School Elections.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3187, 24 April 1889, Page 2

School Elections.

MAdTERTON. The annual nieetingof householders of the Masterton School District was held in the Theatre Royal. Mr E.'Feist, Chairman of the School Committee, occupied the chair, Ho read the advertisement convening the meeting. ./;.-. ' .The Secretary, Mr W, Sellar, read the annual report and balance Bheet as already published,. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report aud balance sheet, said it was gratifying to see the attendance had steadily increased, and now totalled up to the respecable number of 710. Some thoro were present who would remember the few children that gathered together for school in years gone by, and who hardly expeoted they would increase to such an extent. With regard to the teaohing staff, notwithstanding thewithdrawal of Mr Grundy to the Clyde Quay School, they were fortunate in securing the services of Mr Jackson, On visiting the School he could not fail to be struck with the zeal and energy displayed by him ! jn his work. There was a noticeable improvement in the Binging, which was, to his mind, remarkable. Considering the short time the children had been at it,: they sung with precision" and accuracy. Mr Jackson 'was" supported'by V competent staff- of assistants -. ; who devoted the highest care and attention to their ThoTown Lands Trust had .given them considerable assistance during ,the past year, which had enabled the Committee to carry out many neoessary lmprovemeent at the sohool." It was not ue&stor'y for hita to dwell longer

on thereport, the moin object of :tlie meeting being the election of a com-■ tuittee;for the ensuing year,. He might say lie • believed the retiring committee,- or most of them, were; quite prepared .to offer their: again this year. With these ?few remarks he begged to move the adop>J tion of the report and balancWheei. Mr E, Everndeii:. seconded; the. motion. ;■.."■ ....■,.,:, ,:.: ; : ■ Sir Renall, in r supporting' the. motion, would say a few words on a point that had probably 'escaped the notice of the Chairman. The sohool' was saddled with ut debt of some £Bl, incurred for priaea to the scholars at. the breaking ;iip, of the sohool at jrror /the Committee had fallen into "Had been in giving the prizes before ob.taining the necessary grant -from the Town Lands Trustees,' When' the matter came before the Triisteesithe; Chairman of that body, SJr Lowes, took, exception to its being voted. There was a' Bpecial fund from the . proceeds of certain reserves, out of which money for - prizes could!, be voted by the Trustees.. The Act, however, provided that a picnic should be a ffrst charge before anything could be voted for prizes. : Thus, they would

see tho error the Committee fell into with very good intention but veryjk lame ability. They certainly ought f* to have studied the Act better. He himself was a great doal to blame, and regretted tho'error, ;bnt:hoped ho would soon get over it (laughter;. There was no doubt the Chairman of the Town Lands Trust had taken up the .proper position.. The money was still, however, in the hands of the Trustees, and could not be spentV „' except as in the- manner provided. V The difficulty would, no doubt, be overcome. He had referred to these : matters that the incoming Committee ■'• might have them. under notice. Had it not been for this matter, he .< thoughthe should have asked them to . excuse him from taking office again. His age and the time he had already devoted to the public,.he thought ■, entitled him to a rest, and ho had no v doubt they would have granted him one.' If proposed he should, however, take his chance, and if returned would try and help the in-coming' Committee out of the ditfioulty. The motion was then put and ■ earned, J^ Mr Feist said their next duty wasypi to elect a- Committee. Before proceeding with that, however, it would be necessary for them to appoint a - ohairman, his .own duties as such 1 being completed, i On the motion of Mr Eenall i seconded'by Mr Hathaway, Mr E. ) Feist was elected Chairman of the householders meeting for the purpose t of conducting the election, and • t Mr fl. E. Eton and tho Rev W. t Bowie were olected scrutineers. 1 The following gentlemen were 1 nominated as a committee -viz: Messrs A. W. Eenall, E. Foist, E. il McEwen, A. J. Hathaway, A, W. • Hogg, W. Pranghell, i. W. Leahy, R. M. Galloway, 0* E. Daniells.'and v J, Dawson, and a poll was taken i- with the following result:—Leahy if 200, Hathaway 84, Danielle 76, Hogg. 76, Eenall 78, McEwen 65, Prangnell n 61, Dawson 67, Feist 46, Galloway 48, The first seven were declared duly elected. '!?! )f Mr Hogg expressed his regret thaijt t the poll had resulted in the exclusioiW if of ..Mr Feist from office. - He had it carried out his duties while Chair- ' i. man with marked ability and courtesy, and was ono of the if most valuable members-, of the i- Committee. If the sohool had proe gressed it was duo greatly to -the i; exertions of Mr Feist, His defeat' b was tho result of the system, of voting, and there was nothing inglorious in it. He returned thanks to those d who had returned him (the speaker). It was always beneficial that new blood should be iaiused into coma mittees, no matter how good the it members were. He would, however, h gladly have seen Mr Feist returned, e and would think it.no disgrace to have gone out' in such company. There was no one he held in greater respeot than their chairman. He was glad to say they had not merely the funds of tho Education Board, . but they had also a publio trust of well-endowed reserves. which were annually iuoroasiug in value, and upon which the schools of the Mas;, terton district had the first ' The poop'lo of Maatcrton should h« 1 tho founders of the Trust iu'thSf highest esteem. No .matter wh'iA' j> happenod they would always hoisi* a proud and independent position without the .necessity of putting , their hands into their pockets. With ' regard to the cadet fund, he did not ! acoept tho'blamo, He was glad to see tho reference to it had been treated with contempt. Only one, a ! respeoted member of the Committee, ' had alluded to it, If the committee 6 had temporarily assisted themselves : to the funds, it was for the paying ' off of their just debts. They, "had ' robbed no trust, and had committed , no act of dishonesty. They were prepared to meet their aoousers 0 and have their conduct turned inside out in public. If the individual who , had referred to that matter would ' come forward that night there was no member of tho new-or old committee, whose couduct, when brought. into comparison with that individual, but what would come out white, and if it wero not so, they need never rely upon his word again. 'S Mr Eenall in seconding the vote of :S thanks' to the Chairman expressaW his deep regret at the result of uP* e eleotion. Ho said he would willingly f. change positions with Mr Feist if the S law but allowed of it. It showed the rottenness of the system of voting, 'i and the sooner if was done away e with the better, To him the systemj». was a horror, and he hoped it woulTf--8 soon be wiped out. He themover, : e regretted the loss of Mr -JPeiat'a ' e services, as questions would come up I, during the next; session that would ' • require a great deal of. watching on e the part of School Committees, and b ho was well fitted to conserve their r interests. (Cheers). ) The Chairman, in reply, N said 0 defeat was not new to him, and he e trusted bo knew how to take it in a a-proper spirit. He had every confie dence that the new committee would • faithfully and ably fulfil-their duties. ' if The vote of thanks was carried 1 by acclamation, and the meeting i olosed, '."'■■;' i A meeting of the new Commit^. b was held afterwards, at wbioh-pr i Renall was elected Ohairman -for ad • ensuing term, The standing orders i were adopted and the meeting ? adjourned. .;.

". ■..: Messrs R.- '-Fan-brother (Chairman), CJ. W,Deller'24,;WvJ, Lindop; ,14; A/Armstrong 16i; J; Apiin 82, Henry Robinson 19, W; P. Allen 16., ; ~;; ■■'•: ■*,/.■'; :.-.■: ,CLAREYILLE.-">^^-- ; :v-: If. W B, AlleA