11th, and have to report as follows : Tenders for the extension of the Palmeraton school were presented from Daniels and Fergueson amounting to £92 10a, and considering that this is a large and important school your Committee resolved to accept the same, and to authorize the making of six new desks required when the extension is complete. —Resolved, that repairs to chimneys at Foxtou, Goat Valley, and Matarawa be proceeded with. — Awahuri Committee requested to forward estimate of coßt of proposed additions. — Reßolved,that £7 be expended in fencing at Bunnythorpe. — Resolved, that as the purchase of the Crofton residence and site has remained in abeyance for a considerable time, and the Board is paying runt in the shape of interest, your Committee would recommend that the purchase be completed at a coat of £170. —With regard to the granting an increase of capitation to the

i School Committees, your Committee have^^ the aatH ie ion of stating that after a very^H careful mvestigatior of the Board'sfinances, they feel fully juatified in recommending that such shall be made, as the finances of the Board are in a very satisfactory condition. They would therefore suggest an increase all round of Is per annum, being at the rate of 5 per cent on the average attendance of scholars Whilst the funds of the Board are steadily increasing, your Committee find that the late order respecting children under five years of age will not materially affect the Board's revenue. The number of children under age is much smaller than was at first anticipated, and it must be remembered that the Board ia~ paid upon the average attendance and not upon the roll number. Thus, supposing there were 50 infants upon the roll, the average attendance of these young children upon which the Board would be paid would not exceed 25 to 30. Again it is found that most of the infants now struck off are between four and five years of age, so that any loss the Board may sustain is decreasing every quarter by a return of a portion of these children. Your Committee would further report that having compared the office staff expenses of this Board with those of other Boards, and finding it much lower, whilst the duties of the officers have considerably increased, would recommend that the Secretary's salary be increased to £325 per annum. Your committee would further beg to point out that in their opinion the salaries of the assistant female teachers are not in proportion to those of the other teachers, and would recommend that they be restored to the original amoant of £75 per annum.— Mr Sanson thought the Campbelltown residence should also be included. — The Chairman stated that the specifications for that residence had not been revised- and sent back to the committee. — Resolved that tenders be invited by the Board anJ sent to the committee for approval. — Mr Sanson, in reviewing the report of the Finance Committee, suggested that the increase to the School Committee should be Is per head up to 100 scholars, and 4 per cent above that numbor. Mr Boss said that the increase was as necessary to the large sohools as to the smaller ones. — Mr Bridge suggested that the Is per head shonld be given up to 100, 5 per cent up to 125, and 4 per cent, above that number. —Mr Coutts considered the schools under 50 should be allowed Is 6d, and 4 per cent instead of 5 per cent given to large schools. This would ma^e the increase on the whole the same.- 1 -. Mr Baker said the Finance Committee had based their recommendation entirely upon figures only, and not upon the claims of individual schools.— Mr Notman would be willing to accept the suggestion that 1b 6d be given to schools under 50, but that Is be maintained over that number. The great reduction made some time ago forced the Committees to relinquish all works of improvement, and indeed prevented them from attending properly to necessary works. The Chairman did not think the report should be altered.— Mr Sanson moved the adoption of the clause provided that schools under 50 receive Is 6d extra. Seconded by Mr Coutts and carried. — Mrßridge admitted that the Board had had an excellent Secretary, but could not see why his salary should be increased. — Mr Notman pointed out that their Secretary was worse paid than any other Secretary in the Colony. In Nelson the payment for office staff was ™ £350, Hawke's Bay £500, and Westland £340, while in Wanganui it was only £280. The proposal to increase it to £325 was not unreasonable.. — The Chairman pointed out that the cost of teaching in the Wanganui district was lower than in any other district in the colony. Their Secretary had helped very considerably in this direction, and the salary proposed was only fair. —Mr Baker thought their Secretary had well earned the proposed increase.— The Chairman said he had just received a telegram from Sir W. Fox on the question of members' travelling expenses to this effect : " Have seen Minister for Education in re travelling passes ; cannot be granted j will try it again."— Mr Ross thought much of the success of the Board's operations arose from the fact that tho members brought to the Board intimate knowledge of local requirements, and were always in attendance at their duty. — Mr Coutts agreed with the proposed increase to the Secretary, and thought some addition to the travelling expenses of the Inspector should also be included. — Mr Sanson thought the Secretary had been underpaid. In Hawkes Bay with 36 schools the office expenses amounted to £500, against £280 in Wanganui for 55 schools.— Mr Bridge said that after the explanation that had been given he would withdraw his opposition.—The whole report was then put and carried.