Father Royer respecting Greymouth, and the Reverend Father M’Girr respecting Ross, Mr Warden Price respecting Okarito and Mr Warden Keogh respecting the Waimea district.

The Reverend Isaac Zachariah communicated the residences of all the Jewish inhabitants of Westland, who in Hokitika are a large—and from the great number of children, 70—important element to be considered by an Education Board.

At the next sitting on the 16th October, (see Schedule 2 of sittings of Board and attendance of members) various applications for aid which had been received (see Schedule 3, containing all applications) were considered and in some cases aid was granted (Schedule 4 of expenditure showing what aid was granted to each school.) But first a resolution of Mr. Mowat’s was carried, to guide the Board when considering applications, how far they might go in aiding with money schools in one part of Westland as against schools in another part; the whole funds in hand being of a limited amount, and the action of the Board entirely of a provisional character, as has been already explained.

The resolution made, in a rough, but, I believe, perfectly fair way, the proportion of the fund to be expended in each of certain districts, depending on the number of children ascertained to be resident and wanting schools. Thus £550 was apportioned for the country between the Arahura and the Totara, Okarito for a special reason affecting it being included; £250 for the country between the Grey and the Teremakau; £100 for the Waimea District, and £100 for Ross and Donohue’s: Total £1000.

Of the sum of £550 mentioned, £175 was to be spent if necessary, in Kanieri, Woodstock, Blue Spur, and South Spur; or to be available for any fresh applications in the Hokitika District; and the Chairman was asked to procure information to guide the Board in that expenditure.

A resolution of Mr. Gibson’s was carried, that if the fund of any District remained unexpended for whatever reason—whether the population had shifted or the conditions imposed by the Board were not fulfilled—the balance not expended was to become part of a general fund again.

A resolution of Mr. O’Loughlin’s was then carried, that conditions should be imposed to be fulfilled by schools asking aid, such conditions in all cases to have relation to (among other things)—

1. The use made of school premises and furniture.
2. The average attendance of scholars (accurate register of attendance and fees being always required.)
3. The liability of the school to be visited at any reasonable time by a person authorised by the Board.

Sub-committees were then appointed for the several districts who were empowered to decide upon the mode of expending grants for building and for school apparatus; and after the applications for aid already referred to had been dealt with the Board adjourned to 18th November.

On the 18th November there was not a quorum.

On the 9th December there was not a quorum.

On the 10th December additional and some fresh grants were made. It was also resolved on the motions of Mr. O’Loughlin and Mr. Byrne respectively, that all the moneys promised to be paid by the Board should be paid forthwith to school-managers; the grants for buildings upon the managers depositing satisfactory plans and specifications and estimates and agreeing to carry them out and complete them within a limited period, not to be later than March, 1868; and the grants for teachers for the purpose of being paid by the managers to the teachers, on the 31st March, 1868, unless on inspection of the school (if the teacher appeared to have failed in any manner the managers should be authorised by the Board to withhold a portion not exceeding half; the portion of the teacher’s augmentation grant thus withheld to go to the general fund of the school.

A resolution of Mr. O’Loughlin’s was then carried—appropriating £50 for the payment of the expenses of an inspection of Schools in March; and authorizing the Chairman to secure, if possible, the services of the Inspector of Schools of the Province of Canterbury for that occasion.

Of the grants thus made, two, to aid in establishing schools in Greymouth, were not accepted, because the promoters in each case deemed the grant too small. It might have been possible, perhaps, to expend the money in some other way to the satisfaction of the parties; but the coming into operation of the County of Westland Act, which was to be on the 1st of January, 1868, put some stop to the further proceedings of the Board—as it was indirectly the cause of my resignation, and has been allowed to interrupt business in other ways, it would seem; probably unavoidably.

All the various appropriations which the Board had made were respected, and the grants paid at the Treasury; even those (amounting to £530) which were not paid to the proper recipients—the teachers—until an Inspection of Schools had been made in March, 1868, as contemplated in the grants themselves; but the appropriation voucher for £50, to defray the cost of an Inspector, was prevented from being presented to the Treasury by the Gold Fields Secretary, who returned it to me, saying—“The Provincial Government could not possibly pay it, as it was for an expenditure to be incurred after 31st December, 1867.” I regarded the Inspection of the Schools by some competent officer as of really more importance to the well-being of public education than the large grants of money which were being paid to School Managers by the Board, and thought it should be rendered as certain of happening