SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 72, 14 March 1908, Page 6

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The Sclxwl wet \ r--terday. There u ere present: .\k-o=i'= Ja.-. Wade (diaiiiuau), U. i'.iul!, (_. li. Major, 11.1'., and W. I, Jeuniugj, Al.l\ All apology lur absence ua, received {row Air. i. simp-on.

COST UT LKAbi^. The Hoard continue J the adjourned diaCUsaiou on llie chairman's niuti")i that in future the Hoard should beir one-third of the cusi »>f all leases.

Mr. Faull supported the motion.

ilr Jennings si'ul the motion missed the point a- t<> whether or not lite con ol leases va« tail ami reasonable.

Tlms chairman -aid the leases mignt be dearer here lhau el-H'ulieu-. but tlry were also uioiv ellkirnt. For the >ake of elKcieUcy, it wa- worth while to pay a little more.

Mr. Jennings Mid he held a copy of a printed lease which 20 years ago ha J tost only thiity shilling*, and it lui.i beeu accepted by the Supreme Court.

The chairman remarked that these "printed" leases were very frequently almost indecipherable on account of interlineations and all sorts ot alterations.

Mr. Quilliam. the Hoard* solicitor, said thai from the press report—-or, rather, from the reports which had appeared in the "Daily News"—au iraliad got alNiut tluit the Hoarl •b£i 'I 'ApUint against its solicitor on tflCOliafr of overcharging. Now he did not utdsnUnd Mr. Jennings to complain of the solicitors, but against the sjrstem. He had Imm-MI unpleasantly surprised at the report* appearing at all,

for the discussion on the matter had started in committee, aud he thought that thus it should have l>een continued. The publication of the remarks made by some of the members were likely lo have a damaging eirect upon his linn. Air. Faull: 1 don't think so.

Mr. But I know, from what people have remarked to me iu the street. The idea is abroad that we have been overcharging, and once a tirm gets a name for overcharging it uiuai necessarily attect its ousiness. We have charged exactly the same as was charg!ed lurmerly, but, tu meet tlie Uoard, 1 1 liavo brought witn me a modified scale? [.giving the absolute lied-rock puces at I wizicii thia work can be done. -Jli Quil- | liam added that the prices were much ! lower than would be charged by any | toff 1 ) firm for a single lease, but they were allowed to li\ special rates witli public bodies or for several leases. The chairmau did not cousider the legal charges bad been exorbitant. In | iaet, the Board could hardly have ailorOed to pay the amount ol legal work by Mr. Samuel when he was tue board's solicitor. \S ilk him it had beeu to a large extent a labor of love. Mr. Jennings tuiu he was not concerned about Mr. bauiuel or Messrs. Govett ;nyt Quilliam, either, and he was not complaining about them. What he was concerned about was to ensure that the lessees under the Board should pay a fair and reasonable amount lor tlieir leases. They had endeavored to get information as to the amounts cnarged by other Boards ol School Commissioners. Those enquiries had revealed th.u there was a great diversity m charge?, aud that the Taranaki charges were the highest in the Dominion. And now it was admitted that there was ample room for revision, tor a modilied scale of charges was being presented to the Board for adoption, and it had already beeu decided that the Board should bear a third of the coat of leases, thus helping the lessee to bear the burden. So his contentions—aud those of Mr Faull —that the costs of leases were too high, were practically justilied.

The chairman's motion was carried.

The Board then discussed the suggested *ale of charges, showiug a cuusilerable reduction on the charges made in the past.

Mr. Faull said he was satistied with the scale. and al*o satisfied that the solicitor was getting no more out of it than he should do. The Government was to blame.

Mr. Major: Poor old boverniuent! Mr Jennings (to Mr. Faull): You've ratted. But my contention still stands. The charges were too high. I don't care who gets the money, but the tenant has to pay for it, and at present he pay* too much. I'm satistied to this extern—that there is a modification, and the lessee is to lie assisted.

Mr. Major deprecated the tone of lit* The contention of Mes«i': Jennings and Faull had beeu borne out and the charge* were to lie lessened. The scale was adopted. The chairman, acting upon the vok< of the Board, declined to supply lh« '•Daily New*" reporter, who was pre sent, with the new scale of charge*. Mr. Jennings strongly dissented, ur«j ing that the Board wa< » I ward of trn« tees for the administration of Ciowi

lands, and tliis decision wa* a publi

matter, lie considered the action a most inexplicable one. for it made it 'O appear that the Board was afraid to let the public know what it was doing. Why shouldn't the lawyer*' fees be published T He mentioned that during the week lie had l>ecu present at a meeting of a local body which had not received an account from its solicitor for 13 years.

Mr. Quilliam considered thin was w ide of the mark. He bad not allowed his account to stand over for 13 years. >lr- Jennings «oi. Bui it juat shows how things are done ifl New Plymouth. After further exchanges, Mr. Jennings left the room. A NUISANCE. The ranger protested against the action of the Hawera Borough Council in using a street and one of the Board's sections fronting ou it as a rubbish reserve.

Mr. Major said there was undoubtedly a very serious nuisance arising. Tlie Council will be written and asked to discontinue the practice. TRANSFERS.

Transfers were approved, subject to the solicitors* approval:— E. Gilshnan to H. H. Gilshnan part Kakaramea Town Belt, and part section 47.3, Pa tea; Xolan, Tonks and Co.. to New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., subsection 2 of section 189, Patea district.

W. H. H. Young was authorised to sub-lease to F. J. Farrell lot 2 of >eetion .5. block 9. Xgalimaru S.D. A. Col<on applied to have sections

144 to 14H, Hua district, submitted to arbitration, and consented to Mr. C. A. Ma reliant acting «h sole arbitrator.—Approved. NEW I.EASE. Frank Lifer and Thus. M. ltciiowd< u forwarded application* for the lease of M-ctions 1 an,] 2. block 1, Pouatu 5.1).. lfS acic. at (id per acre.—The lea«e will be issued to Frank Effer. who was the firsi applicant. An amendment by Mr. Jennings that sections be balloted for was not seconded. GENERAL Account* amounting to t4'J 7* (id were passed for payment. Ihe Board discussed in committee the matter of a schedule of arrears of rent*.

The treasurer reported a credit balance of Cillo U- :>d. Me \va< authorial to pay 11200 to primary and t! 100 to secondary education.

The chairman reported having given permi*r»ion to the Jfa»«>ugii ( ouncil in tunnel under a poijiun of one of the Board'- section- in Devon *treet west for tl»e improvement of -anitarv conditions- Action endorsed.

J. O'lirieii. Pa Tea. complained of danger from lire ari*ing nut nf the of the adjoining rejK.rt wa* referred to. and the secretary *tated the matter had been settled.

Tii«» matter of re-arranging boundaries ot le,)s.t>,i to Mi-v .Jenkins and Mr. Martin. ar Eltham. a> a-ked by the tenant* themselves, wa* favorably considered and referred to the solicitor.