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The County School Question.

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The County School Question. ABERGELE SCORES. REMARKABLE COUNTY COUNCIL DECISION. TWO CONTRARY RESOLUTIONS. The quarterly meeting of the Denbighshire County Council was held on Friday at Wrex- ham, Mr. W. E. Samuel in the chair. The minutes of the special meeting, held on September 26th, were submitted for con- firmation. They contained a record of the adoption of the proposal to divide the Aber- gele County School district, making Colwyn Bay and two neighbouring parishes a separ- ate school district, with a county school of its own, and to give Abergele County School a definite rural and agricultural bias." The minutes were to the effect that Mr. W. G. Dodd, the Chairman of the Edu- cation Committee, had moved the confirma- tion of the scheme, and that his had been carried subject to the deletion of the pro- posal to make the Abergele School a school with a definite rural and agricultural bias. It was reported that the amendment to omit this provision had been carried by 22 votes to eight. The minutes contained the follow- ing statement: Subject to the foregoing I recommendations the proposals of the Joint Education Committee were approved, this being obviously the outcome of the voting." Mr. D. Mac Nicoll moved that the min- utes ibe not confirmed as a corrcet record of what occurred, and that the County Coun- cil did not approve of the scheme, in so fai as it would imply the setting up of two county schools in the Abergele district. The Rev. Thomas Lloyd (Colwyn Bay) rose to a point of order, holding that Mr. Mac Nicoll was not justfied in going into the merits of the matter. Mr. G. Cromar said he thought the minutes were correct, and that the Clerk had properly interpreted the effect of the County Council's decision, but the fact was that there was. no distinct issue before the Council as to whether there were to be two schools or not. Mr. D. S. Davies (Denbigh) a member of the Joint Education Committee, argued that there would be ample opportunitv yet to consider the matter. The Joint Committee could send the scheme to the Board of Edu- cation quite irrespective of the County Council, but it would come again before the County Council when it had been before the Board of Education. The Chairman suggested that the minutes should be confirmed, and that someone should give notice to rescind the resolution at the next meeting. Mr. D. S. Davies said that before then the scheme would probably have been sent up to London. Mr. A. O. Evans Mr. Davies has let the cat out of the bag. I move that the matter be settled at once. After some rather excited debate a vote was taken on the question whether the minutes were correct or not, the result being that 11 THEY WERE APPROVED with the omission of the statement that, sub- ject to the resolutions as to Abergele school, the scheme was approved. When the Council reassembled after the luncheon interval, Mr. D. Mac. Nicoll rose and said We do not exactly know how things stand in refer- ence to the County Education scheme, and I hope we shall have the indulgence, parti- cularly of Mr. Davies and the Rev. Thomas Llovd, so that the members may be put ft their ease. I, therefore, propose the suspen- sion of the standing orders in order to move this resolution That the County Council disanproves of any provision being made for two county intermediate schools in the Aber- gele and f olwyn Bay school area." I venture to think, he added, it is a very innocent resolution, and it will express the opinion of the County Council and so dis- pose of the matter at once. We really do not understand the position of affairs. Mr. J. T. Millward, of Abergele, second- ed the motion to suspend the standing orders. 0 Mr. D. S. Davies We have already wasted an hour in discussing this. Are we going to waste another? We have had the decision of the Council, though I don't agree with it. I think there are some qualms of conscience with regard to some of the votes which have been given and which have been given against their conscience. If you go on I shall want at least twenty minutes to speak on the point. lhe Chairman then read the standing order with regard to the suspension of the standing orders. It is as 'follows- — -Any one or more of the Standing Jrders m any case of emergency or upon motion being made on a notice duly given, may be suspended at a meeting so far as regards any business at such meeting, provided that three fourths of the members of the Council present and voting shall so decide." Mr. Samuel accordingly asked for the votes of those members who were in favour of Mr. Mac Nicoll's motion, whereupon 32 members stood up. For the contrary ten members rose, and it was ruled that the resolution was adopted by the requisite ma'orhy 1 The legulations of the County Council are that when a vote by show of hands is taken the members so voting shall stand up and hold up the right hand, with a view to greate^ accuracy and facility in counting the votes. ° Mr. Mac Nicoll then moved his resolution to disapprove of there being two schools in the Abergele and Colwyn Bay area. Mr. J. Harrop: I second. This will put the matter at rest once and for all. Mr. Trevor Lloyd Jones: There was really confusion as .to how the matter stood, and I think this resolution will clear the air, and settle the matter. It is important that the opinion of this Council should be given at once, because from what we heard here this morning from Mr. D. S. Davies, it is probable that this scheme will be drafted by the Board of Education shortly, and if our resolution is allowed to stand as it was to-day I believe the Board would be under the impression that the County Council were approving of the scheme. It is evi- dent from what took place this morning that this is not the case. And I think it is better we should make our views perfectly clear to-day, because I am afraid it will be too late, or at any rate it will be more diffi- cult to move the Board of Education, once they hav.i drafted the scheme and come to the decision that two schools were needed in that district. It is a wise proceeding to take to have the matter now dealt with, and I support the resolution. The Rev. Thos. Lloyd: Do you realise fully the injustice that you will do to the heaviest rated section of the community? the population of Colwyn Bay is now close- upon three times the population of Aber- gele, and indeed in a very short time it will be four times the population of Aber- gele. Colwyn Bay is increasing rapidly. It has doubled its population every decade for the last .hirtv years. Abergele is de- creasing, and yet here you have "the largest and heaviest rated district in the county without a secondary school, and you pro- pose to perpetuate this state of things. Mr. Harrop there said the thing would be settled once for all. It will not be settled, you may be quite sure of that. We shall have another course which we can take in a short time, independent of this Council, whether we have the school or not. We shall have the remedy in cur own hands before very long, but now you have an opportunity of doing what is fair towards a heavily rated district. Mr. D. S. Davies I wish to make an appeal at the present time to the good sense of the County Council. I am quite sure in their calmer moments, when they view the whole situation, they will be sorry that they ha\e taken the stand which they appear to have done, 1 wish to say it wHhout any ter^TW imn?tUre k^wledge of the mat- ter. There are two parts of the county con- versant with the position, Abergele and Colwyn Bay. They know exactly the posi- tion, and they are capable of expressing an I opinion, but the great number of the mem- bers of this Council at the present time—I say it with humility—have not got the full information. I am sorry that they have dis- cussed it. With regard to the Joint Com- mittee, the matter has been fully discussed for three years. We have courted Abergele to have their views, and we have been there on more than one occasion. We have been prepared to go again, and they refused to receive us. They said they did not require us they had made up their minds regardless of any other district. We in the Joint Edu- cation Committee are quite apart from any party, from any sect. We have to consider as a whole the requirements of education for the whole county. That is the position, and we have fully realised that that respon- sibility is placed on our shoulders. I can assure you here that we have never been partisans we have considered every case on its merits. We are prepared to go thor- oughly into the matter again, and I do ask the County Council not to increase our diffi- culty. It is a small matter to us. We are quite a nonentity in the matter. We have simply to prepare the terms for the Board of Education to accept or reject, and we have nothing further to do with it. We have been for three years at work there- fore we have been in no hurry; we have had to consider various interests in con- j sulfation with every party. Now we have | already had an expression of your opinion. \ou can go further if you like and coerce us as a Joint Education Committee, and say "There shall not be a County School for Colwyn Bay." But are we wise as a County Council to take that position at the present time ? I appeal to you for THE HONOUR OF THE COUNTY itself. I am quite sure you will be sorry in your calmer moments that you. voted that the Clerk has placed incorrect minutes before you. The report presented by the Clerk here to-day, I say, is ab- solutely correct. Do not let us make a mistake again. It does not matter what you do. We shall do our duty fearlessly and fairly, having the knowledge that the one thing we have to consider are the requirements of the education for the county of Denbigh as a whole, and not of Abergele and Colwyn Hay district by itself. I make this last appeal to the County Council. We shall hold an inquiry at Abergele and at C olwyn Bay, if you wish it, and when the scheme is drafted it will be submitted by the Board of Education to the County Council, which is the highest education authority for the county, and there will be time enough given them to consider it fully during the two months it will lie on the table. You will then be able to say whether you approve or disapprove. You may be quite .sure that the Joint Education Com- mittee will seriously consider the attitude of the Council towards these proposals, and they are bound to consider fully and care- fully what is the attitude of the County Council, and we should not be foolish enough to thrust into their face proposals that are not likely to curry favour. Mr. Simon Jones (Wrexham) I shall vote in favour of this resolution. I think it is very clear that two County Schools in the northern end of the county are too many, and I am strongly now in favour of higher grade schools. (Hear, hear.) They encour- age young men and young women to enter upon the industrial side of life. This is the most serious thing that is taking place to- day we are producing in our County Schools a large number who are educated above industry. (Applause.) For posts of clerks and so forth, and teachers, we are flooded with applicants at the present time and I am sorry to find that a large num- ber who are well educated should anply for these posts and find them all full. We have got to consider these matters, and I think if the Higher Grade School at Colwyn Bay is maintained and is iiicreased-and (should like to find a provision by the Board of Education that they should remain in these schools to the age of 15—it would be the eSJi 1 IP interests of education that could be effected in the county. (Hear hear.) 1 Mr. W. G. Rigby (Llandyrnog) The Joint Education Committee want to know the ooinion of the Council one wav or the other on this question, and I think it is fortunate that to-day we have been able to arrive at a decision. Either we have got to have one school or two schools in that district. fifteen years ago Colwyn Bay made a bed, and tiiey are finding it verv uncomfortable and are trying to kick Abergele out of it. and get into it themselves. (Hear, hear.) But we shall see that justice :s done, not only to the scholars but to the ratepayers as well. We have to come to the decision as to which is the cheapest and most effi- cient-one or two schools. Abergele has already established a school which is doing excellent work. It has got accommodation for many more pupils than there are there to-day, and there are 150 now. It has made its name ov-zing c. the efficiency of its edu- cation, and it has turned out scholars with very great credit to the school and the Kpln 1 f its, start the bu^ings have been en,aiged and the accommodation ex- tended, so that it is in everv wav r'T>hl of being of service to Colwyn Bay, even although it is growing larger and lar-er e\ery decade, and by keeping to one school m the district we are enabled t earrv on a higher grade elementary school at Colwyn Bay, which enable's the parents of those children who are unable to give a high fee to get their cniidren educated in a first-class manner up to the age of 15, and there are some 100 children receiving that system of education. The children of those parents who wish to go in for a higher and more expensive sort of education have only got to go to Aber- gele. There are plenty of trains running backwards and forwards every day, and if if a parent wishes his child to go to that school there is no difficulty in getting there in ten minutes. Their railwav fares will be paid for them by the Abergele Governors out of the school fees. Take the children up at Cerrigydmidion district and those Places they have very long distances to go. Further, if we establish two schools I say it is contrary to the decision of the Board of Education. They have distinctly said that they will not encourage two scho'ols of he same character in the district between the Conway and the Clwyd, and it was to get over that obstacle that we had this idea put in of making the Abergele School a school with an agricultural bias. If you go on with this you are going to put a large expenditure on your backs. You must have new school buildings. If the Higher Grade School at Colwyn Bay is used for a County School you will need some building for the children there. You will have the cost of the staff at Abergele and the cost of the .staff at Colwyn Bay.

The Last Fruit of Summer

---.---Votes for Women.

---_._-I "Wait and See."

" The Passing of the Third…

-.-.:.. Mold Magistrate and…

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