The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1901. EDUCATION BOARD ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 137, 1 July 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1901. EDUCATION BOARD ELECTION.

*._ The annual election of three members of tha Education Board tikes place this month. As this is the first election held under tha Education Boird's Election Act, which was pass.d last session, the proceedings will ba regarded with interest. The election on this occasion takes place in July instead of Ma>ch, but the most important change is in the manner of voting, each individual mombsr of each committee exercises his own vote insteal of the committee voting by resolution collectively. So far only three candidates have announcsd themselves, and these are the three retiring members, Miss Hey wood and Messrs Hignett and Allsworth. Miss Heywcod is one of the oldest members of the Board, and we hope to see her re-elected. always performed her duty conscientiously and with marked ability. Considering that the Board has to do with mixed school?, and has a large number of famale teachers in its employ, it is an advantage to have a female as -a membrr of the Board. Mies Hey wood has also always taken -her share of work and done it as efficiently as any member of the Board and if faithful and piios- \ taking service count for anything she i« thoroughly entitled te receive the I support of every committee in th* district. Mr. Hignett is a comparatively young member of the-Board having been elected to fill the vacancy caused by the lamented death of the 1-itc chairman o? the Board, Mr. R. G. Bauchope. Duris.g his term of membership Mr. Hignett has dote g".0.l service making himself quickly mastar of the duties and difficul'ies of the Board, and having very considerable business abilities, Mr. Hignett has bfen of considerable asß : stance t> his fellow members. In addition ta the] ordinary businessatttie Bjard meeSiDg-1 as a member of the Finance and other! Committees ho bas ungrudgingly given his services. Onac-ountcf thediflku't)' of financing the Botrd, owing to the numerous demands and the limite.l funds at tho Board's disposal, the work of the Finance Committee is work of great responsibility and during the past] year or two has been exceptionally! heavy and the Finance Commtttea haa j been repeatedly thanked by the Bjard for tho time, care and attention they have .devoted to the Board's finances. Mr. Hignett is entitled to a full share of this credit ds well as for the. j interest he hss taken in everything! affecting the welfare of Etucationj throughout the district, and the members of the school commit'ees will do! , well to secure bis services for a further term. Of the other candidito Mr A 11s- ! worth, it it abviousthat his coanecion ( with the staff of thin journal prevents ; our refer.ing at length to bis candidature. Wo may F,ay, however, that be sbare3 with Miss Heywood, and the i late Mr Bauchope, the honor of having s at two successive triennhl dec iocs, baen returned unoppo'ed. Iu dealing '' with the selection of candidates, Pchool Committees must take inte consideration the financial difficulties of the . Board. Members are often p'aced ia the position of doing not what they

wuuld, but as best they caD, While { s'riving to r.use tho educational status \ of the district, they have to contend I wish a continual demand for new j, schools, enlargement of existing schools, I new residence?, and the proper n?aic- t tmicce of existing buildings. The The quoit'on of new residences is a vpry burking o e in some districts, and •to a very large ex'ent e£F. eta the edu- * c.tion of the children, a l * it >s difficu't to get a th oughly cffioienv. te cher to 'so tie down witi.out a residence. Ry Aegieet*, very t-I>\v degrees, itsidecces are being built to all schools. In a ( number of casts wfeer.) money for schools at d r. sidenc>s has been applied for to the d pirtment, the residence has baen stuck out, aLd insufficient money for even the school granted. A* the present tirna the Boird could spend £20,000, and even then the district wuuld not be fully equipped, a bhorfc time back a list of urgent works was drawn up to send to the Ddpartmont amounting to over' £15,000. After being rigorously | piur:ed down by tho Finance Commute) it st 11 amounts to over £12,000 f< r works which are absolu e'y and | urgeut'y necessary to put the scbo:ls iu a satisfactory p:sition. In dealicg with the past sarvices of members thi se difficulties must he considered. Amongst he members of the Bo rd there is a healthy independence of opinion, andall he members are, we believe, earnpstly, 1 enesHy, on! consistsnily wo king for ') eno d of th.9 district as a -whole and dealing faiily and considerately with be numerous demands of the various s/tacol ommittees.