NO SLIT TRENCHES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 7, 23 January 1942, Page 5

NO SLIT TRENCHES

NOT PERMITTED 1 IN SCHOOL

GROUNDS

•COUNCIL'S PLANS CANCELLED

Following a discussion at its last meeting the Whakatane Borough Council met the School Committee this week and it was decided that the Council undertake the provision of slit trenches at the local school grounds. At the prior meeting of the council the majority of members had agreed that all precautions should' be taken and while hoping the trenches might not be required 1 considered that such a provision would afford' a measure of confidence to parents.

However, the council's plans were frustrated by the Auckland Education Board only a short time- before the work was to be put in hand. The secretary of the school committee, Mr C. W. Good, notified the Board of the decision arrived at and -was shortly after advised by telephone that the Board would not permit the digging of trenches in the school grounds, and held that its decision was the result of a ruling from the military authorities and the Director of National Service. When asked what should be done if the Chief Warden of the Whakatane Emergency Precautions Organisation ordered the provision of such trenches the Board secretary said that the warden had no authority under the regulations over Crown Lands. Trenches could be provided nearby, but definitely not in the Board's property. The local secretary gathered that in some cases trenches have been dug in country school grounds and that the committees responsible were out of favour with the Education Board as a result. It was further learned that the Education Board intends approaching the Minister with a view to getting him to make a public an-« nouncement regarding the ruling of the authorities regarding the provision of trenches. In the meantime the local Borough Council has abandoned its intentions. It is the intention of the Chief Warden of the Borough E.P.S., Mr ;B. S. Barry,' to investigate the regulations with a view toi ascertaining if the statement that lie has no , authority over Crown Lands is corirect.