Notes

The Newtown and Welshpool Express Tuesday March 17th 1874 Page 6

Trefeglwys

Education Matters - The day for retirement for members the School Board is on 24th March. A new Board will be elected on the 19th March. A meeting of the ratepayers was held at the New Board School, Llawyrglyn, on Thursday the 5th instant, for the purpose of agreeing who should be nominated as members to constitute the new Board and if possible to avoid the expense and turmoil of going to the poll. The Rev. W. S. Williams vicar presided. The attendance was large in comparison to other church vesteries - Mr G. W. Savage, vice chairman, the only member of the School Board, that attended the meeting said that he was determined to retire on the account of the pressure of business which prevented him from attending to his duties devolving upon him as a member of the Board. As the other members did not attend it was at once taken for granted that they were open to be re-elected - Mr R. Jones, the chairman of the Board be nominated for re-election - Mr J. Jones Cwmgwernog seconded that the motion, which had been unanmiously carried. Three other members of the Board were also nominated and Mr Edward Davies of Cyffiah to fill up the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr Savage, thus making up the required number and no more. While the Clerk was preparing nomination papers, the subject of the amount of fees paid by children in the Board schools was moted by the chairman. It was shown that the fees were lower than the neighbouring parishes; the result was an undue pressure on the ratepayers, and whether or not it would be desirable that this meeting should pass a resolution to ask the new Board, when constituted, to rescind that part of the rules laid down by the old Board as regards to payment of school fees, and to substitute them with new rules, whereby these parents that can afford may be called upon to pay the full amount of costs of educating their children. A long and free discussion followed when Mr David Evans, Belle Vue, moved "That it is desirable that this meeting should pass a resolution disapproving of the amount of fees as now paid by the children in the Board schools. And that the new Board be called upon to take the same into consideration with the view of compelling such parents that can afford the means to pay in full". -Mr Thomas Bennett, Cilhaul, seconded the motion - Mr E. W. Savage reminded the gentlemen present that they had at that meeting nominated the whole of the members of the Board, excepting himself, for reelection, which in effect, was a vote of confidence, and he considered that it would be inconsistent that the ratepayers should put a number of gentlemen in office and after were to dictate to them how they were to do their work. Several others took the same view of the matter. The Chairman, however not considering it an amendment pro formac consequently did not put it to the meeting. -Mr Benjamin Brunt, of Maes-y-blawd, proposed an amendment to the effect that this meeting fully approve of the rule laid down by the old Board respecting the school fees, and that as far as brought to bear upon the action of the new Board, that no alteration be made. -This was seconded by Mr W. Jones, Esceirieth. -The chairman in an impartial manner put the amendment first to the meeting, when several hands were instantly held up. The original motion was afterwards offered only three voting for it. The Chairman declared the amendment carried. The vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.