228

cational district The Central Board of Edu-
cation shall forthwith ascertain fully all the
circumstances of the case and if it shall
appear to the Board that there exists in such
locality or district a necessity for provision
being made for public education therein The
Board shall call by advertisement a public
meeting of the occupiers of land and house-
holders in such district whether male or
female being persons of twenty-one years of
age and upwards and it shall be the duty of
the said meeting to appoint a Chairman and
elect a School Committee as hereinafter pro-
vided And the meeting shall likewise con-
sider the boundaries of the Educational
District and report the same to The Board
who shall cause the district to be proclaimed
in manner provided by section 9 of this Act.

Election of District School Committee.

16. At any such meeting of the occupiers
    of land and householders as aforesaid in any
    locality or district the persons there present
    (being such occupiers and householders as
    aforesaid) shall thereupon elect by a majority
    of votes taken either by a show of hands or
    by ballot as shall be determined upon by the
    said meeting not less than five nor more than
    nine occupiers of land or householders
    as aforesaid in the district of whom a majority
    shall be parents of families and the persons
    so elected shall be called the District School
    Committee and shall hold office until the
    election of their successors in manner herein-
    after mentioned: Provided always that any
    person who may have been chosen by the
    said or any other subsequent meeting as
    hereinafter provided a member of the District
    School Committee and shall refuse to serve
    shall be liable to pay the sum of £1 and any
    person chosen who has not refused to accept
    office and who at any time refuses or neglects
    to perform its duties shall be liable to pay a
    sum not exceeding £5 to be sued for and
    recovered before a Justice of the Peace by
    the Chairman of the District School Com-
    mittee or any of the said Committee all
    monies so recovered to be applied by the
    School Committee to the maintenance of the
    Main or Branch Schools in the district pro-
    vided always that it shall be competent for
    The Board to excuse any person so refusing
    to serve or neglecting to perform his duties
    upon good cause shown for such neglect or
    refusal and the decision of the Board upon
    that point shall be final.

Annual meeting of District School Committees

and election of new committees.

17. On the second Monday in the month
    of January in each year a public meeting of
    the occupiers of land and householders in
    every Educational District whether male or
    female being persons of twenty-one years
    of age and upwards shall be held at a time and
    place to be fixed by the Secretary of The
    Board and notified by public advertisement
    at least one month previously and in such
    other manner as the Board shall direct and
    at such meeting a Chairman shall be chosen
    and the School Committee for the preceding
    year shall give a full report of their proceed-
    ings and thereupon the electors present shall
    proceed to elect either by show of hands or by
    ballot as shall be determined upon by the
    said meeting a new School Committee for the
    ensuing year of not less than five nor more
    than nine persons possessing the qualifications
    prescribed by clause 13 and may re-elect
    all or any of the persons going out of office to
    be members of such new Committee and
    every Committee so to be appointed shall
    hold office until the appointment of their
    successors and if any vacancy or vacancies
    shall occur by death or otherwise in any
    School Committee the remaining members of
    the Committee whether a quorum or not shall
    be entitled and it shall be their duty to elect
    a qualified person or persons to fill such
    vacancy or vacancies.

Disputes as to validity of proceedings at elections to
be settled by the Board. If election not held on
days provided by Act, Board to fix days.

18. If any dispute shall arise respecting
    the validity of the proceedings at the annual
    or other election of any School Committee
    or respecting the validity of the election of
    any member or members of any School
    Committee the matter in dispute shall be
    submitted to the judgment of the Board
    whose decision thereon shall be final and
    conclusive and if in any case the electors in
    any Educational District shall from any
    cause whatever fail to elect a School Com-
    mittee upon the annual day of meeting as
    hereinbefore provided it shall be lawful for
    the Board if it shall see fit to fix another
    day for the election of a School Committee
    for such district and the same notice of such
    meeting shall be given and the same pro-
    ceedings taken thereat as are prescribed by
    the 13th section of this Act.

Appointment of Clerk and Treasurer to School

Committee.

19. The proceedings of every School Com-
    mittee shall be transacted at meetings to be
    convened at the request of two or more of
    the members thereof at which meetings three
    members shall form a quorum and the Chair-
    man shall have a casting vote at every such
    meeting and the decision of the majority
    shall be final and conclusive. And every
    School Committee shall be at liberty to ap-
    point one of their own members or other
    qualified person to be their Clerk and
    Treasurer who shall convene all meetings of
    the Committee by causing three days’
    previous notice to be given to each member
    thereof and shall attend such meetings of
    the said Committee and take minutes of
    their proceedings and do whatever may be
    required of him in the execution of this Act
    and such Clerk and Treasurer shall receive
    such remuneration for his services and give
    such security for the due performance of his
    duties as shall be agreed upon and required