MOUNT COOK SITE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 197, 9 May 1918, Page 5

MOUNT COOK SITE

FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION

FAVOURABLE REPLY AT LAST

MINISTERS WILL ARRANGE AN

EXCHANGE

An important deputation, representing the Technical Education Board, tho Education Hoard, tho City Council, the Industrial Association, and other organisations, waited upon Hie Minister of Juslice (Hon. T. 11. Wiliuid) yesterday morning, m order to emphasise again the city's need of improved necommodation for the Technical School. The request particularly addressed to Mr. Wilford was that a portion of tho Mount Cook site, lit present occupied by the justice Department and tho Defence Department, should be made available for educational purposes.

Councillor G. Prost apologised for the unavoidable absence of tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luko) and the chairman of tho Education Board (Hon. J. li. W. Aitken). He said that everybody connected with educational work in lyellingion knew that the need ior'a ne.w Technical College was pressing. The existing' accommodation was inconvenient and inadequate. It was not too much to say that tho present overcrowded buildings were obsoleto, dangerous,' and insanitary. A new technical school was needed, but a site had to be provided, and various Ministers, when approached on this matter, had given sympathy but very little help. Tno deputation wished to urge that an aTea of about five acres' at Mount Cook should bo made availablo as. a site for a technical school. The erection of the new school was a matter of urgency, and no progress could be mado until the site was fixed, sinco preliminary work, such as the preparation of tho plans, depended upon the ground that had to be occupied. A sum of i15,00fl would fee provided by the Wellington City Council towards 'the cost of the new college, as compensation for the resumption of land leased to the Education Board in Mercer Street. Connoillor Frost added that successive Ministries had failed to deal decisively with this important matter, and there wns a feeling in educational circles in Wellington that the Government failed to realise the importance of the provision of adequate accommodation for technical education in tho city. Mr. P. J. Evans, president of the Wellington Industrial Association, eaid that tne organisation he represented felt strongly on the subject of technioiU tducation. Tho well-being of tho Dominion demanded that full provision should be made for tho teohnical and vocational education of the young people, and it coiild not be pretended that the quarters occupied by tho Wellington Technical School at the present time were suitable or adequate. The development of local industries was a matter of vast importance to New Zealand, and was bound up with the question of technical education. .

Mr. J. G. Harkness said that business men throughout the city felt that more should bo done for the development of .teohnical education in Wellington. The United Kingdom and other oonntries .hnd recognised that technical education waa one of the most important eubjects that tt Government could liandk, inrt adequate provision for technical education was of the utmost importance in order that tho people of Now Zealand might take their proper part in the life of tho Empire after the war.

Mr. C. M. Luke, representing tho Central Chamber of Comnmrce, said that he had attended very many deputations on the question of technioal education in Wellington. The demand for a new technical college had been made ior many yoars, and thero should bo no further delay.

Mr. W. Allan, representing the Wollington Technical Education Board, said that the board felt the question of eito should bo sottled at once. The board hnd been given to understand by successive Ministers that a eito at Mount Cook would bo made available. But no definite action had been Uiken, and ho asked Mr. Wilford, on bohalf of the board, to deal finally with tho. matter and so clear the way for the erection of tho new school so urgently needed by tho city. Tho Minister of Justice, in reply, 6aid that previous deputations in. regard to the Mount Cook site had been knocking at tho wrong door. They had been asking tho Minister of Education to grant them tho Mount Cook sito, whilo as a matter of fact this site was controlled by tho Minister of Justice. Ho realised the importance of tho mattor, and he wished to givo practical assistance to the men who were controlling technical education in Wellington. Ho had etudiod tho position as far as tho Mount Cook eito was concerned, and had found that an area of about three acres could bo mado available ti once, in additional area of about an acre and a half might be granted later. This extra ground would bo clear when the brick-making operations by prisoners had been coin* pleted in about a year's/time. It would bo understood, of course, that tho Justice Department, whioh controlled this land, could not part with it without receiving some equivalent, and the matter would havo to bo adjusted between the Justice Department and the Education Department. The Justice Dopartment could part with the land at Mount Cook. But it urgently needed a reformatory institution for girls in order that ftrstdffender prisoners, might be kept out of tho ordinary prisons. The Department had no money with which to buy land or buildings for this institution. It seemed, therefore, that a deal might be made. The Education Department possosSßd the. Buriibam Industrial School, comprising buildings and a substantial area of land in Canterbury. This 6ohool was being vacated by the Education Department. Then thero was the Te Oranga Home, another institution owned by tho Education Department near Christchnrch. Tho Burnham School had been used for boyn and the To Oronga School for girls. If tho Education Department would give one of those institutions in return for tho Mount Cook site an oxchungo might be arranged. ' /

"I want a reformatory for young girl first offenders, bo that they may be given a chance to recover themselves, and ono of the institutions I havo mentioned could bo need for this purpose," said the Minister. "The Justice Department hae not such, a reformatory at its disposal ut the present time. No good result is obtained by allowing irreclaimable women to mix with tho young girl first olfondors wo have in our gaols. Sorao or tho women are bad through und through, and sontiment cannot influence them. Wh have a reformatory institution at Invorcnrgill for young men, and wo keop theiji npart from prisoners who are criminals by inclination and instinct. My jjoiioy is to help those prisoners who ona Ira liolped, and to refuse any concessions to thoso who aro determined to lead n. criminal life. It is no uso being goneroua to men and women who b.'-!ong to the confirmed criminal class. They do not appreciate it. , ' Mr. Wilford added that ho believed ho could mako a satisfactory arrangement with tho Minister of Education lor an exchange on tho lines he had indicated. Ho would consult with tho Minister of Education on tho subject at im parly opportunity. If the exchange weto arranged in tho near future, tho prisoners would bo ablo to continue making bricks which could bo used for tho foundations of the new Technical School. The Justice Department, in this way, would mako a gift to the Technical School of tho value of probably -C3DOO. The local authorities should get ready their plans for tho new school, obtain tho promised sum of 410,000 from tho City Council, and provide export supervision of tho work of the prisoners in laying tho foundations of the college. Thero was no need for dolay, and he belioved thai- tho work could proceed rapidly. Tho members of the deputation thanked tho Minister warmly for his favourable reply, and assured him that the proposal lie had made would have their hearty support.