TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1916, Page 2

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

FIRST MEETING OF NEW BODY. The initial meeting of the new board was held <it the liour;loflicos yesterday morning. I 1 iiis following members wore present:—Messrs. E. Masters, S. i<. Smith, E. Dixon, C. A. Wilkinson, H. Trimble, and Rev. A. B. Chappell! Messrs. Morton and Ballantyne, the Board's inspectors, were also in attendance. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. Mr. P. ,S. Whitcombe, secretary, as returning officer, read the result of the election of members, and called for nomillations for chairman. Mr. Wilkinson proposed Mr. R Masters. Seconded by Mr. Dixon, and carried. Mr. Masters returned thanks for his election. He recognised that the position was going to be a difficult one, as much work wa 3 to be done, especially the adjustments between the new Board and the Auckland and Wanganui Boards- the re-organisation of the technical and manual classes would also occupy much time. - ' & WELCOME, Ee-v. A. B. Chappell, speaking as an earlier acquaintance of Mr. A. Morton, the now . s c-nior inspector, welcomed that gentleman to the district. The chairman also added his felicitations to Mr. Morton, who, he had been assured, when in Wellington recently, would bo a distinct acquisition to the district. Mr. Morton, in a brief reply, thanked the members for their cordial welcome, which was similar to that extended to him by the stafT. He outlined what his programme would be now that he had taken up his duties. He could not get au fait with the requirements all at once, and 110 doubt members would recognise that. There would be many difficulties to be contended with, but Mr. Ballantyne and he would do their best to overcome tin,ni, He had tried to obta'n moce assistance, but without sucK-ii, For the present it was not the intention to interfere with the present routine of the work. INSPECTOES' DUTIES. Mr. Dixon said that the Department was expecting an impossibility if the work was to be properly carried on by only two inspectors, now that the district had been enlarged; indeed, he was surprised that two.inspectors had carried on the work in the old district,

I'ev. A. B. ( happel! concurred, lrv! !-aid that pressure should be put on the Department to provide assistance for the inspectors. DATE OF MEETING.

On the motion of Messrs. Dixon and Wlkii son it was agreed that the ordinary monthly meetings of the Board be held on the fourth Wednesday in every month at 11 a.m.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. It was resolved that the Teachers' and finance Committees consist o( the whole Board.

A sub-committeo, consisting of the chairman, Rev. A. B. Chappell, and Mr Dixon, was appointed to revise the iioanl's regulation.-;, am. submit a repeii at rext meeting.

Tiie chairman, Rev. A. B. Chappell, and Mr. Smith were appointed the Board's representatives to confer witli the inspector and representatives of the North and' South Taranaki Teachers' Institutes on the whole question of schoolbooks. TRUANT INSPECTOR.

Mr. Dix.on moved that applications be called for the position of truant inspector, and that the chairman, Messrs. n 'i!kinson and Sni. th be a sub-committee to draw up a schedule of duties and tirins of appointment—Seconded by Rev. A. B. Chappell and carried. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS. The chairman and secretary were empowered to arrange for railway concession tickets for technical instructors. Some discussion ensued over the duties of several of the technical teachers in the late Wanganui district who would now be under the jurisdiction, of the Taranaki Board. Eev. A. B. Chappell suggested that a special meeting be called, so as to give members an opportunity to confer, with the teachers. Mr. Dixon oppDsed this, and contended that we mat' ter should be discussed by the Board and inspectors, without reference to the teachers, as the question was one of urgency.

It was finally resolved, Mr. Trimble dissenting, that the Board meet at a later hour and discuss, preliminarily, the Board's technical teaching appointments. The Board then adjourned for an hour.

On resuming after the luncheon adjournment, the chairman said, that he had received the following telegram from the Hon. J. A. Ilanan, Minister of Education, as follows: —"I desir.o to congratulate the members of the new Board on their apointnient thereto. . The change marks a new stage in educational administration. I feel confident that the deliberations and activities of your Board will make for educational progress, and that I will have your hearty co-operation ill my endeavors to increase the efficiency of our education system." The chairman moved, "That this Board place on record its hearty appreciation of the services rendered to the cause of education by Mr. Harold Trimble during his occupancy of the position of chairman of the Taranaki Education Board; also, of the services rendered by Messrs. Adlam, Morton, Marfell, Mackay and Young." Mr. Masters said Mr. Trimble had been a member of the Board for nianv years, being chairman for tile last five years.. He had spared neither time, '.lor pains in the cause of education, and not only the present members of the Board, hut the whole of Taranaki appreciated his services. The other gentlemen named, especially Mr. Adlam, who had been a member of the Board f or thirty years, and who probably knew, better than any other person, the education system of Taranaki and what work it had entailed to bring it to its present position, had also rendered signal services.

Rev. A. B. Chappell endorsed the chairman's remarks, paying special tribute to Mr. Trimble's enthusiasm. He had pleasure in seconding the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr. Trimble thanked the members for tiieir expression of appreciation; lie was only sorry he had forfeited the confidence of the Board. Mr. Wilkinson said Mr. Trimble's last remark was not warranted; it was not a ciestion of want of confidence The new Board was well aware of the amount of work Jfr. Trimble had done in the eiuse of education; he had labored manfully, and everyone recognised his valuable aid. The election of Mr. Musters was not significant of a vote of want of confidence in Mr. Trimble. Mr. Wilkinson hoped that the hit-? chairman v:oukl see the matter in another light. Mr. Trimble said he had nothing more to say, .and the Board then went into committee to discuss the question of technical and uianua' tlasses mid api ointments,