TIMARU PUBLIC SCHOOL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 413, 8 October 1875, Page 3

TIMARU PUBLIC SCHOOL.

At a meeting of the committee of the Timaru public school committee, held on Monday evening last, the following r esolution was proposed by Mr Wakefield, and seconded by Mr Cliff, and carried unanimously:—“ That this committee refer the Minister of Education’s letter of the 23rd of September to his Honor the Superintendent, with an intimation that the committee decline to receive so offensive and insulting a communication.” The following is the letter which is referred to in the above resolution:— “ Education Office, Christchurch, September 23rd, 1875. “ Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant, which has been partially replied to by telegrams of Bth and 16th instant. “ By letter of August BOth the committee was authorised to appoint Mr Scott as head master of the Timaru school. The committee can advertise for a second master in place of Mr Wray, at a salary of £250 a year, with an allowance for rent of £SO per annum. “ You draw my attention to the fact that the Board of Education sanctioned the acceptance of Mr Machin’s tender for master's

and janitor’s houses; On reference to the proceedings of the late Board I find Hint il authorised the committee to call for lenders when there was not sufficient appropriation, and when one was recommended by the committee it was found that the committee had expended over £4OO without the sane tion of the Board. letter of D-oem'ier 24th, 1874.) The matter of accounts was then gone into, when it was found that there were no funds available for the erection of the master’s house. The committee were therefore informed that the amount would be placed on the estimates. “ When the appropriation was passed on June 18th, the Board did not make any communication to the committee as regards sanctioning tender. From this it appears that no tender was accepted with the approval of the late Board ; in fact, the Board passed a resolution—‘ That the matter of erection of master’s house at Timaiu be left over.” The architect, Mr Wilson, will have to be paid for his plans, and the committee can forward his account to this office, that the amount due may be placed to the credit of the committee. The Provincial Architect will probably be able to visit Timaru next week, and will prepare plans for masters’ and caretaker’s houses immediately afterwards. Regarding the amount due to the children of the late Mr Hunt, the committee was authorised by resolution of the Board, of April sth, to pay the balance of Mr Hunt’s salary up to the 31st of March to the children. I suppose the committee has done this, with the exception of £2O, which was paid to the new master, Mr Watkins. There is a sum of £25 12s in the hands of the committee which can be used for this purpose, and the balance required, namely, £3 Bs, will be placed to the credit of the committee at once. This sum of £25 I2a was an amount paid twice over, that is to say, on the Bth of March and 25th of June, through the com mittee having by mistake forwarded the accounts for removal oi gates twice. “ The Provincial Secretary has given me the particulars of his interview with the committee on the 14th, which I now propose alluding to. Ist— ‘ Respecting dismissal of masters.’ That has been settled by telegram. 2nd—‘ Appointment of second master.’ You have been advised upon that head in the former part of this letter. 3rd—‘ Schoolmaster’s house of stone.’ I trust the committee will give up this idea. I think I have shown that the late Board had not decided the matter, and agreed that it should stand over. There was a strong feeling shown in the Provincial Council against it at the last session. The Government has considered the question, and has decided that the masters’ and care-taker’s houses shall be built of wood. 4th—‘ The head mistress was offered a first-class certificate by Mr Bowen and Mr Restell in 1874, but declined, etc.’ There is nothing on record about this, and no weight can be given to the statement. The Board of Examiners have more than once considered the question of Miss Forbes’ classification, and their report and decision have been forwarded to the Committee. It is useless re-opening the question. As regards her salary it will be raised to £lB5 per annum, to commence on the Ist of October next ; this, with the £SO allowance for lodging money, will give a total of £235 a year, which is the same as the highest salary paid to a head mistress in the province. sth— ‘ Salary of second mistress.’ This will be raised to £l5O per annum, to commence on the Ist of October next. 6th —‘ Secretary’s salary.’ Your secretary is paid the same salary as those of Kaiapoi and Lyttelton, and I fail to see any reason for raising it. 7th—‘ Interest on overdraft.’ This amount was placed on the estimates, but the Provincial Council refused to grant it. There are therefore no funds for this purpose. There is nothing on record showing ‘thatthe Board of Education at last agreed to pay this sum, as it was partly due to their own negligence, &c.’ I am afraid that this is entirely a piece of fiction. After having several times refused to entertain the question, the Board resolved eventually to place the sum on the estimates, which they forwarded to the Government. Bth—‘ Mr Hunt’s children.’ I have advised you about this in the early part of my letter. 9i-h ‘ Increased grant for planting site.’ A very suitable sum was voted for planting schorl sites, and if all those committees who have not received grants had applied, £lO could have been given to each. No more money for the purpose can be obtained from this department. 10th—‘ Committee strongly complain that they cannot get their letters answered, or anything done, without delay.’ This is a statement which is utterly untrue. Your letters have invariably been replied to within a very few days of their receipt. There was a delay in forwarding the amount for salaries for the current quarter, but that was owing to the committee forwarding incomplete returns, which had to be sent back to be put right. That delay, therefore, lies at the door of the committee. I trust the committee will endeavour, for the future, to confine themselves strictly to facts. “ I have, &c, “ A. C. Knight, “ Minister of Education. “J. H. Sutter, “ Chairman District Committee, “Timaru School.”