SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 210, 9 October 1909, Page 1

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

I Tlie School C«.ii.iii~i,.!«!r s met yesterday. There win* .tre .ik : Messrs. ! Jas. Wade (chairman j, F. ijiuipsun W. T. Jennings, 11.P., and c. 10. .Wnjor.' IXSUIUXIXS. The question o i insurances was' brought before the inc.'. Ik the sei--letan. lie reported Unit ir.i|uently ifi late, in his dealings with ilie Hujrd's lessees and reserves, he had found tlri the insurance covenant 111 the ieascs was not being carried out. In s'ome o! . the leases provision was made tnat if any buildings were at any time erected on the land, those buildings must be insured and kept insured in the name of the Commissioners. This was not always done. In some cases buil lj ingi were not insured at or, having once been insured, the po'lieies had been allowed to lapse. In other caws lie had found the insurances effected j in the name of the lessee. Only the I other day lie had found a case in which • a policy had originally been taken ouo in the name of the Board, but wbic'i was afterwards transferred to another company and insured in the lessee's name. Again, he had found that 011: 1 risk had not been covered for two years. Under these circumstances it was quite impossible for him to accept the responsibility ..or the .maintenance of insurance, aand the Commissioners should eonsider the position with a view of avoiding these irregularities which he had mentioned. He further explained that in 1000 a. resolution was pased stipulating that the whole of the insurances must lie placed with the company of which the secretary was tne agent, and holding hini responsible for the .maintenance of all risks, the company itself giving an undertaking that all risks would be kept covered. Ear 1 / in 1905, however, that motion was rescinded, and since that date it hai ceased to be possible to keep the same check as previously on the insurances. Mr. Gorkill suid that this course coulo be adopted again, either with his or any other company, for he wished ti maiie it plain that lie was "not hanker ing after the .business." Cut it was < necessary to take some steps to safeguard the interests of the Boari's trust.

In an irregular discussion which onsued it transpired that the arrangement in vogue until 11)05 had proved irksome. It was \vhcn the State Fire Oil ice came into being that the chanys was effected, and ' then Mr. Jennings moved in the direction of giving tenants the option of insuring with the State Oil ice. Tlie State gave the commissi,m ers, or its secretary, an assurance similar to that -previously given by the Alliance. Then some of the tenants complained again, for they themselves had fire insurance agencies, and th *y protested against the monopoly of the Hoard's tenants' business by two cornpanics. So they were exempted, and presently the practice spread, until tenants were allowed to insure where tiny pleased. Mr. Jennings thought it should he possible to "kee.p track*' of these insurance policies. He was' perfectly certain that there would be mother "rumpus" if the Board again decided that tlu lessees must insure in the secretary's agency.

Mr. Corkill pointed out the difficulty of ascertaining whether or not, renewal premiums were paid, for t. e companies dealt direct with the lessees, who paid tlie premiums. Only the policies were lodged with the Board. There was this difficulty,too, that s'ome of the companies doing only small business seemiml to be constantly changing their agents. Mr. Major thought it better to stick to tlie one company, with a certainty that all premiums would be kept paid

.Mr. Corkill repeated that he was "not hunkering after the business." But ho declined to accept responsibility under present conditions. Jf the Board would confine its business to one or two offices it would be possible to cheek the insurances. But, under present omlitioii-, "if anything happens, don't blame inc. Jf a man insures in his own name instead of the Board's, anil a lire occurs, he can draw the insurance money, ami—'good-bye.' Fraudulent, of course, but he mightn't be worth 'going for."' Mr. Simpson couldn't see how that could cause tlie Board any loss, for the buildings and improvements belonged to the tenant.

Tin' secretary: We would have a deteriorated property. Mr. Jennings advocated making it compulsory for the Hoard's tenants to insure in the State Office. ilr. Major objected. It was simply aiming at the destruction of all private enterprise. Jt seemed to him that in a few years there would bo no roo,ni for business enterprise; everything would be run by the State. Mr. Jennings: How different to something I heard about two years' ago. Mr. Major: With years coines wisdom, Mr. Major eventually gave notice to move that the resolution at present on the minutes be rescinded, with a view of reverting to the old system. Upon Mr. Jennings's motion, it was decided to circularise tenants, asking for information as to whether or not th#y had insured their buildings, with what company, in whose name, and for what term. AN INACCESSIBLE SECTION.

Jlr. lledginau wrote that he was a bidder for certain Aria and Ohura. sections at . the recent auction of the Board's leases, but 'those which lie had inspected, and for which ho had bid in the first place, brought too high a figure for liiui. So lie purchased the lease of section 9, block 8, Opaku, 732 acres, at a rental of £lO 19s 7d. He had paid half a year's rent, and £3 0s 8d costs, and since then had spent more money in paying a Chinaman to help him to find the land. But he had found it inaccessible by road, there being only an imaginary road. ISy the courtesy of an adjoining settler lie had been enabled to climb a neighbouring height and obtain a bird's-eye view of the property. It was a rough section, but he would have been prepared to take it 'Jp there been road access. He applied to surrender the lease. The secretary pointed out that the lease was not. yet signed, and Mr. lledginau was at liberty to withdraw. Upon the motion of Messrs. Jennings and Major, it was decided to refund the half-year's rent. lit was further decided, on M;. Major'.-; motion, to direct the attention of the Minister of l'liuilc Work* to this case, and to several other blocks of land which were imlettalile owing to want of roading. and pointing out that this was retarding the progress of settlement in this district. TRANSFERS. Subject t,o all pa.pers being in ordci, permission to transfer was granted in the following applications: 0. Carlson to 11. W. Sarton, section 11., block o, Kginont; 1!. Todd to W. F. MeAllu.nl, section 19, New Plymouth; \Y. l f . McAlliim to Alex, lteid, section 10, New Plymouth; Alex. Reid to \V. F. McAllum, section 10, Manganui; .J. Lurcher to Geo. Davidson, section IS block 15, lliiiroa; J. R. Henderson to' (leo. .Murdoch and ill's. Lind, section 57, block 1, Xgaire. The treasurer reported a balance of C4Ol Is fid. Accounts amounting to £27 12s Cd were passed for payment.