HIGH SCHOOL FOR MASTERTON

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 48, 20 November 1919, Page 2

HIGH SCHOOL FOR MASTERTON

ESTABLISHMENT PROMISED BY MINISTER ' SITES QUESTION DISCUSSED By Telegrapli.-Special .Correspondent'. . Masterton, -November 10. Sir .Francis Bell. I..Uinislcr of, Educa-. tioii),• and. Dr. Anderson . (Director of Education) visited Uaslertoii - to-day in connection with the proposal, to erect a high school in the town. They were shown over the. various sites offering, ami later received a depulatioiuof leading citizens in the .Municipal Cnambei:,s. After the .Mayor' (.Mr.. \V. Jucksqn) had. introduced the visitors, .Mr. F. C. Ternpie, president of the : Progressive League,, was called' on to voice'that body's opinion. He said that he could not enlarge on the decisip.il '.reached I>.V the . public meeting a few nights previously; _ ,11nsterton urgently needed a high school., Mr.' C. Daiiiell explained at leiigth the' machinery and" objects''of tho TrustLands Trust, of which he was chairman, 1 and had been a, niembi'r for the past-twenty-five years.. 'He detailed the Tiis-.' tor.y ol' the- high' M'hbol question,' and cave it as-his opinion that riiattcrs had liigged'-'unnecessarily. The- "fishponds" site was two miles from the-centre-of 1 Masterton, ■'aiid' 'onb and 'a''half 'miles from the Masterton railway statist. Personally he thought this'was tob;far away and lie would like to see the site adjoining the Cameron Memorial -Sport*ground selected for the school, then the: siiortsgi'ound ra.ukl •' used - as.,.a playing ground-on--week days.-and by: sports clulw on Saturdays and holidays'.....

Tn reply .to m-nuestion-Jiy SirrWalterBuchanan, Mr., Daniell -stated that;.' the "fishponds" sitewas_. about half a .mile from the-Solway railway'station.'

Sir Francis, Bell .said,.he. was in the. position of not ■ j knoiving how long lie, would continue in ,the. Ministerial,.office, neither, did they- know... At- such a time, as this he avoided as much 'tis' possible travelling. around the country. However, lie .had been "dragged, herfe by Mr. Svkes." They cqlild take .it as'.a de-. finite statement'.'fro'iil,.the : Goyqriiment ; that the'present technical school Would, he. fostered ..awl a,high . school ,'.e,staT>." lislied on .the. lines desired by the people. ,'lie hoped also that the site',selected would please the, niaiority-, !>iit lie-' fore .coming io a conclusion' he wanted' to kiiow some'tliing more about' thfe -avail-' a.ble'laiid adjoining the Cameron-Sports- 1 groimds'. His 'ultimate' decision "would'" be announced in the cour/e of the next few days'. He felt that'Masterton would eveiitnnllv' become' 'the ' educational' cen-' : tre for the Wairarapa. As a Minister of the Crown it was his 'business, to refrain from making unlimited calls on the-Treasury; and he-was not in a'Dosi--tion to give the exact amount which' would be pnent on the new school. In regard to ''Mr." DaniellV sfntenieat' that the 'Trust Lands . Trust, were 'ready- to eive ,£2001) condition,illv-on 'the 'Govern---; ment supplying. a stated >nm towards" the co*t of erection, the Minister said that if the money offered--.'by the Trust were/devoted to the needs of the "xisting Technical School then it would not be needed for the High School. He preferred t.i be unhampered by conditions retarding the new. school. 'Sir Walter Buchiiifi-'i.- M.L.C., s.v-d there was only one thing in the Minister's remarks calling for.comment, and that was tlie question of sites. Jt waslife' .y.ersoral onininn ' that the • Government should not stint money if !:v speiiuin? a little more 'the .could' obtain. a nite adenuate for future, rftiii'.'^ments.. Dr. Andersoii. -Director of Education'. i'*l;ed for.. ex')re=s : iiis of opinion, as to ("lie comparative ' th" avnilahle s'tes, esneciallv th." sites ad'oini"?»' the '%l).ponds" and Canieron Sports-, grciimk -l .- , Ifr. CU A. Gr.itndv =eid tb» op> great; .advanta'fje 'nf the.'"fishmi'Hl" sit" wis its accessibility tp ll)e railway for the convenieii' > e of comi"'t fwn North aiid Siiuth 'Wpirnrinvj. The train service" at' iireseiM wonlrl p* in with' the school hours and the children could., deIrain at -Solway Station. , So fin- as Masterton people were concrned the. tendency was for the population'do move towards Sol way. and. the centre of the town wSuld eventually, be..nearer that locality than it was now. Tn.. recommending the "fishponds" site he. was not. thinkin" of. present, requirements, but ,was, looking, to the, future, when Masterion, would be the educational centre of th» Wairarapa. Mr. E.- G, Won' pointed out that whereas the site, near' .the Cameron Snort'groiinds comprised .e.nlv six aer.rs, the'"fishponds" site contained twenty-six acres. t « .

TV Jfavor niwl.Mr..Pvlccj. M.P., bfitli thanked, the Ministev '.for' li's. .'co"ei c e piiiitonipiit" of (lie WHim. aft-pr Avliiclt (lie visitors Ir'ft for Wellington; . V