HAWKESBURY SCHOOL MEETING

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 35, 20 October 1864, Page 2

HAWKESBURY SCHOOL MEETING

The usual general meeting in connection with the above took place in tbe Schoolroom on the 10th inst. and considering the adverse state of the weather, was more numerously attended than could have been expected. The Rev. A Dasent was called to the chair, and opened the proceedings by briefly adverting to the object for which the meeting was called, and remarked that by the Education Ordinance, 1864, the incoming committee would hold office till January, 1866. Mr Mitchell, the clerk, then read the report of the proceedings of the outgoing committee. From this it appeared that under the voluntary system adopted by their predecessors, difficulty had been experienced in paying the teacher's salary, then but £140, inclusive of fees and Government grant. The school buildings were left uninsured, and firewood and other requirements for the comfort of the scholars had been defrayed by the teacher at his own expense The Committee had decided upon raising the teacher's salary to £200, inclusive of school fees, &c, and had decided upon having a local rate to raise the required funds to meet the estimated expenditure. The assessor had given the annual value of the properties in the district at £8494 145., which taking a third as the rateable value, gave at 9id. in £1 the sum of £218 3s lid at the disposal of the Committee when collected. The roll contained 129 ratepayers, and there had been only 8 appellants from that number. During the year, of the nine members elected on the Committee, no less than six had resigned, but by the election of two additional members, the Committee had been made up to five. The Treasurer's abstract was as follows :— RECEIPTS. Amount of rates collected £208 3 11 School Fees 54 17 1 £263 1 0 EXPENDITURE. Teacher's salary ... 150 0 0 Assessor's do. . 30 0 0 Collector's do. ... 20 0 0 Clerk's do. for five months ... 500 Insurance ... . 550 Fireyvood for Schoolroom 5 0 0 Incidental expenses . . 7 0 9 Repairs to"Sc_ool Building 7 19 6 Balance in hand . ... 32 15 9 £263 1 0 The reduction of amended assessments was £2 16} Bd, and assessments not paid up £7 3s ld. The teacher's return showed an average attendance of scholars as follows; For the year 1862-3, 30 ; for 1863-4, 36 —showing an average increase'OJ the attendance of the previous year at 6. After some discussion the adoption of the repori was proposed and agreed to. The Chairman having read the clause of the Act, showing who are ratepayers and entitled to vote, it was decided that the election of the incoming Committee should bo by ballot, and Messrs Durden and Smith were appointed scrutineers. Mr Woolley proposed that the Committee should be limited to seven. Agreed to. The ballot was then proceeded with, and the char> man declared the following gentlemen elected —viz., Messrs Oxley, Woolley, Wdson, T. Whinan, Smith, Dyason, and Bates. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the business of the meeting.