TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 April 1912, Page 2

TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

The opening of the Helensville Techy nical Senool. winch was to have taken, place yesterday, is postponed, owing to inclement weather, until Friday, when it will be^opened by Mr Gordon Coates M.P. Mr George George, Director of Technical Education, will als} bo present. After the opening light refreshments will be handed round by a number of ladies. \JjjjThe matter was first brought before the notice of the School Committee by the then Chairman, Capt, Hammond, in the month of April, 1910, he being impressed with the exhibits from the Technical College shown at the Auckland Winter Show of that year, and he made up Tiis mind to see if a school for Helensville could not be procured. The matter was taken up by the com" mittee and applications made to i the adjacent Ridings of the Waitemata County Council, and Helensville Town Board for a subsidy towards 1 the cost of £700 which was necessary to build the school. . The Town > Board were asked for a grant of £40, and the ■W.C.O. £80. The £80 given by the W.C.C. was distributed over the ridings as follows:—Waitakerei and Kumeu £20 each, Mairetahi L3O, and Kaukapakapa LlO, the County voting the money reaiily. The Town Board at first declined on account of their financial standing, but after deputised by the School Committee, agreed to vote tho money. Application was then ' made to the Minister of Education through the member for the District, for a grant of £460 to be put on the Estimates for the building of the school, which with the Ll2o subsidise ed by the Government, making L 240, would bring it up to the L7OO required. The Board supplied plans which had to be forwarded to Wellington, but when the estimates came out no provision was made for t;he grant, however, owing to the assistance rendered the Committee by Mr Stallworthy, the late member for the district, the grant Ayas placed on the supplementary estimates. The Auckland Board of Edncation eventually called for tender^ for the building, the contract being let to Mr McDonald, the building being completed early this year, after two years work by the committee.