NEW RAILWAY TIMETABLE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9672, 10 December 1909, Page 5

NEW RAILWAY TIMETABLE.

DISCUSSION AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING. At the meeting of the Masterton School Committee last evening, the chairman, Mr R. Brown, brought forward the question of the alteration in the railway time table, pointing out:1. The free place scholars who came by train daily to this shool for secondary education will no longer be able to attend. At present there are seven such pupils in attendance whose homes are between Masterton and Eketahuna. This is a smaller number than is the case earlier in the year.

2. No children who live between Masterton and Pahiatua will have the opportunity of receiving free secondary education. Their junior free places will be of no value to them. 3. The reduction in the roll number of the secondary department of this school will lower the status of the department and cause the loss of one of the secondary teachers on 'th e staff.

The chairman referred to the fact that both the Masttrton and Greytown District High Schools were seriously affected by the alteration in the railway time table. A number of children were deprived of tne advantages of secondary education, and he had instructed the secretary t) write to the Minister of Education, askint; him if some provision could not be made to bring these-children to the schools. He had gathered a good deal of information which went to show that the schools throughout the Taranaki and Hawke's Bay an d New Plymouth districts were badly affected. So far as the Wairarapa was concerned, the alterations in the train service had put the district back fifteen years from a commercial point of view. He had aways understood that it was the object of the railway department to develop the country by eiving facilities for convenient transit for passengers and produce, but under the present management the reveraa object was apparently beinß aimed at. The policy seemed to be to get petple from Auckland to tha Bluff and vice versa, as quiukly as possible, irrespective of :he int rests of the various districts. Mr Thompson thought th it sustain|ed protests should he made against the present time table The matter should not be allowed to rest simply because the Minister had not seen his way to meet the suggestions of previous deputations. Ha understood that future protests were to be mads.

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE

ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Masterton School Committee was held last evening, those in at tendance being lVSessrs R. Brown (chairman), G. Townsend, A. T. Thompson, R. Hendry, A. H. Chapman, C. H Perry. Apologies tor absence were received from Messrs H, O'Leary and E. H. WadJirgtnn. The tender of Mr F. Franks at Is ljd per square yard for asphalting the boys' playground was accepted. Mr Chapman moved that in face of the fact that accidei ts periodically happened at the school swings they De removed. He had n i wish to deprive the children »f any amusement, but he moved in the interests of the children. The motion was cair isd.

Messrs Brown, Carpenter and Chapman were appointed visiting members for the month. The Headmaster (Mr VV. H. Jack son) reported inter alia, as follows: Attendance. Main School: Roll 593> average attendance 535, percentage of attendance 93; Side School: 179, 157, 88: Secondary Classes: 66, 62, 94. The attendance for the month has been good. The Side Shool attendance is slightly affected by a few cases ot whooping cough. The new train service has caused a reduction in the roll of the Secondary Department. The transfer of employees has also taken several families of children from the primary school. From the accompanying absentee report it will be noticed that quite a number of parents have broken the School Attendance Act by withdrawing their children, during the achoolterm.Jfor holiday making. I think it is probable that the Board's Truant Officer will institute proceedings in the worst of tfie cases.