SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 115, 12 June 1909, Page 6

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The. ordinary .monthly meeting af llic (l'aT:r.Kiki Hoard of School Commissioners w;W held yesterday. There wove present: Messrs Jus. Wmle (chairman), ■b\ Simipson (Commissioner of Grown 'Lands) and 11. T. Faull. THE ANNUAL REPORT.

■ The secretary submitted the ehairHuau's annual report, which hud been forwarded to the Minister, accompanying the balance-sheet, which had been duly audited. The report recorded .-.n increase of revenue by £lll4 10s' as | compared with the previous year, due to ' 'the renewals oi leases at increased ■valuations, these beiiisj based on the ' iiiiini'provcd or prairie value of the lands. Unlet reserves were lew, and of indifferent value. The report also expressed satisfaction with the better class of lands that wore now being vested in the Coannrissionere. The greatest trouble that the Board had to face was ifhe difficulty of dealing with noxious Weeds on its reserves, and the Board tad to use the greatest vigilance ra 'keeping careless tenants alive to their responsibilities!. Fortunately, most of them realised this, tat it was evident Mint they could not reap the full reward of their energies so long as the native lands were allowed to become and remain infested with weeds. LOST—A TENANT.

Jlr. R. McCluggagc wrote that he dosired to fence his section, but could not find the tenant of the Commissioners'

leasehold adjoining, and thus could not serve the statutory notice to fence. He asked if the Board would accept the liability. The secretary reported that the 'Board's section 10, block 8, Ngatimaru, had been leased some nine years ago to Albert Nielsen, who paid the rent for six years, and then apparently abandoned the land. He tad not effected any improvements or occupied the land. Now Ihe Board could not find him. There .was no answer to rent notices sent him. 'The Board could re-enter on the property, but that was an expensive process, it would be better to use every means in endeavoring to find the tenant, mil get him to surrender his lease. —This course •will be adopted, the Board declining to recognise any liability in the Matter of fencing. AN ABANDONED LEASE.

Mr. C. S. Bacon, wrote in reference lo a section wdich had been forfeited by biin. i The secretary explained that about twelve months ago Jlr. Bacon had taken, up the lease of a section in the Upper iWaitara district. The lease was prepared at the tenant's expense and forwarded to him for execution, but it was not returned. Enquiries elicited the fact that Jlr. Bacon had been burn-

Ed out, and the lease was among .tire effects destroyed. lie asked to be relieved of the .Vection, and this was done. Now he wished to be allowed to take ttp the land again-. But the section was already advertised for leasing, and the (Board could do nothing in- the matter. — A reply will be sent accordingly. I'iJK.EARUHE SCHOOL SITE. The secretary reported having received and answered correspondence from the Secretary for Education, who had Ibeen asked to be informed of the reasons for the Board's action in giving away an endowment for a new school site at Pirkearuhe, and for all particulars. This, said the'secretary, was a most unusual course. No former application of this 1 kind had ever been questioned. He had replied that the school site originally set aside ,was unsuitable, being too remote from settlement. The Education Board had asked for a more suitable site, and, after some considerable trouble, the Commissioners had ipuTchased two acres) at £ls an acre in a good situation.

In the discussion, it was urged that in such a case the School Commissioner should receive the sections which had been found unsuitable, for, whilst the tow gave the Education Board power to riispose*of such lands, there was no provision for the Commissioners receivni" at.

The chairman said tilie letter to the Department might have stated, too, t'hat the original school site was broken ground and absolutely unsuited for school purposes. RE-VALUATIONS. The Board's solicitor reported awards by arbitrators in respect of renewals and conversions of the leases of L. JVI. Dean, G. A. Colson, and C. Jackson, the rentals in each case being increased considerably. TRANSFERS. Leave to transfer was given as follows:—R. J. Knuekey to A. C. Gower, section 3, blocik 15, Omona; F. P. Corkill to A. D. Batwkham and W. Whitten, section 2, block 12, Waitarn; O. J. Hawken to D. J. Willis, section 8, block 6, Opaltu; D. Charteris to David Laing, parts sec. 504. etc., New Plymouth. J. Zurcher was granted leave to sublease section IS. bio* 15, lluiroa, for three years lo M. Randru.p. FINANCE. The treasurer reported a balance of '£s4o Jos 7d.—He was authorised to pay out £IOO for secondary education. Accounts amounting to £BB 4s 3d were passed fov payment.