SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 251, 18 July 1921, Page 9

SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

CANTERBURY’S CLAIMS SIR FRANCIS BELL’S REPLY By Telegraph—Presi Association Christchurch, July 17. The demonstration held by tho Canterbury Progress League to-day bo lay' before the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) Canterbury’s claim to have a School of Forestry located at Chnstchurch elicited from Sir Francis Belt soms important statements. these were that as Commissioner of State Forests ho had decided! some time ago that Canterbury College was the only college to which a school could properly be attached, and that Canterbury was the most suitable district for tho school; that since tho matter had unexpectedly become a subject of controversy between different provinces, it must now be decided by Cabinet; and that, therefore, he could not reiterate his opinion; that the Government could not allow the Wvorsity Senate to decide the matter; that tile Prime Minister had consulted him by cablegram from England before replying to the Auckland cablegram upon the subject; that the question would be decided by Cabinet solely in the interests of the Dominion as a whole, .the matter would he decided, said Sir Francis Bell, by a vote of Cabinet, without reference to politics or whether one 1 Reality rather than another supported the present Government. lie could promise as truly for Mr. Massey as for himself that so long as they held! office the question would be determined on these linos, and not upon lines presented in what he might call “another place.” . "Let me try and disabuse the minds of the people of Canterbury and the people of Auckland of the notion that there is dissension on the matter between Mr. Massey and! myself,” said Sir Francis Bell. "Mr. Massey, when he received that telegram the other day from Auckland members, did not reply to it, as they supposed, without communicating with me—(applause and laughter) —to ascertain whether I made any special difficulty about this matter at a time when Cabinet was under my presidency. Having received! my reply to that question, he replied. The details: I cannot give you, but I may say that one of the remarks I made was that I should like Auckland and Canterbury to have a thoroughly good fight. (Laughter.) On tho reply I made, he then telegraphed to Auckland that the matter would be delayed for absolute decision by Cabinet after he returned. That is the position as between Mr. Massey and me." In his concluding remarks, Sir Francis Bell said that the question must be decided without petty local prejudice. He knew Mr. Massey wanted the school to bo whore it -would best serve the people of New Zealand. (Applause.) It was quite certain that the claims of Canterbury would be fully considered.

Sir Heaton Rhodes said that he was whole-heartedly in sympathy, as a member for Canterbury, with the proposal that the school should be placed -here. However, as a member of.- Cabinet, he had to consider the question in its largest aspect, as Sir Francis Bell had made clear.