SOUTHLAND EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 38

SOUTHLAND EDUCATION BOARD.

(FaoK Oub Own Correspondent.)' INVERCAKGILL, August 6.. HUAPUKE NATITE SCHOOL. At the usual meeting of the Education Board the department wrote suggesting that the board should take over the Ruapuke Island Native School. It was ex* plained that the school consisted of stt classroom and two rooms for the teacher, the number of children last year being 13, and the average attendance 10. The teacher (Mr Thos. Horan) was retiring shortly on superannuation. Air Maxgibbort thought that there would be considerable expense attached to it, particularly ia regard to inspection. Mr Gilchrist : We had better get aa airship. — (Laughter). Several members explained that if the board Avanted to inspect the site, variable winds might prevent their getting back for a week. After some discussion it was decided to agree to the application, provided that the department bore ''the cosfa of inspection. ; THE WESTON ELECTIONS. A protest was received against tha validity of the second Winton election, principally on the grounds that no proper supervision was exercised over the ballot boxes, and -that several persons not resi-t dent in the district exercised votes. Considerable discussion ensued, and the chairman's reply that he had not taken, his eyes off the ballot box was read.Mr Macalister explained the law on the. matter, and assuming that the protest was correct regarding the non resident voters, the board had to prove that the votes did not affect the position of tho lowest successful candidates from' the first of the unsuccessful, who were separated by only one point, Before they could declare the election valid. It was eventually decided to aßk the chairman of the committee (Mr C. D. Moore) for thedefinite residences of the persons objected to. An objection to Mr M'Williams's right to vote was ruled out. DEPUTATION FROM TEWAEWAE. Messrs H. Knowler and G. P. Flanaghan, a deputation from the Tewaewaej residents in regard to a proposed new ' school, was introduced by Mr Thomson. Mr Knowler stated that they came from those interested in the proposal to give the local view of the matter. He explained that Tewaewae was on the coast past Orepuki. Although the station was on the rail way i the nearest school to Te Tua was 3± miles away, 'and th» new school would not draw much on the neighbouring school. It would peri haps draw two from Waihoaka_and Koromiko, and nine from Te Tua. There were a lot of little children about five* or six years of age in the district, and much chance of its fizzling out. To the> chairman : To adopt the conveyance would be choosing the worse of two evil. It would be better to bring the school to the children than to take th» i children to the school. To Mr Fisher i | The eawmilling was " good " in the district for many years, and there was not much chance of it fizzling out. To theChairman : The roads are fair. Mr Flanagan also spoke in favour of the proposal. The board informed the deputation that it would giv c the arguments, of the deputation full consideration, although it and the department thought favourably of the conveyance suggestion. The board eventually decided to hold the matter over for the inspector's report. , Deputations for and against the suggested removal of the Feamhill School were present. Mr Macalister introduced both deputations. Mr Cox, representing: the opposition, staited that the school should be left where it was. A petition had been got up to remove the school, and the boaid had sanctioned! the removal. It was, thought, however, that the new site, being beside the Winton Creek, was a bad one, beside the fact of its lot beingcentral, and that the teacher's residence would be a mile away from it. a fact which might make it difficult to get a good teacher. To the Chairman: He. thought that the opoosation represented all the children except two families. Mr Robertson submitted a petition of 26 signatures, which represented the majority, of the householders protesting against theremoval of the school. The petition regarded the new site near the Winton. Creek as dangerous, as it was often covered during floods. Messrs Swale andi I Cowie opposed these statements, remarkincr that the site had never been known to°be covered yet at any time. Ihey considered that the board should push on the erection of the school. The depu- , tation was thanked for the information i brought forward, and the trouble the , members had gona to. The board re- . mitted the matter to the executive for J report.