TE KOWHAI SCHOOL MATTERS.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 237, 20 January 1898, Page 4

TE KOWHAI SCHOOL MATTERS.

A VEXED QUESTION. It will be remembered by all tbose in" tercsted in the above subject that about the 2od of last August, at a meeting of the School Committee, a resolution was carried by 4 to 1, Mr Nicholson only dissenting, that the central Board be wiitten to and requested to have the Bchool-house removed to the creamery site on the county road, where the settlers of the district contemplated getting a post office in connection with the school. Ihe letter to the Board of Education and other particulars that transpired at the meeting appeared in The Akcstjs, 7th August, A reply was received from the Education Board to say that the Committee's letter was considered, and the question of remove ing the school was deterred till the Inspector's report on the site was first received. About the 27th of September last the Inspector was at the Tc Kowhai school on duty. In the evening the_ Inspector and members of the Committee made a start to inspect the school site, but before they had travelled far, to tha surprise of the members of the Committee, as well as all the settlers who have since heard of it, the Chairman pointed out and recommended a site to the Inspector, which-.was not Hie creamery site, but one in a back position on a by road in the hils away from the creamery site and county road for which the settlers have been agitating for years. This erratic and otherwise extraordinary conduct of the Chairman was resented by • the other members present who then pointed out the creamery site to the Inspector, who said he would communicate with the owner of tho land, as the site appeared an excellent one. At this stage of the proceedings the Chairman and the Inspector started to see the by road site, but w hat passed between them has been kept a close secret. As nothing more'waß heard about the removal of the school, the Chairman keeping any information he had received to himself, and not communicating in any way with the Committee, it was deemed necessary to press him to hold a meeting. He was, therefore, requested by written notice, signed by members of the Committcc.to have a meeting on Saturday, the 15th inst., at 2 30 p.m., at the tchoolhouse. Accordingly a meeting was held, there being present :—Messrs Kelly (chairman), Nicholson, Barford and Corboy, Mr Bycroft was absent on account cf illhealth. After the minutes were read and the question of removal discussed, the following resolution was proposed by Mr Corboy, and seconded by Mr Barford, " That this Committee regret the apparent temporising in connection with the removal of the Te Kowhai Schoolhouse te the creamery site on the county road, as prayed for by the Te Kowhai School Committee, representing the householders and parents of children in the Te Kowhai Bchool district. Trusting, however, that the delay on this occasion is not the result of hostile and underhand influence from which Te Kowhai school matters suffered so much in the past, this Committee would therefore ask your Houourable Board that, when considering the question of removing the school to the creamery site on the county road, that the committee's letter of tne 2nd August, 1897, to the Board of Education be kept in view, as it particularly and fairly represents the views and wishes of the parents of at least seveneighths of tho children in the abovo district regarding the removal of the school." Mr Nicholson then proposed tho following amendment, " That it is not considered necetsary or advisable to remove the school from its present position ; but I ehould the Board of Education decide to have the school removed, then the site for the school to be removed to should be that of Edgecumbe's." This amendment was not seconded. The Chairman said he would not support the motion because he had changed his mind since he wrote last August to the Boßrd of Education recommending the creamery site as the most central and otherwise most suitable for the whole district to have the school removed to ; neither wou'd he second the amendment, because he was of opinion that the echcol should be removed from its present unhealthy position to some other site, and that he was now in favour of Edgecumbe's, which the Inspector had selected. When questioned as to his knowledge of the Inspector having selected this site, the Chairman admitted that he had pointed out and recommended Edgecumbe's site to the Inspector without consulting the committee in any way, and he did not regret his action. Mr Corboy : Acd are you not ashamed of your inconsistency and the contradictory statements you have made about this matter? Mr Kelly (chairman): I see' nothing to be ashamed of. Mr Corboy : Then I pity you. Mr Corboy further said he objected to Edgecumbe's site because it was never considered central or suitable for a Bchool and none of the parents of children in the district asked for it. The place is in a bleak, cold position in the hills, without any prospect of shelter, and no good water can bo got anywhere near the cite, whilst at the creamery site a good spring of water is at all times available. Moreover, the school on Edgecumbe's site in the background would have the effect of killing the lettlers' prospects of getting a post-office in connection with tho school, on account of the inconvenience which would attend the delivery of mails and posting of letters. A few years ago, when one or two parties at Te Kowhai ruled the roost in school matters through the influence of friends in Auckland, a great injustice was done when defining the boundaries of tho school district to the settlers as a whole. In order to show a centre for school close to Messrs Wymau's and Hunt's farms a circle was drawn, the radius of which crossed the Waipi River reaching up in the Raglan mountains, where no living thing existed except lizards and wild pigeons.—Communicated).