The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “TE ORA MOTA IWI.” TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1902.

Motueka Star, Volume III, Issue 126, 28 October 1902, Page 3

The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “TE ORA MOTA IWI.” TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1902.

It will be recollected that at a conference of School Committees and Teachers, held in Motueka some time ago, it was resolved, intar alia, to request the Secretary for Education to visit Motueka for the purpose of examining, on the spot, into the question of the adverse influence of the fruit and hop-picking on the attendance at the schools in the Motueka District. The late session of Parliament prevented this visit from taking place sooner, and on Friday the Secretary, Mr Geo. Hogben, accompanied by Messrs Harkness and Strachan, the Inspectors for the Nelson Education District, arrived in Motueka to investigate the local conditions Mr R. W. H. Rankin, the chairman of the conference, met Mr Hogben on arrival. On Friday afternoon the gentlemen appointed by the Conference for the purpose, Messrs Wratt, Easton, Harris and Drummond, met Mr Hogben and with him drove round the Brooklyn and Riwaka dis triets, calling at the Brooklyn |and Riwaka schools. In the evening, they again met Mr Hogben for consultation, when the matter was gone into and fully explained to Mr Hogben by Mr Rankin. He pointed out how absolutely necessary for the prosperity of the district were the fruit and hon growing industries, and how absolutely necessary the ssr vices of the children were for picking; that the season practically lasted from Christmas to April, and that the low school attendance for that period lessened the income of the different school committees and penalized the teachers, besides lowering the educational standing of the schpols ; that certainly the compulsory clauses of the School Attendance Act might be enforced, but that, such a procedure would be extremely impolitic as well as a blow to the staple industries of the district. During the discussion which ensued, various suggestions and arguments were advanced and criticised, the ’crux lying in the difficulty of evolving some scheme which would relieve the schools here of those disadvantages, and which would be applicable to the whole colony, as it was recognised that special consideration, to the prejudice of other district', could not be conceded to this

district. Mr Hogben was made fully aware of the position, and readily grasped the significance of the fruit industries. He was unable to say at once what way might be out of the diffculty, but from the manner in which Mr Hogben realized the situation and its effect on the schools, the deputation have full confidence that the matter will receive the greatest consideration by the Department and that any possible relief will be given. It is understood that Mr Hogben will embody his vie .vs in a report which will be duly forwarded to the proper authority. On Saturday the whole party drove up the Pangatotara Valley, round Ngafcimoti and back to Motueka by Lower Moutere. On the way up they called at the Whakarewa Orphanage, where they were shown over the establishment by Mr and Mrs Haycock and Miss Allport. Some considerable time was spent here, during which Mr Hogben carefully looked into the various details of the Orphanage, and expressed his pleasure at finding it so admirably conducted. During the visit the children sat down to dinner and from their happy, wellfed, contented looking faces, there is no doubt as to the excellent working of the culinary arrangements.

The deputation from the conference are extremely grateful to Mr Hogben for the careful manner in which he looked into the various matters submitted to him, and feel sure that if a solution of their difficulties can be found it will be worked out by him.