MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1662, 17 April 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Masterton School Committee was held last evening, Present—Messrs Bod-' dington (Chairman), Lowes, Johnston, Woodroofe, Galloway,and Payton',}- i The minutes of the previous meeting wei;e read and confirmed. :; '•"'■ - The Treasurer reported a ..cr|dit balance of £25 9s 4d, and on the'-High School account.>';^' ! «'' i -: Correspondence was received "ffoni' the Board enclosing j from, the Fire Brigade asking fqViMse of school bell for a fire' alarm ai/tlie Kurtipuni end of thetowii:;7; :;,J .;-"; i J!^ Mr Payton moved that Mr Qrvjipiily be authorised to permit the bell to; be rung in the event of a fire occiivrifi&'at Kurupuni. "."' ■'■■.'"; .' : *f;, ; Mr Galloway thought the brade would require the bell-rope to; be. out,side the building. ' .■•■•••■ ; >i ;• L The Chairman feared Jhat if'this, were done there would bo'false alarms', Mr Johnston seconded the motiony though he failed to see what benefit it "would be to tho brigade, an'd it might bo a nuisance to Mr Grundy to have the bell rung any time that a Small chimney wason fire. '•'■ Mr Woodroofe spoke at length on 1 the serious consequences of :fires/ l and proposed to do all the. fire Brigade wished provided tho brigade paid all expenses. The causing of a 'ialsq alarm of fire was a crime which."ww unlikely to be committed. .Ho.sug-. g'usted a wire should be attacheclto the bell outside the building. He also recommended'a joint conference: between the committee and the brigade.; He moved as an amendment,'that'.the; request of the briga'do be acceded to. ! ' Mi- Galloway seconded the amend-; i ment. He said they were all willing \ that the bell should be rung, the only: question was : the best way ringing it. \ Mr-Lowes opposed-;the amendment.; Therewas no necessity for an additional' bell. ■■ He could always hear the;.towe'r '< bell at his house. -The only one that did not hear it was the Secretary but

the bell always woke his neighbor/-Mr lorns, who, made a point of waking Mr Easthope. The school bell was quite likely to bo made use of for false alarms.

Mr Woodroofe, in reply, repeated his former remarks for the information of Mr Lowe3 who had arrived late. The amendment was lost and the original resolution carried.

• ; Tlie following report of theteachor was then read:-... .-.''.- ■

"I beg to- report that' daring the past month the number of children upon the roll has fallen to 519. The average .attendance ; has, howover, .voryoonaiderablyinoreasetl being for the- Bame; period 420; the largest attendanoo ; at ■ any one" time i'was'4ss, and the lowest 332,' I beg to thank the committee for the grant of £7 for the purposed obtaining historical readers. These, are now being obtained, and will, I am sure greattv assist the work of the isoho'ol.' With' regard to the set of scientific apparati whioh waa obtained some time ago I.have to report that owing to ita'uncompletenesß it ha&only been of use in a slight degree; -Still parts are uaolul for illustration, and. when such articles as a Bunsens battery, and an electric machine, con: be obtained, it will prove of greatlyinoreased use." ';" ' .

- On the motion of Mr Pay toil it was resolved that the Chairman and Mr Lowes roport to next meeting re., scientific apparati. desired :by; Head-, masfe':'•-.. .■ '.'■>./ ; >■:-!■■. ■ '.■ ■ The.following accounts were passed, jfof payment :-Mrs Shepherd, #! 10s.| vF. .0. .Swarrow, ; £l ss j-'T, G. Masonj/ 9s Gd;,W, Cellar, M 2s; stationery account, £i'k,'-" ..' \ /Mr Galloway asked when the building alterations, were likely to bo effected. -,_. The Chairtiian replied that they were nob likely to hear of them till the house met. It might do up.harm to remind the Board about, them in the meantime.' . - 1 Mr Lowqs. said the infant school--room when ho last visited it was overcrowded, and the sooner, better accommodation was : .provided, -the better.

' -The- -Sccratary. was instructed to provide particulars of fees-received in . tho High School and liabilities on them H to the Board. Mr. Wpodropfe proposed that Mr. Grundy; be requested to.:,famish a-, return' of holidays and half holidays | given during the past year. Mr Payfcm -thought the holiday , question was settled at their last meeting. Mr Woodroofe if allowed would ', bring it 'up' ! meeting after meeting all' the yeaivrpund.'.'.' ' i Mr Lowes locked upon the.motion , as intended to elicit a certain amount of information which he bimselfwould ;be glad.to.receive.' He did not anticipate 'any discussion upon it, and thought it was not fair -to' attribute other-motives to Mr Woodroofe in the return he asked for. ■ '

. 'Mr Woodroofe thought, they should ask"; the Minister for Education for tho law on the subject of school holidays, j the voicos of the people were against so many being given. : , Mr Johnston did not think the Minister fot Education would authoviso a school to be closed for the Tomii Races.'' Mr Galloway said that according to his'experience parents did- not object to the holidays which had been given.-; Sift Lad also : found that teacheit.in some instances occupied their holidays' in school work, Mr Woodroofe,had remade himself sufficiently acquainf, with the subject- before bringing it > The motion of Mr Woodroofe asking |for a return was carried. ' ! Mr Lowes said it would be impossi|je for him to attend school meetings regularly 6n Wednesday evenings; He wasprepared to resign- his seat on the Committee rather than neglect his duty.;,;- ,■■:■ ■ ijgeneral expression of opinion-was giveifin favor of Mr Lowes retaining hissiai Mr|Lpwes in acknowledging it assured'tM Committee that it was not from of inclination that he had been unpimctual, and ho had made this explanation in order that he.miglit not be placed in a false position;' • Messrs' Woodroofe and Bish were appointed visiting members for the ensuing month.