SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 202, 15 August 1908, Page 6

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The ordinary mommy meeting of tue Rouru o. .h-uodi CouimissiolKi> „as lield }esterd.iy,wueu mere were present; jiwsjs. j. nade iflmirinauj, i. amip=oj, and U. Fauil. LIiAVE OF ARSI„\cE. J- 1 Leave. 01 absence \,i,» granted to I ! Aiessis. .Major ami Jeiinmgs, .u.sl". .Ur. Faun said Uu'ie was Uo n-gal provision ! for granting mis leave. u Uw cousccuti\e absences, die contended, rendereu a *>eal vacant. Hie chairman remarked luat ii wouia be useless lu ' sacK iue.se meiuoers, who would be immediately re-appomicu by the (juvemuieni. -K me same nine, men frequent absences were "a mi 01 a' nuisance.' LAKItS LEASE. The Secretary reported having received a disclaimer 01 a lease ot nine I acica formerly held by J. A. fair, now I bankrupt, and that lie jiad recovered the rent due to date. The secretary fuituer reported thai tn« aojonimg frcenold had now been sold, and the new purchaser (Mr Chew Cliong) complained that the Hoard's leasehold was . now infested with noxious weeds, ami that lie would not take vver ihe lease. . —it was decided Uiat the secretary should coiumuuuate with -Mr. Cuoiig, ottering him occupation of the grouuu i. lor a term, conditionally upon his Keeping the weeds down.

• A I'ATKA l'iiOl'EKTY. Air. H. W'liite, of I'atea, forwarded I an estimate of the cost of putting into J habitable condition- the eottage tit l'a-1 tea formerly leased to I'. li. Koasiler.' His estimate was £44 10s for the cottage ami £ll os for fencing. The tiiairinan said the secretary nad reckoned £25 would he sutlicicut. tie would have recommended that expenditure, but soouer than spend £55 lus he would "put a lireslick iu it." Hi;, isinipsun: Insure it first, 1 suppoast It was decided to oiler the section for lease by tender. Win. Sliarrock, a lessee, wrote Mat some six years ago he bought the leases of some lne allotments mat had been tiirowu up liy Smith and Carlwrighl ai Stratford, in all 40 acres at a leuial oi lis per acre. The land was then m a rougn state, the charing being bad, about ten acres oi bush standing, uuu there was a large quantity of ragwort, ox-eye dasy, and giant burdock. The sections, he afterwards found, were iu the Stratford borougli extension, and the rating amounted to about bs an acre, it soon becawt apparent to him that he could not do his duty by the land and keep up these exorbitant payments, and ne elected to give his attention to the land. The weeds had been practically eradicated, Jive acres felled and grasswd, and some of the clearing had been logged and ploughed, so thai this season mere would be iiiteen acres under .the plough, in addition to iflis he had erected buildings worth £TU. The Board would »ce

that he had effected more improvements than his short, tenancy warranted. This had thrown his rent into arrear to the amount of £BB. Some time ago ctiv iioard had ohei'ed iiim a liberal concession upon his paying promptly, but he had been unable at Unit time to take advantage of the otter. He asked ii the Board could now renew tiie oiler. and expressed a desire to surrender the present lease and obtain the UutL under renewable k-aSe.

The secretary said the land was undoubtedly highly rated. 31r. Simpson, asked if the rent were nigh.

The secretary: Outriigeoti-dy .high for the land. Mr, Faull said that the races levied by the Borough Council lor these suburban lands prevented landowners getting lair value from th'jr jands. It iwas decided to reduce the,debt by a third for payment by September SO, and that the Board, will consider the application for renewal after compliance with this resolution. TOO MUCH PUJUUTV; The solicitor submitted the awards in various arbitrations. Mr. Faull complained mat the awards did not contain the full information to which the Board Was entitled. The capital value and tin- acreage should be shown. \ ■- - ■ Mr. Simpson agreed. To adopt these awards -was like 'buying a pig iu a poke." The, further particulars are to be tabled at next meeting. ' The chairman questioned the advisableuess of publishing the awards ol the arbitrators. The secretary thought it would be as well to consult the solicitor and ascertain whether tile Hoard was competent to publish the figures. Mr. Simpson Saw no reason for withholding the information from the. public. Had these people secured leases at auction the rents would have beeii published. The chairman thought these figures were on a different footing.

31 r. I'aull agreed with Mr. Simpson. Tliis Iluiird was a public body sec up to deal with public lauds, wliieh ivere publicly leaned, and the public was entitled "to full information. The secretary: Arbitration awards are peculiar things to deal with. A KATUN I KKSJSIIVK 31r. 3iarchant, the JSoard's ranger, Suggested various methods of dealing Nvith. the gravel reserve of JS'/v acres at Kapuui, now held by the executors -Of the late Mr. T. L. Joll, as tenants at wiU. .He suggested' publicly submitting the land ior tease, either on renewable lease or as tenants at will, and lie estimated tie rentals that could be asked. Tbe secretary reported having communicated with Mr. H. T. Joll on the matter, and they woidd talk over the matter that afternoon, and, after informal discussion, the matter was deferred till next meeting.' TKANSimS. Leave to transfer leases was granted, under the usual eonditons, from Geo. Martin to Gilbert Willy, part sec. 01, block 15, Ngaire S.D., 100 acres; J. G. Davidson and K- Al. aardwick to 11. G. Lovell, sub 1, see. 22, block 15, Kaupokonui; C. Gooding to K. S. Gooding, section 14, block fi, Xgaire; H. W. Madder to L. U. Webster, section i% and 4U7. Xew Plymouth. ."RENEWALS. With the consent of the lessees, Mr. G. A. Marchaut was appointed sole arbitrator to determine the values and to fix the rentals in the proposed renewal of the leases of C. Wilmshurst, W. B. Ireland, P. Hunter, H. Johnson; ami he was appointed the Hoard's arnitrator in the matter of Mrs. 1,. H. Dean's application. GEXKUAL. The treasurer reported a credit balance of .€990 lis Id. 'Mrs. Kvetts wrotu, notifying that she wished to surreuder her lease of sections in Gaine street. The secretary laid replied that there was no provision in the lease for a surrender, there being about seven years to run.—Action confirmed. The chairman's action in connection with mortgages was confirmed. Accounts amounting to fti'.l !)s lid were passed for payment.