THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1871.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 107, 17 March 1871, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1871.

We called attention, in a recent issue, to the extremely unsatisfactory state of the Naseby school house, both as regards position and accommodaticn, at the same time making suggestions for the removal of the building to another more healthy and more convenient site, and for encreased room for the scholars. It affords us much pleasure to perceive that the newly-elected Committee are taking the matter in hand in a manner and spirit which show that they are willing and anxious to discharge the duties which they have voluntarily undertaken. "We publish, in another portion of our present issue, a report of a meeting of the Committee, held in the school house on .Friday last, the 10th. inst. From the report of the schoolmaster for the months of January and February, it would appear that the average number of children in attendance was sixty-nine—thirty-six being boys, and thirty-three girls. So large a number of children of different ages and sexes must be far beyond the reach of any single master —however great his assiduity, and however vast his teaching power—to attend to, with justice to them or with credit to himself. And when it is remembered that out of this number there are no less than thirty-three girls, naturally requiring other elements of education than those which can be imparted by a male teacher, \ye think the time has arrived when a female teacher should be appointed, to relieve the present master of a portion of his various duties ar).d attend to the wants of the female scholars.

The School Committee, in the minutes of the mooting now before us, instruct the Secretary to inform the Education Board that, though " there are in this " district and its vicinity, without in- ** eluding iC/eburn. andadjacent places,

" .over 140 children of' ail age fit to " attend school, and that the parents'of " children in these places would gladly " send them to the Nasebjr school were " there better accommodation and a " proper staff of teachers. 'That there " is only suitable accommodation for " frqm forty to forty-five scholars, and " that the building is situate in an un- " healthy locality, being in the midst of tailings and water." The particulars disclosed are startling enough, and it is subject of surprise to us that so essential a matter should have been so long neglected. To imagine that this district, irrespective of other adjacent place*, contains " 140 children of both " sexes of an age fit to attend school," and that, though sixtv-nine scholars are in attendance, there is suitable accommodation for not more tban from forty to forty-five pupils, would appear not only to be incredible, but to demand a proper and speedy remedy, unless we would be content to see our children brought up in ignorance and reared in disease.

The Committee have, in our opinion, adopted a wise, proper, and commendable course when they caused the facts we have above enumerated to be brought under the notice of the Education Board. With the application, that a sum of £75 per annum should be placed at the disposal of the Committee to defray the salary of a female teacher, we hed¥tilv concur, as do we also in the request that the sum of £2OO should be devoted to the removal of the school building to the Educational "Reserve, and to the enlargement of the building itself. The subject is one which affects the entire community, and one in which the Committee in their present action, should be supported by the entire voice of the people of the district. We have our doubts whether, so near the end of the financial vear, sufficient funds may be at the disposal of the Education Board to carry out the request of the School Committee ; still, Ave think that a better time than the present could not have been selected, seeing that the Council will be almost immediately in session, when the necessary gj'ant of money will, without doubt or difficulty, be obtained. We cannot conclude without congratulating the Committee upon the action taken by them in this matter, or without wishing success to their praiseworthy endeavors to do their duty. We may be permitted to add that the smallness of the school building, and the inadequacy <>F the accommodation can only be accounted for when it is borne in mind that no improvements of any kind have been effected since its erection, some five or six years back, during which time the iuvenile population have been increasing as well ia size as in number. There should, under the circumstances, be no difficulty in obtaining everything for which the Committee have applied.

Mb. Mervyx, M.H.R., met (lie electors of the Nasebv portion of the Mount Ida constituency on tlie evening of Monday last, at the Empire Hotel. Mi\ H. C. ITei'tslet in the cliair. Mr. Mervyn's address was but a repetition and enlargement of his former speeches, and nothing in the way of startling novelty was introduced. At the conclusion of his address a resolution, proposed by Mr. Boss and seconded by Mr. Morris—" That Mr. Mervyn is a fit and proper person to represent the Mount Ida District in tlie Provincial Council" —was carried by a large majority. About 100 persona were present. The usual monthly meeting of the School Committee took place at the school house, oil the evening of Monday, 6th Marcli inst. Present : Messrs. Index* (chair), Grrumitt, Bremner, Hay, Dixon, Horswell, and Ross.—The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.—Mr. John Creighton, with consent of the Committee, having been admitted to the meeting, made a statement having reference to the present mode of teaching, and the system of holidays.—lt was then moved by Mr. Bremner, and seconded by Mr. Hay, u That a sub-committee of four be appointed to visit the school during school hours, to examine into the system of teaching, tlie method of classification, and to enquire into the general wants of the school, and report thereon on Friday, March 10." Messrs. G-rumitt, Inder, Hay, and Bremner, wore appointed sub-com-mittee to carry out foregoing resolution.—lt was subsequently unanimously carried that all , communications and other' business should stand over till 10th March, to which day the meeting was adjourned. We understand that, if the weather is at all favorable on this St. Patrick Day, the sports got lip for the occasion will come off. A bath KB strange circumstance lias, within the last few days, been brought to light. It appears that, about a fortnight ©r three weeks since, a Chinaman asked permission to leave a bundle at the residence of Mr. C. b\ Roberts, of Enterprise Grully. Leave was granted, but the claimant not siuce making his appearance, Mr. Roberts became suspicious that there might be something wrong, and caused the bundle to be opened, wliei} it was found to contain si? ti»s or jars of opium, When it i

remembered that a few months back a case containing opium was lost on its transit from Dunedin to Clyde, for which the owner covered from Cobb and Co. tbe sum of £OS, and when it is borne in mind that a Chinaman died a few days' baclc from tbe effect of opium eating or smoking, and that the deceased Chinaman was ' identified by Mr. Roberts' children as the man who left the bundle, and that the quantity left in Mr. Roberts' care was far in excess of what an ordinary Chinaman would be supposed to possess for private use, there appears to us to be, to * say the least of it, something not a little mysterious in the whole affair. Time may, and we hope will, bring with it a solution of the mystery. Though there exists but a very small amount of agriculture in this district, we are glad to perceive that the crops arc, as a whole, very, favorable, and that the harvest is nearly over.,,. The potato crops also, we are pleased to be able to say, are looking remarkably well. The largest farm in the district is that of Mr. Malloch, with 200 acres.

We understand that the weather at JJydo has lately been so dry as to impede mining operations to a very serious extent, in consequence of the absence of water for the races. A itEPOiiT of the meeting of the School Committee will bo found in another column.

We would remind all lovers of the gun that Ihe shootin<r season will commence on the first dtiy of April next. Wo have heard any report as to the quantity or condition of the birds this season.

We notice by the ' General Government Gazette' of tlie 25th February ultimo, that letters,of naturalisation have been issued by his Excellency the Governor in favor of William Nathan Richards, of tins town. The 'Australasian' announces the death, on the 18th February, of Mr. Greig, of the firm of G-reig and Turnbull, of the Linbnrn Station, Maniototo Plains. The interest taken by the miners in the establishment of a hospital at Naseby has been lately clearly demonstrated, from the fo-ct that all the gentlemen who have come forward as candidates for the Provincial Council have been questioned on this point, and have pledged, themselves to support a motion to that effect in the House, in the event*of their being returned.

It may not be generally known that the shareholders of the Extended Water Race and Sluicing Company (Registered) have become lessees of the works and water of the Undaunted Water Race Mining Company (Registered), and that the price now charged for water on Surface Hill, from bo tlx races, is £>2 per Hogburn head, up to a certain level.

We have been informed that a largo amount of gold from the Serpentino Diggings is taken to and disposed of at Clyde, and escorted therefrom to Dunedin, thus swelling the returns from the Bunstan district at the expense of Mount Ida. We feel surprised that our local banks have not looked into this matter, and made arrangements for periodical visit s to to Serpentine, as well as to Hamilton, 'Hyde, and Macraes. While on this subject, wo may mention also that the gold tnken from the Sha<i River (another portion of the Mount. Ida District) finds its way to Palmers ton, and is credited to that place instend of to Mount Ida.

Tim coach from Dunedin to Clyde met with an accident in crossing the Eweburn Creek on Tuesday last. So far as we have been able to learn, little damage was done, and no injury sustained by any of the passengers. It is generally expected that his Excellency Sir G-eorge Bowen will pass through thin placo en route to the Lakes. Should such bo the case we trust that the people of Naseby will not forget to show their loyalty by according a fitting reception to her Majesty's Representative.

We understand, from an advertisement in another column, that the Eight Rev, Dr, Moran, Bishop of Dunedin, will visit this district to-morrow (Saturday).

The Rev. Mr Wood will conduct Divine service in the Masonic Hall, Naseby, on Sunday evening next, 19th instant, at half-jmst sis o'clock, and at St. Bafchans (weather permit' ting) same morning at eleven o'clock. The funeral of the Chinaman (Sun Ah) upon whose body an inquest was held on Monday last, toQk place the following day in the Chinese portion of the Naseby Cemetery. There was a large pi'ocession of Chinese, with not a few Europeans anxious to witness tho ceremonies which ordinarily accompany a Chinese interment. When the ooflln had been lowered into tho grave the usual refreshments for the deceased, in the shape of bread soaked in old torn together with some coins and a supply of materials for obtaining a light, were deposited on the coffin. After the grave had been closed tobacco and matches were placed thereon, when the Chinese having paid their obeisance by sundry salaams, the whole returned to town. A description of similar scenes has been so often depicted in the various journals of the Province that we deem it needless to enter further into "what would be but useless repetition.

Me. William Nathan Eichaiids met the electors at the Oddfellow's Hall ou the evening of Wednesday last, when lie enunoiated his views upon the political topics of the day at considerable length. The hull was full to repletion, but the meeting, we regret to say, was of a rather disorderly cliaraoter, Mr. Richards scarcely being allowed to speak in consequence of continued interruption. ~ As the proceedings could not be satisfactorily continued, a vote of thanks to the candidate was proposed and carried, and with a vote to the chair the meeting broke up. Oxk of the probable causes of Mr. Barton's polling so small it. number of voles may, per* haps' be attributed to the fact that there ex-, isted considerable doubt, both as to whether that gentleman would accept his nomination, and also as to whether or not such nomination were informal on more than one ground.