Householders Meeting.

Manawatu Herald, 25 April 1893, Page 2

Householders Meeting.

. » — - The annual meeting of householders to elect a new committee was held at the School- house last night at 8 o'clock. There was a very good attendance over fifty being present. ' Mr Thynne was elected Chairman of the meeting and explained its object. They would first hear the report from the outgoing come mittee and then proceed to propose and elect a new committee. Therhad been no written nominations received. It would be necessary for each candidate proposed to signify his consent to such proposal either verbally or in writing. He called upon Mr Eay the honorary clerk to the committee to read the report which he thought tbey would find of much interest. Mr Eay then read the following report which has been considerably condensed. REPORT. The following report was read :■— After setting out the loss sustained by the death of the late Mr Honore and recording the Committee's sympathy with his family, also tlie loss of a scholar from diphtheria and expressing sympathy with her parents, the report records that the school was closed last year 11 weelts and on that account no examination was held. " The Committee tr,^^,jthat the time has not been lost bilPthey | are greatly afraid that the effect of the interruption in their studies which the closing of the school involved, coupled with the irregular attendance that followed the reopening of the school and which lasted until the diphtheria scare had quite subsided, must influence the result of the coming examinations." The income of the school for the year amounted to £5i 6s 2d including a balance of £17 17s 2d from the previous year. The income included

£G 10s, part of the proceeds? of the school entertainment, and £$ contribitted by the Board towards the dost of ti stove in . the headmaster's house. The paydetiis in'ade by the Committee amounted for the yeal' to £46 9s 3d, leaving a balance in hand of £7 16s lid. The Board's contribution for the last quarter to the School Fund has not yet been reeeiyed and the outstanding ao counts a'm'ou'iit to $18 odd. The quarterly average a'fcte'ticfance for the quarters of 1892 ware :-= June 54.9, September 146.6, December 166.6, and for the March quarter of this year 192.2. The Committee think that if the health of the town continues good, the prospects of the school for the coming year are Very satisfactory. Each year three members of the Wanganui Education Board retire by rotation but are eligible for reelection. This year Messrs Notman, Bridge and Beckett were the retiring rttembeva and were candidates for re-election. The only other candidate was Mr F. Pirani, the Chairman of the Palmerston North School Cjommittee. Most of the present members of the Board have held their seats for several years. The Committee hold the view that the practice of re-electing time after time the same \ members is on principle undesirable, as the Board is apt to become inelastic in its views and stereotyped in its practice. The Committee gave expression to their views by casting their vote for Mr mode of election of Members w J ne Board requi'-es revision so as to give the Committees .votes in proportion to the interests they represent* At' present each Committee has a vote for each seat vacant and each Committee's vote is of the same value, whether" the school under their management contains 15 or 500 scholars. The Committee 1 atiggest that the incoming Committee should approach Parliament and ask for proportional votes. The Committee adopt the view that is being at present largely canvassed 'with regard to School Inspectors. They consider that the present system under which each Education Board has its own Inspectors is not the best arrangement. They suggest that all the School Inspectors in the Colony should act under the direction of the Educational Department. The Committee think the salaries of the Inspectors should be liberal so as to attract the best men to be obtained, and that one system of standards and examinations should apply to the whole of the colony. Should the incoming Committee hold similar views to the above, the present Committee suggest that the subject should be brought under the notice of the Minister of Education and of Parliament. The Committee believe it would tend to the efficiency of the present system of management of school affairs if the Committees in each District had opportunities of occassional interchange of idea 3 on questions that from time to time present themselves to their attention. It wou'd, perhaps, not be praotacible to arrange a conference representing all the Sohool Committees in the Wanganui District but the Committee suggest to the incoming Committee that a conference might be held once a quarter or so at (say) Palmerston North to which representatives from all the School Committees in the Manawatu District might be invited. Such a conference might consider questions that invite discussions and the result would, the Committee think, be to arouse increased interest in the cause of education. The present teaching staff consists of Mr W. S. Stewart, 8.A., headmaster ; Mrs M. Mellish, first assistant-mistress ; Miss Ballantye, second assistant-mistress ; Miss D. Eeed, third-class pupil teacher ; and Miss J. Eay, third-class pupil teacher. During the present year the Committee have expended £3 in completely repairing the school desks, and the girls shelter shed has been roofed, at the cost ot the Board. A shed for boys is urgently needed, but the Committee have not been able to spend the money necessary for its erection, although the Board are willing to contribute £7 10s towards its cost or £ for £ up to a cost of £15. The Committee recommend the incoming Committee to undertake the work as early as possible. The Committees accounts, have been audited by Mr T. F. Gibson, Town Clerk, of Foxton, the Board having appointed him auditor. The thanks of the Committee are due to to him for having undertaken the duty without remunoration. The report was received with applause. The nominations of candidates was then proceeded with and Messrs Ehodes and McCloskey were elected scrutineers. The result was as follows:— T. P. Williams, 32; E. S. Thynne, 28 ; J. T. Ray, 23 ; Dr Dermer. 23 ; E. Osborne, 21 ; W. T. Little, 21 ; B. Spelman, 19 ; J. Walsh, 14; T. Westwood, 13 ; P. Dudson, 11 ; H. Border, 9 ; W. Hamer, 6. The first seven were declared duly elected as a Committee for the ensuing year.

A vote of thauks to the chair concluded the meeting.