STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1922, Page 6

STRATFORD.

DAILY NEWS AGENCY. Advertisements and items of news frw publication in the Taranaki Daily News should be left at the office of cur local representatiitive, care Mr. W. H. Humphrey, Broadway, Stratford. Orders for papers mry also be let! With him. TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL. December 9. The monthly meeting of the Stratford Technical High School Board of Governors was held last night. Present : Messrs. H. Trimble, R. Masters, M.P., J. McAllister, S. Macalister, E. Marshall, C. M. Burkitt, V. Johnson, Dr. W. P. P. Gordon, Mrs. A. E. Copping, and the director (Mr. A. H. R. Amess, M.A.). The director reported for the month as follows: Since last month the work of the school has been somewhat broken into by the annual examinations. No fewer than* 70’ of the pupils took the examination for senior free place and Public Service entrance, while there were about 25 candidates for national scholarships. Thirtytwo of the pupils are at present sitting for the matriculation examination, and four for the Junior University Entrance Scholarship examination. During the month W. 0. Oliphant Rowe has been at the school a great deal, and all the cadets have completed their musketry as required by the Defence regulations. The position of the new range enables this work to be done with a minimum loss of time, and the officer has expressed himself in glowing terms concerning the shooting of the cadets. He is hopeful that the cadets of this school will be able, in very little time, to hold their own with any corps in the Dominion. I have, during the month, visited some ten schools and interviewed the pupils and the parents. 4 From the reception accorded me in these schools, I am hopeful that the new year will begin with a roll number of at least 200 pupils. I have been in communication with the Superintendent of Technical Education concerning the teaching of singing in the school, and have obtained his consent to the proposal of placing class-singing on the time-table as one of the subjects taught. I should be pleased if the board would recommend the appointment of a qualified teacher as part-time instructor to take charge of the work. Th? basement of the boiler-room is again flooded with water, which is becoming stagnant, and the condition is not a healthy one. With regard to the proposal to appoint a singing - instructor, Mr. Amess said he thought there should be some kind of artistic instruction in the school, especially for those pupils from the backblocks. Mr. Masters raised the question of the difficulty of finance, but it was pointed out that the salary of the instructor would be paid by the department. It was decided to apply to the department for authority to appoint Miss Finn as part-time instructor for singing. Messrs. Burkitt and Johnson were appointed a committee to report at next meeting on the flooding of the boiler-room. The question of the control of the old Technical Schol, and of the rents collected from the grounds, as between the Board of Governors and the Education Board, was discussed, and to clear the matter up, a deputation, consisting of the chairman, the director and Mr. Boon, set up at the last meeting, was authorised to wait on the manual and technical committee of the Education Board,

A deputation, consisting of Mr. R. H. Cameron (chairman of the electric light committee of the Borough Council) and Mr. L. Ferguson (electrical engineer) waited on the board in connection with the Borough Council’s request to the Education Board for the right to deviate the high tension lines from the hydro station along the school ground boundary to the river. The Education Board had referred the request to the Board of Governors. It was decided to inform the Education Board that the board agreed to the route suggested by the Borough Council, the agreement to stand until the expiry of the Council’s line easement from the Model Dairy Farm. Complaint was made by members that the tennis-courts laid down in the grounds were not long enough, so far as the “run back” was concerned, to be efficient, and it was resolved to obtain an estimate or the cost of lengthening the courts. The opinion was expressed that the work would cost. about £lOO. Dr. Gordon and Mr. Rutherfurd were appointed to a sub-committee to purchase a lawn-mower, roller and scythe.

The re-opening of the school after the summer holidays was set down for Tues day, February 6, and the prize-giving cere mony for December 14, Sir Walter Carncross having accepted an invitation to ad dress the gathering at the prize-giving. GENERAL ITEMS. The director of the Stratford Technical High School (Mr. A. H. R. Amess, M.A. 1 has compiled a prospectus of the school setting out the aims and objects of the institution and the discipline and educational facilities obtaining therein. The publication is an excellent one, setting out clearly the policy of the school, which is destined to play an important part in the future educational life of Central Taranaki. At last night’s meeting of the Board of Governors Mr. Amess was complimented upon the publication. Mr. John Hopkins, organiser of the Stratford Mardi Gras, left to-day for Nelson, where he will conduct a similar campaign to that held in Stratford. All the latest Magazines and Periodicals, Fashion Books, the “Best Way” series, etc., etc.; Collins’ Diaries for 1923; now on sale at W T . H. Humphrey’s, Broadway, Stratford. The residents of Stratford and are notified that Ernest Davies, the London qualified sight-testing optician, visits Stratford every Tuesday, and may be consulted at Mr. Gaffaney’s, Broadway. Hours: 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.