MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1919, 19 February 1885, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Tho ordinary monthly meeting of the Masterton School Committee was held at the Institute last evening.. Present:— Messrs Boddington -.(Chairman), Reese, Hogg, WqpdVoofo,.Girdpod, Lo\ves,and .Payton,- r , ; •..•'■■. v\~'.--v '. : The niinutes; of the previous meeting wasiead aiid.-qonfirmed. . '■■.: .. The reported, a credit balance of £ll6s. '

•Correspondence was read, from the, Board 'stating that no alteration in the mannor ..of auditing accounts could be made; from same re Committee ap-. pointed by. Board to ..visit - .Masterton;.. from same asking for nominations for .vacancies at the' Board and'' -calling upon the Committee to vote; from same enclosing quarter's capitation (£24 7s sd); from Education Department stating that a ; school library could not-be regarded as a.public library in the distribution of subsidy; from Secretary to Education Department stating that he could not trace the caurse of the delay of the letter which missed the Board at its last inettirig; from Te Aro School Committee asking for the support of the Committee to the candidature of the Rev W. Oliver; From Messrs A. W. Brown and David Speedy, asking for support of Committee; from Mount Cook School Committee asking for the support of the Committee to Mr A. W. Brown..

The headmaster reported that since the reopening of the school 91 new children had been added to the roll and 47 withdrawn from it, also that tho average attendance for tho past month was 424. The following accounts were passed for payment:—Mrs Shepherd £6los; Caselberg & Co. £2l6s 7d; J. Payton & Co. £2 0s 6d; S. Kingdon ss; J. Bullock £1 10b Od.

The question of electing three members to the Board was then taken.

Mr Payton thought they would be' unanimous in supporting Mr Paterson, and suggested that as one of tho retiring members represented the Hutt district, a Hutt candidate should be supported. Mr Reese thought they were approaching a change in the Education Act, and that they should support men who would cany out their views, He thought it was impossible to retain the present expensive system, The expense of their own sohool was 50 per cent more than the ratepayers would be willing to pay. He advocated, however, that more provision should he made for lower standards,

fflfo Chairman; Who do you advocate to ue returned ? Mr Reese said he knew Mr A. W. Brown a>d, him as' a thoroughly competent man, ' '"-"

Mr Lowes said they were returning men to oawv out the Mas it now existed, Till the Act was altered no change as indicated could be made. What they wanted was the best men to administer the present Act. Mr Girdwood thought tho Rev. Mr Oliver would rem:e§ent their interests at the Board as he "was 1' inan qf ljberal views. • • ■ ■ ..',i»

At the request of Mr Girdwood a ballot was then taken with the following result: -Oliver 6, Brown 5, Young 4, Paterson 3, Speedy 3. The chairman expressed his dissapointment that Mr Pater son had not the support of the Masterton committee,' He would have reason to think that he had been treated with base ingratitude' by Masterton, Mr Girdwood said-he felt there was no _ call for such. remarks from the chair.

Mr Woodroofe: "Mr Paterson may get returned yet, though we have not voted for him."

The chairman: "Of course he will get returned ! but that is not the point," Mr Reese asked if it would not be necessary, to make some arrangements akout opening a school at the north end of the town.

The Chairman understood that Mr Hogg was prepared with a resolution.on this point,

Mr Hogg said he was prepared to make a recommendation at onoe if it was not premature. They had before them offers of threo buildfngs suitable for a temporary school, Ho advised that tho Wesleyan School should bo recommended to the Board.

Mr Payton said he was willing to sccept this room, provided that it was approved of by the; head paste", but objected to determining this point in an irregular manner.

Mr Reese declined to be guided by the head master in the choice of abuildingashe thought he was hostile to a second school. _ Mr Hogg moved that the offers of buildings, (Salvation Army barracks, 20s per week; St, Matthews schoolroom, 10s per week; Wesleyan schoolroom 10s per. week), be submitted to the Board and if the Board decided to open a temporary school in Masterton it be recommended to accept the offer of the Wesleyan school, Mr Wpodroofe seconded tho motion which was put and carried, • Mr Girdwood was appointed visiting member for the ensuing' month,'