, 1875-07-14

cause the oats had got heated and become I'M
fit for use for horses.zAs for the amendment
to d. 10, the School Department, he would
leave it to the honorable proponent, the 2nd
Crownmember, to explain it but he would at
once state, that the subamendmeDt originated
from an agreement between the honorable
Member and the Committee.
End Crownmember (TViHemoes) had pro-
posed an amendment to grant a small amount
to assist in establishing a Preliminary Glass in
the Burgher School in Christiansted. The
School Commission has long had the wish of
having such a class, as now there are but 2
classes in the school, and the children, who
are between Z to Is years of age. have to be
classed into many different subdivisions, which
has always been felt as a very great draw
back, so much the more as children when enter
ing the school are quite differently prepared.
With a preparatory class all children entering
will be placed on a level, and the instruction
thereby greatly improved. But to the wish
of the Commission in that respect has now al
so come an offer from the teachers themselves,
who are ready to give their abilities and time
to carry the plan through, because they feel
sure it will be a vast benefit to the in
s%truction. The Commission had recon-
mended the matter to the Presidency,
not without some doubts, because it was aware
that a plan for the reorganization Of the whole
school is under contemplation but it knew
also that in the present financial state of the
Island, it could not be expected that the new
plan could be realized in the nearest future.
AS the preparatory class would, however, even
if only established for a short time, be a great
help, it has with the consent of the Presidency
been established, and it will come into opera
tiOn from the Ist August next. One Of the
teachers in the School has undertaken the
instruction; the SchOOl-fees that are to accrue
to her as remuneration for her services will
be but small, especially in the commencement
1t has, therefore, been proposed that the Trea-
Sury should guarantee an amount of SIS per
month, in case those fees should at any time
not reach that amount. At first, the amend
ment proposed by him was to the purport of
guaranteeing the said sum for the s remaining
months of the financial year from 1st August;
but afterwards he had altered it to 5 months,
for, If the preparatory class could not in that
time come on such a footing that ii could exist
without assistance, it would be given up again
and tue guarantee consequently cease. The
Budget Committee had acceeded to this sub
amendment, for which he felt grateful and he
would recommend the altered proposal for the
5 months, or $25 in all, for the Councils
adoption.
The President: 1t was founded on fact that
there had repeatedly been found fault with the
oats received from Copenhagen for the military
horses, and on one occasion q considerable
portion had to be sold at reduced price ON
account of its being damaged, and on another
occasion the hogsheads were in such a bad
state, that a large portion of the oats got lost
during the transport. The Presidency wrote
the Ministry and asked that measures should
be taken to prevent recurrence thereof, and
at present oats for Military horses are bought
here on the spot, instead of being ordered
through the Ministry the price has been fixed
at the ordinary rate on delivery here. But
there is perhaps a way of making still further
alteration. Of late years it has become Gus
tomary to use guinea corn, grown here, for
fodder for horses, instead of oats; those par
ties that have used the article have found it
answering pretty we'll, besides being more
economical than oats. If some attempts could
be made on a small scale, they might possibly
lead to the use of guinea corn generally. He
had not long ago in a Danish paper read an
article wherein attention was called to the
fact, that the kiln drying of oats DESTROYS a
great portion of the nutritious parts Of the
grain this is the same case with the commeal
used here, which is said to be inferior to that
used IN America itself. Another consideration
which deserves to be noted in this respect is
this that in using guinea corn we would have
an article produced in the Island itself, so
that the money otherwise going out to buv a
foreign article, would be remaining in the