The Chronicle LEVIN. THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 1917

Levin Daily Chronicle, 18 October 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 1917

A Niggardly Education Board. One of the urgent needs at the Levin public school is increased accommodation for the children who ride horses and bicycles to school- At present there is space for twenty-eight cycles, but thirty more would barely meet the needs of the institution. Repeated application for consideration has been met with persistent refusal by the Wellington Education Board. The latest communication on the subject was received at Tuesday night's meeting of the Committee. The Board says it ha 3 received a large number of requests for the erection of bicycle stalls, involving over £100, and it has decided that it cannot, in the present state of its finances, see its way to meet the cost-' If half the cost is met by money locally raised, however, the balance will be provided by subsidy, and the suggestion is made that only sixteen stalls be provided at a cost of ■£24. The Board further expresses the opinion that the expense of providing stalls for children resident under three-quarters of a mile from the school is not justified. The Levin Committee very properly declined to constitute itself an additional taxation agency at the behest of the Education Board, and decided to reply that it was not prepared to raise any money in the way suggested and at the same time to emphasise the urgency of the need. It is quite time the school committees took a stand against the attempt of the

Board to put part of the responsibility for the erection of school buildings upon their shoulders. In their desire to improve educational facilities committees in the past have frequently undertaken heavy financial liabilities. This work is no part of the recognised functions of these bodies and their enthusiasm has been imposed upon in many cases. There is plenty of scope for all a committee's activities and all the funds it can raise in directions quite apart from the provision of urgently needed buildings On that account the Levin Committee should not recede from the position it has taken up, and should make a strong endeavour to establish the principle it is contending for.

The Electoral Headquarters

The Otaki Mail is very much perturbed because the Postmaster at Levin, a very efficient and capable officer, has been appointed Registrar of Electors to succeed the late Registrar, who lived at Manakau. The Mail consoles itself witn the reflection that the appointment is only " substitute," whatever that may mean, and goes on to insinuate that there will be some wire pulling on the part of " those who may desire to remove the central electoral office from Otaki." Then our contemporary advises Otaki to do a little manoeuvring on its own account in order to retain the headquarters of the electorate there- It is a pity that this issue should be raised at a time when there is so much else to occupy the public mind, but evidently the Mail has not yet realised that Otaki's old-time importance is passing away and that other and more progressive centres are rapidly outstripping her. The authorities recognised it, however, when the Postmaster of Levin was appointed Registrar of Electors, and the natural sequence of that appointment is the removal of the central office to Levin. Still, if there is to be any " secret diplomacy," designed to upset that very satisfactory arrangement, we trust Levin will keep a watchful eye on Otaki and its movements in the matter. While on the subject the time is opportune to enquire how much longer the misnomer, "Otaki Electorate" is to continue. " Horowhenua" would be a much more appropriate appellation for the electoral district in question, and Levin, as the chief town and borough in the constituency, is still better entitled to give its name to the electorate. The Second Division. The meeting in the Century Hall to-morrow night should need no commendation to Second Reservists. The benefits of combination in their own interests have already become apparent and there is a still keener struggle ahead for equitable treatment for the married men- The organisation that is to fight their battle at home while they are engaged in sternpr work is already in being, but Levin has hitherto neglected to link up with League. The opportunity to do so will be given tomorrow night, thanks to the initiative of two or three gentlemen who have interested themselves in the movement. It would only be fair to reward their enthusiasm with a large assembly of Second Divisionists and their wives, dependants and sympathisers.