AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 810, 6 May 1910, Page 5

AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

■Y ■ A. PUBLIC MEETING. ' I CBy Telegraph--Prcsß Association.) .. . Auckland, May ♦. 'A largely-attended public meeting was hold to-night to protest against the closing; of Government House in Auckland, the Mayor (Mr. , Bngiiall) presiding. A number of speeches were made attacking the Government-, and the following resolution, was carried, on the motion of Mr. A. M. Myers, seconded by Mr. Entrican:— "That this meeting expresses its indignation and regret at the action of the ttovwnment in proposing to dismantle aiid plose Government House as a residence for the Governor of the Dominion, thereby depriving the people of a public . BoznalD and an historical institution;and that this meeting is of opinion that lliere is sufficient room on the Metropolitan Ground for a university college, equal to all requirements, without touchine the present site, of Government House, and that the Government bo requested to proteed'with the nredesni-y university buildings on that silo." : ffHE,UNIVERSITY ASPECT OF THE ■'■■■■)*. /QUESTION/' "! •-'" <*y Telegraph. -Special I'orresDondenii • , . . Auckland,. May 5. The university aspect of the Government House question Was put to the meetJug last night by Dr. M'Dowell, a member of the University College Council, He said those connected wltli university education m this city when .thoy urged ■that tho university should be established . on the Government House grounds were .under the impression that it the Government acceded to Ihn request they would f»vide ,a Government Houeo elsewhere bile., be respected the feelings of vciior ation with which residents of Auckland regarded Government House because of its associations with tho past, he could not help looking at ■ the future. When Iβ did so he saw before hilti a rising race of ettidents crying 6nt for the bread of ■Knowledge, ana while he thought that for the purposes of the university they required the, whole eite— (applauso and uproar)—he did not think, that velioraliou for any house, however deep, should stand in tho way of a duty that they owed to . the coming generation.' He would be very glad indeed to think thai the metropolitan ground would-be sufficient,'but they had the experience of other .parts of New Zealand to show that that area was not ;sufficient. (Mr. Parr: "Question.") In Christchureh, where they had six acres, they.now found that they wanted double the area. (Applause.) In Dtiiiedin, where they had a similar area, they found themselves cabined and confined.. It was important that they should have the university in the centre of tho city. In Wel- . Lesley College they had the Training College, t which sent 100 students to the university every day, and in the same locality they had the Technical .College, which also, sent students. The Grammar School was also close at hand, and the rceb Public Library, the Institute LibTary, and the Law Library, all of which the_ students used, were in the , immediate yicinity. This being so, it was necessary that the university should bo established on Government House grounds. In conclusion ho appealed to them to consider the matter well, and not to allow anything to stand in the way of the higher education of citizens. (Applause and upWar.) ■