TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 25 September 1907, Page 3

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Ihe Taranaki Education Board met last night- Present: Messrs " .las. Wade (chairman), G. Adlam, ("!. Tisch, J. D. Mnrison, W. Monlcnouse, H. Trimble, W. L. Kennedy, H. Faull, and A. Morton. ARCHITECT'S REPORT. The architect, Mr Jas. Sanderson, reported that the erection of the plumbing room at the New Plymouth Technical school would l>e commenced at once. Mr .T. W. Boon asked for an extension of Vyne in which to complete

his contract at Cardiff. Alterations, to waterpipe at Fitzroy was being a.U tended to, but other work should be left till the holidays. Tie had found that the tenons of several of the sills of the lower sashes in the Ratapiko school huiMing had decayed, and extra windows were required in the gables. The matter was in the hands of Mr G. Hall. Plans for the new school at Okohe had been forwarded to the Department for approval. Extra lighting of the Stratford school was being provided. Plans for new Board offices and sketch plans for a technical school at Inglewood had been prepared.—Extension of time was granted to Mr Boon. The report was adopted.

DAIRY CLASSES. Mr Tisch advocated the establishment of dairying classes at the New Plymouth Technical School. He understood that some members of the Agricultural Society had promised to assist, and he himself had thought of can-

vnssing f o r subscriptions. But the architect estimated the cost of erecting an additional room in brick would he £7OO or £BOO, which -wag impossible. The chairman suggested an easy way out of the difficulty by erecting a new woodwork room of timber and iron somewhat on the lines of the plumbing room, and using the present woodwork room for dairying. The alterations)

should not cost very much. The architect said this was a good suggestion, for a rougn woodwork room should -not cost more than, say. £2OO. The Chief Inspector urged the necessity for pushing on. Members of the Agricultural Society and Captain Young were very enthusiastic, the latter having promised to enlist the sympathies of Mr Oilrutli, Chief Veterinarian. Mr Monkhonse thought it would be better to erect a new dairy room. After further discussion the matter was referred to the chairman and Kir Tisch, to report to next meeting of the Board, Mr Tisoh stating that be had obtained the information he wanted—that - €2OO or £250 would need to be collected locally.

A KEW SCHOOL. The Chief Inspector reported on tnc application for the erection of a new school at Wai-iti. Mr Skinner had offered to let the Board have the use of a cottage "on his property, about two miles from the Minii stream, and five miles from Pnkcaruhc. With very little expense to the Board, the cottage could be altered to make a suitable schoolroom, and he suggested Hint the Board accept this offer and establish a (school there. The Board would then be in a position to judge whether the attendance warranted the establishment of a permanent buildins.

M.VNTUAT, ATTO TECHNICAL REPORT The Chief Inspector reported that be had paid a visit to the dairying classes l conducted at the Stratford Technical school by Miss Preen, the Coverntnent dairy expert, awd was much' impressed by the value of the work done. "Boa-

ing ■that (dairying was the ickiof in-' dustry of the Taranaki district, he was of opinion that an effort should be' made to erect a building in connection'

with the New Plymouth Technical) School, so that classes might be carried' on, on similar lines to those at Strat-

ford. Classes in dressmaking at In-', glewood and Stratford had been recog-i nised by the Department. Good progress had been, made with tho laying out of the New Plymouth Technical School grounds, and except along the Liardet street frontage, fences had been erected, and the live hedges planted. A letter had boon received from the chairman of mittee, and he recommended that (provided the 'building could be erected free of cost to the Board), tho Board give its sanction for the erection of a suitable building, and that application bo made for a subsidy towards its erection.

Mr jMVmkliouse 'said ) there was a) tendency to erect too many technical schools. They would soon, he thought, have more technical schools than could! be efficiently managed and staffed. Ho did not think such a multiplicity oil technical schools would bo in the interests of education. The 'Chief Inspector said that a technical school was not proposed, but merely a shed for woodwork and cook; cry classes. The system of bringing Inglewood school children to New Plymouth had resulted in a great loss of school time.

Mr Trimble said the Inglewood people were anxious for this now school, b9i cause of the inconvenience of sending their children to New Plymouth. Tf that had been a disadvantage, would it not bo a greater 'disadvantage for t'he country children to travel to Inglewood? There was not such enthusiastic support in the outlying schools'! as tho Board had Jheen led to believe, Inglewood folks hadn't collected tliej amount of money required, and they reckoned on getting a subsidy on the site they proposed to steal, valued at throe times its rateable value.

Mr Kennedy said the Inglewoo(T people were showing a desire to help themselves. When they found the cost was £t>flO, it would he seen whether the enthusiasm was up to concert pitch. Mr Morison said he was quite sure the Inglewood people were striving for. n technical School, not merely a tworoomed shod. Mr Morton said the delegates had stated that all they wanted was a mush shed, costing 'shout £2OO. The motion was carried.