HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 873, 20 July 1910, Page 8

HUT T AND PETONE NEWS.

ll'rom Our Special Correspondent.l THE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION. A conference of the Hutf and Petono School Committees for the purpose of establishing a high school for the Hutt Valley' was held in the Lower Hutt School last evening. Both , committees wero well represented, and Mr. D.' M'Kenzio (chairman of the Petone District High School Committee) was voted to the chair. . The chairman stated that it was suggested that White's Line would be a very suitable site for the school, as the building would then bo on the boundary between Hutt and Petone, and convenient to all. After quoting correspondence from members of Parliament and the Education Board, Mr. M'Kenzio concluded by remarking that Petone was inclined to waive its claim to a high school in favour of one for tho Valley. The Rev. Mr. Thomson (Petone) was not in sympathy with tho chairman. It wjs only a waste of time talking of White's Line. He advocated embodying a technical school with a high school, and said.that it was the aim of educaticual people, to subsequently convert the Petono Technical School into a high, school. Mr. Cairns (Petone) remarked that he was in favour of a high school for Petone, ;but as the Government would not '. grant .it. without tho. disestablishment of the.Hutt District High School, the only way was to try to get a high school for the Valley. He was not in favour of. the Belmont site.. Mr.' advocated dropping of parochial feelings, and acting in unison. .' . . . .: ■ " Mr. AVilson (Hutt)'thought that tho time was not yet ripe for a high school, but if his committee was against his opinion tlien. he hoped that a satisfactory arrangement could be come to. Ho could not see how it was possible for technical education to work hand in'hand with secondary education. [ Referring to the site, Mr. .Wilson was in favour of e high school whero the , bulk of the population was. If tho Hutt land Petone gave up the District High School, then there would be. nothing according to the- Act that could stop Potono erecting a high school of its own. This the two committees were .not going to do, and therefore he would fight agaiust a high school proposal for the reasons which he had given. ■■'..•■■ ; Mr. Rishworth (Hutt) did not agree with tho Rev. - Mr. Thompson regarding the establishment of a high school at Petone. Ho was in favour of , tho site already suggested at White's Line, but lea'ned to the opinion that Petone wished to go too fast. It ought to mark time for the present, or it might fall. . . ■ ~ Mr. Baldwin .(Hutt) thought that Petone should remember that it was through the Hutt that they (Petone) had secured a Technical School. Had thoy (Hutt) made objection, the Minister for Education' might not havo agreed to tho establishment of that •school. Petone was not tho place for a' secondary school. He agreed with Mr. Wilson that tho time was not yet ripe for the establish'nient of a. high school in the Valley. ■ Mr. Macaskill (Hutt) said that Petono people made too much of Petone. He, did not agree with tho previous speakers that . the time was not yet ripe for a high.; school, but he would not. be ,a party 'to any suggestion for a site«for the school on the Petone side of White's Line. . ' Mr.-Hendry (Hutt) .stated that it was plain that no decision could.be-ar-rived at now, and therefore suggested that tho Hutt -Committee- should discuss the .subject, and inform Petone of its ultimatum.