MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1767, 21 August 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

- The ordinary monthly meeting of the Committee was held last evening. Present—Messrs Boddington (Chairman), Galloway, Bish, Lowes, Johnston, Woodroofe, and Payton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Treasurer reported the receipt during the past month of £SO from the Town Lands Trust, and £24 7s Gd for capitation. The credit balance at date was £54 Is 6d, The Chairman reported that a subcommittee had made satisfactory arrangements for the removal of nightsoil. The head master reported number on roll, 523; average attendance during the month, 399; highest attendance, 431; lowest attendance, 345 ; also, that 13 of the pupils had obtained certificates for drawing. He recommended that out of the £lO voted by the Committee for needlework, £5 should be expended in sewing prizes, and the balance appropriated to purchase prizes for drawing, The Chairman drew attention to the fact that the Masterton and Thorndon schools headed the list at the late examination in drawing, and tied in passes made. He thought that the Committee had every reason to be satisfied with the position their school had taken in this competition, Mr Woodroofe inquired if a special teacher was employed for drawing lessons, and was informed that all the teachers in the higher classes gave lessons in this branch. Mr Galloway pointed out that the

£lO voted for needlework was intended l ( to be appropriated: to the girls, and ;he t objected to the half of it being handed 1 over to tho boys for drawing prizes. t Mr Woodroofe did not consider f drawing prizes should be given, as they could not be impartially distri- i buted. Mr Bisli objected to pushing £lO oil 1 to tho head master for prizes if this 1 sum were not required. 1 Mr Lowes moved that the recom- < mendation of the head master as i regarded the expenditure of £5 on sewing prizes be adopted, and that he i be requested to report more fully re ; cost of proposed prizes for drawing. Mr Payton opposed the motion. Thoy had voted special sums to the boys for cadet purposes, and for gymnastic appliances, and he thought the £lO they had offered the girls should be expended for their benefit. Mr Grundy, if he were asked, would, no doubt bo able to indicate how it should be spent. Mr Johnston supported Mr Lowes' motion. He would however sooner see the balance of the vote allocated to the library fund. The chairman supported the idea, suggested by Mr Johnston, and after some further discussion Mr Lowes' motion was carried. Mr Galloway desired to know how the sowing prizes were to bo divided, and suggested a classification of them. Mr Lowes recommended Mr Galloway to consult with the head master on this point. Mr Payton said that as they wero not a commi'tee of ladies they had better avoid expressing an opinion on sewing details. Mr Woodroofe said he would sooner see the money go to the library. The following accounts wero passed for payment:—Mrs Shepherd, £3los; E. Price, £7 5s 8d; C. B. Daniel, £3 4s 2d; and A, Bradford, ss, Mr Payton moved pursuant to notice, that it be a standing order that for the future no member of the Committee excepting the Chairman be allowed to speak on any motion for a [ period of time exceeding five minutes. Mr Woodroofe asked Mr Payton to I postpone the motion till the next meeting, as some of them wished to attend another meeting upstairs, | Mr Payton replied that he should ' not occupy the time of the meeting for a single minute, and if other members J were equally brief there would be no reason for postponing the motion. The necessity for such a motion had arisen, j! and, speaking from some five years experience on the Committee, five P minutes was ample for any speeches which might be made. Mr Bish seconded the motion. They might as well settle it at once. They j. had all received notice of it, and no doubt their miuds were already made 1 up as to how they would vote upon it. I Mr Woodroofe said there was not the slightest necessity for such a 1 resolution, Five minutes was not sufficient for speaking on many questions. He denied that any member of the committee had ever been aggressive in the matter of speeches. He had been the only one who had I spoken at any length. He believed he spoke for twenty minutes at the ;last meeting. He thought the man who would gag them should be gagged himI self. The Emperor of Russia would scarcely propose such a motion. Mr ' Payton from the first time he came to Masterton had a down upon him. (Question!) Such a motion would ' make the Committee a laughing stock throughout the colony, Mr Lowes considered the Committee an administrative body, and that there 1 were no subjects likely to come before it which should occupy more than five minutes in speaking to them. He did not know whether everybody's time ' was as valuable as his own, but he felt I himself the necessity of confining the business of such meetings within reasonable limits. Without reference to Mr I Woodroofe or the verbosity of any particular member he would support the motion as a step in the right direction. Mr Payton in reply admitted the earnestness and sincerity of Mr Woodj roofe, bat contending that this member t did not appreciate the fact that the Committee was composed with the exception of himself of busy men who could not afford to give an unlimited time to discussions. Mr Payton's motion was then put and carried. The Chairman reported that many children were attending school whose names the head master could not ascertain, A few days ago his attention was called to the fact that a girl had ' been confirmed who could neither read nor write, He thought it was their duty to put a stop to a state of affairs like tjiis, He suggested that they should consider tjie propriety of appointing a truant inspector. 3 It was resolved that the Chairman . and Mr Lowes be appointed a commit- - tee to report to the next meeting as to , the best method of dealing with the difficulty, Mr Lowes was appointed visiting member for the ensuing month, t