Annual Meeting of the Batepayers of the Kauaeranga Educational District.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2497, 6 January 1877, Page 2

Annual Meeting of the Batepayers of the Kauaeranga Educational District.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Kauaeranga educational district was held at the girls' schoolroom, Sandes street, at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. There were over one hundred ratepayers present. The Rev. J. Hill was proposed to take the chair, but on declining Mr Bagnall was unanimously elected. Mr Macnab said that before going further it would be well to see if this meeting had been legally called or not. The Chairman said that the meeting must be opened first. He then read the advertisement convening the meeting., Mr Macnab said the matter he referred to was, who had the power to convene meetings, the secretary of the Central j Board or the Commissioners ; whose advertisement was the one they should go by. He then quoted clauses from the Education Act, and contended that the Chairman of Commissioners' advertisement was the legal one. There was no difference between tbe two, with the exception that Mr Moss named no time when the poll was to close, and the jfcime for closing, according to JVXr Kgnshaw's, wqis bi% o'clock. Mr Itensh&w said that they (the commissioners) had called the meeting early because Mr Field's resignation had rendered the appointment of his successor necessary. They had wanted the new committee to do this, and had therefore

hurried on the election. The necessary notice had been given. Mr Power proposed that they should act according to Mr Eenshaw's advertisement. . The Chairman read clause 19 of the Act, whieu said that 14 days' notice should be given. Notico had been given in the Star-of the ,19th December, but Mr Moss's had not appeared till the 23rd December, so that 14, clear days'notice had not been given. They ought to act on the former notice inserted by the chairman of commissioner. The Chairman then called upon Mr Penshaw to road the report of the Com- . missioners, -which he did as follows :— " The late committee for this district having resigned, the Central Board of Education appointed commissioners, who entered upon their duties about the 10th of December. At their first meeting the holidays were fixed, and arrangements made for an examination at both schools, and a distribution of prizes. The short time at our disposal prevented us from entering upon this work, as fully as we otherwise might have done, but with the aid of one portion of Sir George Grey's gift, money subscribed by the Mayor and other friends, we were enabled to expend about £15 in prizes and refreshments. A gift Was also received by us of three [ guineas in books, to be specially competed for by the elder scholars of both schools, from printed questions, in English history and geography. The commissioners would be glad if some united competitive tests of this kind, embracing the elder scholars' of all schools, both public and private, could be organised annually, and feel sure it would hare the effect of raising the standard of education throughout-the district. The resignation of Mr Field involved taking the necessary steps to obtain a successor. This has been done, and eight applications have been received for the office, the Commissioners designing to hand over these to the new committee to decide upon." ; Mr Mcllhone said that as one gentleman had been so particular they might as well proceed cautiously. An objection might afterwards be raised under clause 17, which enacted that after the reading of the report, " thereupon all the ratepayers present shall proceed to*elect the committee." Was it the ratepayers present then, or those that should come in after- I wards? He did not know on what,authority Mr Eenshaw had limited the time for the poll. Mr Eenshaw said he had -done it to consult public convenience.. Mr Mcllhone said he was quite satisfied. Alter some further discussion it was agreed to keep the poll open till six o clock. ; . The election of the Committee was then proceeded with, and the following gentlemen were duly proposed and seconded :-rMessrs Mcllhone, Aitken, Power, OJrigg, Macnab, Eenshaw, Hunter, Farrell, and Souter. Messrs Ahier and Wickham were appointed scrutineers, and the polling was proceeded with after the usual manner of open voting. At six o'clock precisely (telegraph time) the poll wa^ declared closed, and the Chairman and Scrutineers added up the votes, and in a few minutes the Chairman announced the following to be the result:— Mcllhone ... ... ... 90 Macnab ../ 73 Jienshaw ... ... ... 65 Souter ... ... ... 58 Farrell .. ; \ ... '„.; :58 Grigg ... ... ... 57 Hunter ... ... ... 56 ' Aitken ... ' ... ... 55 , Power ... ... ... 34 ; The Chairman, amidst loud cheering, then declared the first five duly elected. Considerable surprise was evinced at the result as to Mr Grigg's position, as it was expected that he would have been higher up. . Mr Mcllhone thanked those present for having placed him at the head of the poll, and said it showed that therei was no ill-will on the part of the ratepayers. (Cheers.) . ' The meeting terminated'after votes of thanks had been accorded to Mr Grigg for his. gratuitous singing instruction, to the Chairman, and the scrutineers.