TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 221, 25 February 1915, Page 3

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. j Tlio usual monthly meeting of Bin | Taranaki Education Board was held yesterday. Present: Messrs A. Morton, E. Marfcll, .1. Young, A. M. Bradbury, 1! Masters, F. Mackay, and J. A. Adlam. : In the absence of the chairman, Mr* K Trimble, Mr Morton was called upon'! to preside, and leave of absence was granted to Mr Trimble. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported having made the following temporary appointments: Dudley. Miss Branlev sole teacher, subsequent! v replaced by Miss Dempster; Tuna, Miss Branlev, head teacher. Owing to the increased attendance at the engineering class it became necessary to provide additional accommodation so as to allow the class to be efficiently instructed. I therefore authorised the purchase of a marquee at a cost of £2O. Cadet in Board's Office.—Miss 0 Rorke had been appointed to this position. Agricultural Instructor, pnmary schools-Mr Ellis finds that he would be enabled to carry on Ins work bett.r if he had some office accommodation. A small room could be built at the west side of the Board's offie- H„ c h would answer the purpose, r-' '!>•■ overseer reports that the w -r. d cost about £2O. I recommend that this should be done. The report was adopted. TECHNICAL SCHOOL. The Director reported that the Technical College is very fortunate m having such, an excellent opportunity of adding practical agriculture to the classroom Muring for the boys taking the course. We announced ploughing on the section at Fitzroy to-day :\ml the boys showed surprising adaptability. We were fortunate in having a good pair of horses, kindly provided bv Mr Ceo. Colson, and a rdoush lent bv Mr Connett. We have made a start on the vegetable "arden r-er the school-building. The ground is full of couch, and to the eye looks weak. I t'-ink it will take a' lot to get it in R-od condition. FARMERS' EDUCATIONAL WORK. The Board's Agricultural instructor reported that owing to the busy period of the farmers' work still being in existence I have considered it not to be a suitable, time for evening lectures. The few days I have had so far I have spent in visiting and acting in an advisory capacity to a number of farmers in the Ngaere'and Pembroke Road districts. In the latter district a small committee has consented to act in conjunction with myself and design experiments, and generally forward, we hope, the welfare, from a productive point of view, of the district.' One gentleman has already undertaken to conduct a green-manuring experiment. There sems to be a certain amount of disease in swede turnips, commonly called th ( . club-root disease. I have'suggested treatment, as with most diseases of this nature one can only emphasise the value of preventative I measures. The little time I have spent, in the work convinces me there is a big opportunity in agricultural education amoncst farmers, although progress may be slew yet, in view of the large district to be covered. A vote of thanks was accorded to Messrs Colso'n and Connett for plough and horses. The Director emphasised the need for increased accommodation. The chairman having adopted the director's recommendation it would be necessary to take steps to ■ carry cut the suggestion. j A* committee, consisting of Messrs { Trimble, Morton and Bradbury, was :inI pointed to inquire into the report on the matter.

The recommendation of the director to increase he salary of Mr Duff, the com- ] mercial instructor, from £2OO to .£22") was adopted. With reference to the suggestion of the Technical Advisory Hoard to have the Technical School' placed under a Hoard of Managers as provided for by the Set, sonic discussion ensued as ro the position of the Board. One of the objects of registration was to entitle the teachers to a vote for the Council of Education. Eventually it was decided that if it were found that the school was not already recognised by the department as being registered under the Act then that registration be applied for. INCREASED SALARY.

On the recommendation of the inspectors the salary of Miss Tooman, special assistant in the secondary department at Stratford was placed im\ the same footing as the other female secondary assistants—£ltio for this year, increasing by £lO a year to £l3O and on the motion of Mr Masters a bonus of £lO was granted to Miss Tooman tor lr.st. year's work.

With reference to the request of th,. Technical Advisory Board that the school be placed under a Board of Managers, it was decided to await the gazetting of regulations under the Act,

It was decided to instruct the overseer to erect an additional room at the Board's office. The salary of Miss F. Grant, cookery instructress was increased to £l3O a, year.

Miss I). Deans was appointed probation teacher of cookery at the annual salary of £lO, increasing by £lO a year. TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted: Taranaki Herald for printing the annua! report; Boon Bros for scran Jc*d.

HOLIDAYS. I The following school holidavs were fixed: Winter,''iStli May to 7th dune; spring, -_>oth August to 30th August; summer. 17lh December to January 31. .* motion by llr Marfell to curtail the summer holidays and extend the winter vacation lapsed. agkicclttral plot. Tlie special committer appointed to inspect the jiiece of ground at Kitz'-ov which was ottered to the Hoard by Mr Old. for use as an agricultural plot, •u connection with the classes at the '"i-hiiieal school, reported that it was suitable for the purpose, and that the' terms ( if tin- leas,, were acceptable; also "•at the thanks of the Hoard were EDUCATION'—WO li.. ().. ti.. (!.. fi.. due to Mr Old for his gin-rons oli'er. The report was adopted. TKOL'IiLK OVKi; LAX!) SALK. A letter was read from M r J. V,. lliuo, M.l'.. relative to the purchase of section al Moliakau. Mr Masters explained that the Department had laid down the following conditions in relation to tin; matter: (1) That the exchange site should be void at CHI per acre; (•>) that three

a res should be given instead of two. i' • had been appointed to impure into the matter and found that Mr Todd line purchased the ten acres, not Mr Stock-

■•'". Then he went to Mr Law who'had taken over Mr nine's lease. Later Mr Stockley wrote offering to buy at £lO. and he' (Mr Masters) recommended tinHoard to sell. Then Mr I line came to light and said, that Law should have notified him that the land was for sale, and he would have bought it. Mr Mas-

ter>; said he did not know 'Mr Hinc in the matter, but that gentleman, it trans-. I pired, was mortagee of the land and refused to allow Stockley to sell, tints i ta!;ing up what appeared to be an ;'.rI bitrarv position and blocking the sale | of tv' site for te.o school. He suggested that the land should be. acquired u:i der the Public Works Act, adding tha' he had tried his utmost to get Stock lev to sell to Hine.

After some discussion, Mr Mastc moved: That in the event of negotiii ' tions for the purchase of the three acres fo r a school site at Mohakau, as recommended in Mr .Masters' report adopted at tlio last meeting of the Board, not being satisfactorily completed, the Board take the necessary steps to acquire the land under the Public Works f . and that Messrs Masters and Marfell be a committee to endeavour to complete the negotiations. The, motion was carried. GENERAL. The inspector's recommendations as ( 'o payments to sewing teachers were adopted. Tt was decided that sections Sl2, Sl3. 814. 815, 850-3, in the town of Stratford, b e utilised for agricultural plots for the Stratford school. A long discussion took place on a motion by Mr Masters, that applications for teachers should be advertised in the Stratford paper, but the motion was turned down by the other members present.

The action of the Tikorangi Committee in closing the school owing to an epidemic was confirmed. Thfl Tuna Committee wrote referring to the. death of the headmaster, Mr J. A. Thomas, and suggesting that Mrs Thomas should be allowed some compensation for the many improvements effected by him.

The matter was referred to Mr blasters with power to act. The usual subsidy towards science apparatus was authorised to bo paid to the Egmont Village Committee. Consent was given to the transfer oV tlie lease of section !), block 12. Upper 'AVaitara from Fischer and Williams to Fischer. The Fitzroy Committee wrote notifying that awing to the asphalting of part of the playground being incomplee at the time fixed for re-opening the'school an additional week's holiday had been taken. It was decided to inform the Committee that the Board regrets the work was not completed a the time for reopening o? the school SCHOLARSHIP TRANSFERS . Permission was given for the trans- ■ of the following scholarships:—r. C. Wickstead from Stratford to New Plymouth Technical School; H. L. Calder Jrom Stratford to New Plymouth High •N'hool; Miss Blnndford from Stratford W;!lin<iton Girls' High School; Miss ,T. S. Cook from New Plymouth High School to Gisborne High School. On the motion of Mr Mackay a comittee consisting of Messrs Trimble, "orton and Masters was set up to in•(Miire into the lim-uees of tli-j Technical school before making the appointments recommended by the director.

OVERSEER'S REPORT. The oversow, ilr C. Moore, reported: Musker's—The new school is completed and ready for occupation. With the help of the committee, we removed the old school to another site and turned it into a shelte r shed. ■Aliititi and Okau—Both these schools \ver (! painted outside; at Aliititi a; new tank stand, lavatory basins and drainape, and other repairs w ; -re attended to. ' '■ The rank growth of grass round the Aliititi school would he dangerous in case of fire I would respectfully sug- ' gest that the committee be asked to "'"'■■ it cleared. Okoke—This school wag also painted e-'(side and a few small repairs attend-. Ed to. Bell Block—Xew lavatory basins were put in at this school. Tarata—The paint work at both school and residence, and sundry repairs have also been completed/ ' Warea—We have made a start with the additions to the Warea school. Tataraimaka—As authorised, the ■••.vn timber is ordered for the proposed •••ork nt, f-his plaee. Tf the srant were made in time to enable us to continue nn from Warea, it would be cheaper L "!vi more convenient. I I'itz'-ov—Tli" tin-ins nnd sanding at f!'r< Fitzroy school have been carried out ■ ; =t>.ctorily. In regard to this kind "f work. T wish to noint out that, tarring and sandin? is not sufficient to i"iid the very bard wear around the ■•'■'■ nol building: it means a continual ex- ; 'c 'n recoating at short intervals to ' "••■i if, satisfactory. It would be betI ter for several reasons, to .put it down in proper asphalt even if it had to be done in sections. The report was reevlveff. SCrTOOIj REQCTREMEYrS.

With reference to the enlargement of the Tataraiiuaka school and resident, it was decided, on the motion of Mj- Masters ot inform the Department that tin- works were of an important nature, and tlint the Hoard was prepared to facilitate the execution of :ame. if the department will giv,. the "eee-'sary authority, )>v making additions and Having for same out of the ordinary funds until the department could conveniently repay the same. Tile payment, of the £3O siibsi.lv to Fitzroy towards the cost of tarring' and sanding the grounds was authorised. The Matav committee was granted £4 towards tli,. cost of oradi.-atins noxious weeds from the school ground*. An application from the Tiird Road Committee f„ vblinds and repairs was referred to Mr Masters to report upon. The following matters were referred to the overseer:—Drninagv at Xorfolk road; new blind and glass at Mainu: material for painting at Pitone: limiting at Dt-Mglas.

le, renlv to their application, the York Committee's attention is to he ''rnvu to clause 4 of the regulations dealing with incidental expenses of committees.

The questions of a curtains for the Central school, and now Minds for the wore referred !o the Inspeo-

The matter of hiring the public hall ?■? Douglas, for school purposes was ! 7-"f.T>'cd to the inspector with power to act. The reuuesi of the v..turning officer for the us,, of the schools in the event of a contested election for the Licensing Committee was complied with. Accounts amounting to .C.ltn,") Its Hd were passed for payment. XOTTCKS OF. MOTTOX. The following indices of motion were given:—Mr Masters to mov that the resolution restricting the advertising of teachers' vacancies to the Taranaki liailv Xows and Herald he. rescinded. Mr Marfell to move: Tliat when committecs desire the usual sprim; holi days he omitted, and the winter holidays extended from June 25 to July 1?