EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 150, 21 December 1911, Page 7

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Education Board meeting was coneluded y< -lerday, when there were present: Messrs H. Trimble (chairman), G. A. Adlani, A. H. Halcombe, W. MeL. Kennedy and lie v. McArthur. Leave of absence was ated to Messrs W. Kogers, J. Young anil A. Morton. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The overseer (Mr. C. H. Moore) reported that the York residence had been completed and fenced. Repairs had also been | attended to at the school. At Tariki a porch had been erected at the residence, and small repairs to the school attended to. The drainage would be done as soon as the pipes were available. At Dudley, a new tank stand had beeti erected and a new tank ordered, it was also proposed to relav the drainage. At Tarurutangi a start had been made with the alterations to the residence. At Waitara alterations to ilownpipes and lavatories had been done, and the blinds and floor would be attended to during the holidays. At Urcnui a start with the alterations to the residence would be made during the holidays. Re Durham residence, he recommended alterations and additions, making it into > a cottage of four rooms. Plans were in ' hand, but he also pointed out the small I area of ground available.

Plans and specifications had been prepared and tenders called for painting a number of schools and buildings. The report was adopted.

The matter of the additions to the Durham residence anil acquiring ext-• land for the school site was left in f l, chairman's hands, with power to act ARCHITECTS' REPORT.

Re-erecting Stratford School.— I Tim above work had been visited twice every week and fair progress hail been made, considering the weather, which, at least for the last month, had been very much against expeditious work, as the bricklayers had lost a lot of time owing to tne wet weather. The brick work was now completed, and preparations were being made to get the roof on. The contractor was now away in Wellington engaging plasterers. Progress would depend upon the weather for a few days longer until the roof was on. After that it would be all indoor work, when long hours could be worked. Indeed, the men had now been working overtime to in some measure make up for lost time. It was somewhat uncertain whether the contract would be completed within the contract time, but there was no doubt the contractor would do his utmost to that end.—The report was CENTRAL SCHOOL. Mr. C. T. Mills, lion, secretary to the Central School Committee, wrote, in accordance with resolution passed at the committee meeting on Tuesday night, drawing attention to the most' unsatisfactory state of the floor in the gymnasium building at the Central School, which was used throughout the year as a class-room, and requested that the Board authorise the required reconstruction o! fixing up, to be carried out during th« coming holidays. The asphalt (with its many ponds of water) near the shelter shed and out offices was very inconvenient for the children to pass through, and tho Board were respectfully asked to have repairs done during tlie summer. He also enclosed, for the information of the Board, a printed copy of the report by Mr. A. 11. Kendall (Health Inspector) already published, which referred to the Central and Courtenav street school buildings, and to specially call attention to the closing clause, which was to the effect thai to bring the school up to all requirements nothing short of new buildings would suffice, lie was also directed to ask that the Board would give the matter due consideration at its present meeting, as the committee felt that urgent effort should be made to bring the school buildings and general su" roundings into ordinary up-to-date requirements.

The asphalting and gymnasium floor was referred to the chairman, with power to act, but the sanitary report on the school was held over until next meeting. when a full Board would be present. PAINTING TENDERS.

Tenders for painting were accepted as follows, being the lowest in each case:Rowan (school), Beckett and Roberts, £!) lflfi; Mahoe (school and residence), H. Petersen. £27; Cardiff (school and residence), W. Read, £-20 18s; Ngaero (school and residence), W, Read," £27 l!)s; Matau (school and residence), C. G. McLcggan, £29 l<is <kl; Pihama (school and residence], J. Greenhill, £4l; Kaimata (school and residence). C. G. _\fcLeggan, £l7 5s fid; Ratapiko (school and residence, C. G. McLeggan), £18; Waitara (school), H. Petersen, £3l; Huirangi (school and residence), H. Petersen £2O 10s. THE KAIMIRO TROUBLE.

Mr. W. MiiniH, lion, secretary of the Kaimiro School Committee, forwarded copy of law costs, £3 3s, incurred by the School Committee in connection with the case, Kaimiro School Committee v. W. G. Shoemark, to recover money received by the defendant for the express purpose of picnics and prizes. The committee went to a lot or trouble to receive the money, and ultimately had to take it to Court, when judgment was given in their lavor. the Magistrate holding that the ease should never have gone to Court, as the money should have been handed over as soon as the new committee was elected. The position thev now found themselves in was that thev could not pay the amount out of capitation, even if it were legal, because they would have no funds to carry on tlie school work with. As the money recovered was raised for a special purpose thev could not use that monev for anv other purpose. They therefore asked the Board to pay the amount or to make a special grunt to enable them to do so. The chairman fully detailed the circumstances of tho case, and said he considered that it was a fair claim. The matter was left in the chairman's hands. SCHOLARSHIPS. Mr. XV. Walton, hon. secretary to the Secondaiy Schools Conference, forwarded the following resolution which was passed at the recent conference:—That it be a recommendation to the Boards of Education that it is advisable that holders of Education Board scholarships I should attend tlx., recognised school boardmghouse where, such exist or at a, house approved by the principals of secondary schools, and that it is advisable that scholarships where board inmis necessary should be of the annual value of £.( O.

TECHNICAL SCHOOL ADDITIONS, the Inspector-General of Schools wrote further regarding the proposed conversion of the woodwork room at the New Plymouth Technical School into two class rooms and the erection of a detached work-hop for woodwork and met.ahvork classes. It was not apparent to the Department that the circumstances warranted any further expenditure at present out of the public funds on additional buildings for classes for manual and technical instruction at New Plymouth. It was also suggested I hat consideration should lie deferred until ( villi nee was forthcoming that, the success of the engineering class was such, as to justify additional expenditure on buildings. MUSKER'S SCHOOL. Messrs Barnett and Alpe waited on the Board l in support of the application for

the removal of the school known as Musker's, on the Uruti road, to a site lower down the road. Tliev pointed out that owing to the impassable saddles, the area that the school would tap would always be a limited ont. At present it was six miles from the Uruti school, so that children below the school would have to travel 3 miles to attend either. Above Mucker's, however, there were only three sections from which children could come to attend the school, as a saddle, impassable for children, was beyond that. There were below the school some twelve sections suitable for dairying,and if the school were removed to a section offered by Mr, Guscott it would be more central for the limited area, as no child would 1 havo further than two miles to travel to school. They asked the Board to visit the site, and offered to place a motor ear at the Board's disposal from Waitara. The Board decided that it could not re-open the matter. The Board granted the request of the Opunake School Committee to be allowed to let the old residence for a band room.

The Huirangi School Committee's request for a barrel of tar to enable them to asphalt the shelter shed floor was acceded to.

The overseer was instructed to attend to matters complained of by the Newall School Committee.

Mr. H. Sander, chairman of the Pukeho school, asked the Board to grant 10 gallons of tar to enable the committee to lay down a floor to abate the dust nuisance.—Agreed to.