MOTUEKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 8, 6 September 1901, Page 3

MOTUEKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the committee was held in the school on Tuesday evening. Present Messrs Moffat (elm h man), Knapp, Wratt, MeGlasl an and Bovce.

The minutes ; f vhe previous meeting' were read a id confirmed. All accounts wore pawl'd, with the exception of that for the bead master. As the present teacher, Mr Langford, had not c nnplcted the full period, it was resolved that the chairman write to the Secretary of the Beard en.miring as to how the salary was to be apportioned as between Mr Malcolm and the p’.('.sent teacher. The Secretary of the Nelson Education Board wrote, stating that the CTi-ideration of the applications for ti o Head Mastership ef the School had been postponed till next month. Following letter and report from the secretary, Mr Ellis, were read: By direction of the Board, I forward for the information of your committee my report on my recent visit to Motueka, which, please return to rne after your meetinr.

The Board authorises your committee to obtain and submit tenders for the repair, papering and painting of the teacher’s house, a specification, for which I am to prepare if the committee wish, me to. The question of levelling the watercourse , cutting a ditch and fencing, is postponed to next month, several members having expressed their intentional' visiting the ;.lrce in the meantime. As to the new room for the secondary division, your committee will notice that T recommend its being erected to the rear, and in continuation of the last room built. If the committee agree', plans and specifications can be at once prepared, and invited for the next meeting of the Board, sh ould however, strong preference be felt for liaving it placed in front of that building, where the few trees now stand, your representations will be considered at the next meeting. Stead Ellis, Secretary.

The Whairman, Nelson Education Board. Sir : I have the honour to report that, as requested, I have visited Motueka, and examined into the proposal to erect a neve school room adjoining the present building for the purpose of secondary education. The chairman of the committee accompanied me in my examination of the premises, as also did a Mr Boyce, member of the committee.

To adopt the suggestion received from the committee last month, would have the effect of placing the new division almost immediately- under the eye of the head master, for the door communicating with the new room would necessarily- be placed alongside ins desk; to bring- forward a wing as proposed, however, would have the result of dividing lie front play-ground, usually- appropriated by- the girls, into two parts, one of which would be constantly- in the sh.a.f.e, and consequently damp and muddy-.

In my opinion t here are two places much more suitable than the one proposed, viz :

behind, and before, the new room erected a few years ago for £ junior department. To place it behind this building would I think be best, but the chairman clearly preferred that it should be placed in front, and thought a bnildiug should be erected that would be an ornament to the township, which as he said appears to be going ahead. Either of these positions would be very suitable, and a room erected on either of tnem would get plenty of sun, and the school ground would be very- little interfered with. I may mention that the experiment of painting and distempering the interior of the old schoolroom, has turned out verysatisfactory- ; both rooms which before were dark, grimy-and stuffy, are now bright, ciean, and sweet. Mr Molfatl informed me that there appeared to be a considerable admixture of carbolic in li e distemper. I examined the teacher’s house and grounds. The work proposed by-the committee of filling in the wide spreading hollow, which does duty as a water course, close' behind the house, and cutting a straight ditch to take the water, is a very- desirable one. to do this work and erect a new fence alongside the ditch, the committee's estimate would cost N3°- The fence is greatlyneeded. The house has been occupied about 15 y-ears, and nothing has been done to the interior since it whs built. Ail the six rooms, staircase, and landing require repapering and the passage s-air case etc., will also need varnishing. All 'he interior woodwork ought to be cleaned, and the varnish, touched up where it has been worn oft.

The outside of the building also requires painting ; considerable repairs are required to the woodwork, the edges of the verandas, staircase newels and rail etc, require attention. The back porch needs enclosing aad a door fixing—the door is there ready. A new door is required to the largest bedroom. All spouts and down-pipes require attention. Wh en the house was built there was a wide veranda at the track ; this has been enclosed and converted into a kitchen and back porch. The kitchen proper was converted into a dining room, and the large fireplace opening looks very unsightly ; it ought to be reduced in size and be filled with hobs or a register grate. One of the chimney- tops requires repairing and pointing. (The next sentence of the r-'port refers to tlie neglected state of d.e grounds.) As to tlie repairs, pape- ine. and pain- ir.g etc., 1 recommend ihat a specification of the work be prepa.cd and tenders invited, so that the house can be got ready fur the new it end master. In respect to the repo ins etc., to the teaci.er s residence it was. resolved, on the im tarn of dir Boyce, seconded LyMr McGla,shan, that Mr Ellis be asked to prepare the necessary plans and spec.fiea tionr, and forward them to the coirmittee as soon as p-.wyo’e. Jf was generally agtoed that as the Secretary had personally inspected the i-e.-ie.ence, and gone tram uglily- into ti e matt ctg it could not he left nr better ham is. The chairman rejiorted that the committee's allowance for the half year was L'7 9s lOd, which, minus the cost cf books etc , left the sum of L 4 6s IQd at the disposal of the ei nunittee.

W.tii reference to the site fox- the new school buildings to be erected, a general discussion en.-ued. Some of the ermnnttee favored placing the building so that it would not be necessary to cut down the trees near the Masonic Hall.

Eventually, Mr Knapp moved, that the Board be asked to place the new school in front cf the present infant school, with the front to the north, to line with the south side of that scl • 001.

Mr Mofifatt seconded pro forma. Mr McGlashan moved as an amendment, That the committee adjourn f* v a week, and meet on the ground at 5 I'm on Tuesday, the 10th to settle the question. lor YNalt seconded. The motion on hieing put, was defeated and the amend men 5 carried. Mr "Wratt moved and 3lr Knapp seconded, That this committee express its heartfelt sympathy to Mr R. Hurst - louse on the loss lie has sustained through the dcvtli of his wife

Mr Knapp moved, and Mr MeGlashan seconded, That the Board be asked to grant a sufficient sum of money to enable the committee to remove the hedge in front of the school grounds, and erect a substantial fence on the street side of the school. The motion was carried. It was stated that numerons complaints had been received from parents about torn clothes etc, caused through scholars getting through tho hedge, which vias full of holes. The meeting then adjourned.