Evicted from a Billiard Room State School.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 May 1910, Page 2

Evicted from a Billiard Room State School.

An extraordinary state of affairs is thus recorded in the "Ohakuno Times" 'The residents in the littlo .settlement of Horopito, on the main line, north of Ohakune, ore in somewhat of a ferment alt present, and, it must be said, with some show oif reason. For some time pasb the State School there has been held in. a billiard room—previously it lia<l been conducted in a calico structure but yesterday, the billiard room having been sold over the children's heads, they were turived adrift, audi the school was of necessity declared closed temporarily. There was, we are informed, an attendance of thirty pupils at .the school, with an increase of twenty expected, shortly, owing to the starting of two .additional mills, which are expected to commence operations almost immediately. The local ■ residents have shown .themselves very self-helpful, having cleared, stumped, and mado ready for building the reserve for <i new school, but so far 'the Wangaoui Exlucation Hoard has made no sign of removing the school children from the billiard room, and' now they have been summarily ejected. Ample notice of the sale of the billiard room had been given, but although the Board had been communicated with, no move has been made to build a. school. Yesterday several of the parents visited the office of this paper and stated the case, and \ye at onc'o communicated with the Right Hon. the Premier, who promptly sent the following reply:— "In reply to your telegram I note the position regarding school accommodation Horopito, and have referred it to the Hon. Minister tff Education for his consideration. (Signed) J. G. Ward. Last evening the editor interviewed the Hon. G. Eowlds, Minister of Education on the express at. 'th'o H.aihvay Station, Ohakune, ho being passing through to Auckland, on the subject. The Minister, who was most cordial, promised .to look into the matter, and this morning he sent ns the- following telegram "Have authorised grant for building Horopito School, and have advised Education Board accordingly." —(Signed) Geo. Fowlds.