A QUESTION OF SITE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 231, 24 June 1920, Page 5

A QUESTION OF SITE

HUTT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

EDUCATION BOARD REVERSES DECISION

At tho monthly meeting of the Education Board yesterday. Mr. G. London (Petone) moved: "That the motion nasscd at the board meeting of January 28 anDroving the purchaso of an area of 18 acres 2 roods 18 nerches in Woburn Road, for the purpose of a High School for the Hutt Yalley, be rescinded, and that tho Board of Education represent by a deputation to tho Minister of Education the necessity for reviewing the decision of the Department to erect the Hutt Valley High. School, on tho site at. Woburn. as the selection made is against the expressed .wish of tho greatest number of the population of tho Hutt. Yalley. and Is the cause ot serious discontent."

Mr. London said ho wished to ask the board and tho Minister to review the decision arrisid at on January 28, and in particular .to give the new Minister of Education a chance to rovicw tho nucstlon of -the proposed now site of the High School in the Hutt Valley. It waß perhaps: unfortunate that the people of the two distriots did not agree a? .perhaps they should. Tho'hoard had decided that the Government shoi'ld he urged to buy tho Bite, and he had felt it his duty 'to protest againßt the action of the Department and the board. A' much better site than Woburn (the Hutt site) had since been sold at halt the money.- Since then there had ; been great discontent among the Petone people. If a High School was to prove the greatest benefit it must be placed where the children could uee it, If the Department Inßißted on the Hutt site it might be more convenient for some of the Petone people to send their children to swell tho orowds at tho Wellington schools.

Mr. E. P. Rishworth (Hutt) contended that Mr. London was wrong both in his argument .and. facta. The present trend of the growbig population was towards the north. Tho nopulation of Petone' was VOOO. and that of. the. Hutt 5000, showing a distinct gain on tho part of the Hutt. He was sorry that Mr. London had been nbsent from the meeting at which, a definite decision waß arrived.at. Petone hnd Its Technical High School, biit in'selecting a site for a new general high school some thought had to be given to the growing unpor parts of the valley. There wore peonle in .Petone who favoured the Hutt site, over their own, Mr. M'Kcnzio had not the support of his own people, m he was. delaying everything. At the Hutt there, wero, 184 acres of flat land fas against six at Percy's Gardens) within easy distance of the railway, on a main road, snd incomparably, superior to tho B"ick Estate, which Mr. London was now advocating. • The. case was all in favour of the action: of tho Department. • The matter, had gone on such a time that )t needed romeone with strength of mind, to maka a decision, Mr. Hanan, as Min Istcr of Education, had not, sufficient strength .'of mind, but his successor (Sir Francis Bell) had. He had. considered what was in the best interests of the valley, not the best interests of Petone, and so actuated had decided'; in favour of Woburn. '.-' ■:,.■'■

Mr.. W.-H; Field thought it was oulte n fair thins to allow the present Minister of Education to, see all the Eitea. ■ Perhaps there were better sites even than Woburh. He .thought - that' the' Petone people had been rather cavalierly treated hv. .'the late Minister of Education and Dr. Anderson; thev had come to a decision too suddenly. .There were other sites that mjght have been seen—tho old nhow Krotmd. between Petone and the Hutt, for instanoe. which would, have been cquallv convenient 'to both districts. Mr. E. M!Oalluni: .The whole-point seems to |be whether the Hutt was near "Petone or Petone was near the Hutt. .

Mr.. London: Ob,' the Hutt is near Petone. ' • > ■Mr. M'Oallum said-thev might do the Hon. Mr. Parr, the, complimont of aßkiw? him to look at the sites. Here was 181 acres of absolutely flat land. He wo" 1 ' like to see the school placed on a hill; ho did not,hold in niacins: uchools on flat, damp grounds. He certainly thought Mr. London had made but a prima facie case. Mr.. 0. Harkness said..the whole thing was a parochial matter, but he thought Mr. Rishworth had made out a good case. The larger area was needed, and it should bo flat, as they had to have football and cricket grounds and lawn tennis courts. Ha was-going to vote against the rescinding of tho motion. Mr. E. H. Pminy said he waß guided by tho advice-of the chairman of the board (Mr. Forsyth), who had gone carefully, into the whole Question, and who was never in doubt as to the wisdom of the Department's action. To Tescind the motion would be Blighting, to their chairman, to Sir Francis Bell, and Dr. Anderson. ■ Mr. J. J.'Clarke said he bad (seconded Mr. London's motion, as he had seen correspondence which disclosed the fact-that the Minister had, given the. assurance that Percy's Gardens site was the one selected, but. that was never put before the board when the Wobuvn' proposal was made. The acting-chairman said he had no doubt that in purchasing- the Woburn E* tate the Government had done absolutely the right thing. ■-" ■ . . In reply, Mr. London said that the Government could have purchased 33 acres at Petone for less than'H paid for 18 acres at Woburn,,and it.would have been nearer one-third of the population of the Hutt than Woburn would be'.' The whole business had been done in a holo and corner fashion to the discredit of all'concerned. ,■ • . . , When put to the meeting, Mr .London s rescinding motion was carried by five/ votes to four. 'The voting was aB folAyes—Messrs. London, Clarke, M'Gallum, Wright, and Field. ■ "■ • ■ _ . Noes-Mesßrs. ; Shand, Rishworth, Harkjießs, and Penny. ■ Messrs. Forsyth, Hogg, and Moss were absent.....::' . •_