HIGH SCHOOL BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 113, 2 November 1911, Page 2

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD

SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the High School Board was held yesterday to discuss matters connected with the proposal to extend the usefulness and scope of the school, as outlined previously by Mr. Hutchen, one of the successors oil the Board to Messrs. Wilson and Glasgow, who resigned their membership as a protost against the want of progressive spirit shown by the Board of Governors in the administration of the affairs of the school. There were present: Messrs. X. K. MucDiarmid (chairman), S. Percy Smith, 11. Eraser. E. Dockrill, 11. Hutthen and H. Kyre-Kennv. Mr. J. B. Roy, the Board's solicitor, was in attendance, and gave his opinion that the Board had power to borrow money and to hypothecate' the rents of its reserves as security for the loan. An informal discussion followed, in which the opinion was expressed that the large lending institutions which accepted business on these securities would probably advance money at the I rate of 4'/, per cent. It was pointed out : that the Board would have to ascertain what amount of the rents would be required for the purposes of maintenance and payment of the teaching staff, etc., with a view of determining what amount could be hypothecated in the manner suggested by Mr. Roy. It was thought that £IOOO or £isooo could probably be raised, and that money could be borrowed against the security of the leases to be issued as the present ones expire, but the solicitor.said the objection might be raised that as yet those leases were not in existence, and therefore could not be pledged. The chairman doubted whether the Board would receive the £BOO expected to be derived from secondary education reserves, as the amount received for the past quarter was only £l4l (though for the previous quarter £239 was received). He asked for some motion from the members.

Mr. Hutchen said lie had intended proposing a motion to borrow on the rentals, but he couldn't see the use of naming any particular sum, for they had no proper estimate of what expenditure would be required on the work he proposed. tie wanted to have a separate llirls' High School erected, 011 separate ground altogether from 'the Boys' High School—right away from there. He wanted to see a boarding establishment, too. The Hoard would hare to decide, before fixing on any amount, if they would convert the principal's residence into a boarding establishment. In this they had to consider the second master, who had started the boarding establishment and done his duty there. Mr. Hutchen could not see why they should deprive him of bis emoluments, as they would do if they converted the principal's house into a boarding establishment. He did not anticipate any difficulty in getting the money required, probably £SOOO, at a moderate rate of interest.

On Mr. Hutchen's suggestion the Board went into committee to informally discuss the whole scheme, and eventually Messrs. MncDiarmid, Fraser and Hutchen were appointed a committee to report on the proposal to erect a boarding establishment and means of financing same.

Mr. Dockrill's motion re the Opaku reserve was discussed at length and wit hdrawn. with tlie object of its being ■brought ill) in another form.