Manawatu Herald [Established ,Aug. 27, 1878.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1904. A Public Soandal.

Manawatu Herald, 27 August 1904, Page 2

Manawatu Herald [Established ,Aug. 27, 1878.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1904. A Public Soandal.

V short time ago it was announced hut the Wanganui Education Board sad atla-t decided to Call for tend, r? 'or the purpose of having an addi•ional room added to Urn school in irder to lessen the overcrowding tha' it present exists, and a partition ■reced in the east room to facilitate the class work, which has been sorb msly hampered owing to three classes being compelled to use a sings ■onm While imbuing out at the time that a inv ba;lding alfc ig’o!,b.*. would be preferable and in th i end cheaper, w(* stated that the e wo.line no cause for c uuplaint if the improvements pr.ipi-.ed to ho imuh were effected without delay It n W ippears I hat we hove boo a lulled in o a position of false s entity. T! e Board in a half-hearted manner ca l ed for tenders, hut none were f >-!.h coming within the time specified for eceiving them it is report'd on unofficial hut rcliab'e aiith irit-y, that a tonchr was band.d in by a loc d carpenter immediately aYer the time had expired. What would have been simpler than for the Board ti cou.ddr this tender? Ins'can, however, »f doing set, the Board, with a endlen change of front, intimated th it there were no funds available t) cm dole the work to he carried out, and with this answer they expect ms to he q intent. Just prior 1 1 this, apolication was mud ■ to the Secretary for Education for a grant of m mey to be expended' in ropahing the schorl, hut the reply was that here were no funds. Yet Mr Sed ion has the audacity to brag that the colony has asm-plus of £750.007, when he refuses to grant a paltry £250 (wlvch was all that was asked for) t .wardputting the school into a sanitary condition ! It is a well-known fset that the school is in a most unhealthy state. In the first plac >, the acc-omm Gabion is taxed f i'' Ivyond its cipi.mty. During this week over 1 :;0 chddren have been crowded into a room that is intended to arc immolate not moiv than 70. There is also an insufficient number of desks, ami uu ly cliildren are obliged to stand th.om.dimfc the day, no seats bring uv.ii.ab..for them. There are events, not of rare, but of frequent, eccui-vuce. B.t apart from the overcrowding, which must necessarily be injuri ms to the health of the children, the whole building is in a state of decay. The walls are worm-eaten and the foundations absolutely ml ten. The rooms are oxtr.am ly draughty, and iu many places am nit weather proof. Matters have cnai t> sue!) a pitch that at tunes the head n vVer has himself had ti re -rt t i r.-pair-ing them iu o:der In keep out the .-leimmfs. It is lame itable, miv de-

i>‘(> ail. !: at mi oh a state of idlings sii m d i!• ji’lowml to e\:>f. an I r;-; I'Lxbm is a,np-rr‘itly nit. t!i • o ). ! v tnvn tii it is forced to submit to it. The New Zealand Times a few days ago complained of the delapidafccd and insanitary condition of many of many of the public schools in Wellington, and the Mannwatn Standard] also states that the Terra e Had school at Palmerston is overcrowded to an abnormal extent. It can scarcely be wondered at that large numbers of parents omit to send their children to schools where they are exposed to all kinds of disease and sickness. The Premier bewails the infant mortality of the colony, and promulgates elaborate measures for its prevention, while at the same time lie forces the young to spend the greater part of their childhood amid the unhealthy ! surroundings that characterise a number of our state schools. While Mm Premier’s scheme for increasing the birth rate, is an excellent one in many respects, it is-.of little " use' for the State to take such pains over the babies if the latter, when they are old'enough are sent to schools of the stamp with which we are blessed, or rather cursed.

We had some hope that if a local resident gained a seat on the Education Board, this part of the district would obtain more consideration than it has hitherto, but the result of the election has completely disappointed our expec! at ions. Mr Fraser, however, polled very well under the circumstances, and it is somewhat surprising to find that he secured a larger number of votes than Palmerston’s candidate, Mr Wood. Of the three gentlemen elected to the Board, two are from Wanganui and one from Hunterville, so there is unfortunately not much chance of receiving better treatment at the hands of the Board in future. The remedy seems to lie in the formation of a separate Education Board district, hut the schools concerned have evinced so little interest in the proposal, that this, too, for the present, must be regarded as impracticable. The Board is not, however, altogether to blame for having allowed the school to drift into its present condition, though having made a promise that the repairs would be

effected, We naturally expected them ■>o adhere to their compact The •eal offender undoubtedly is the Government. We cannot accept the statement of the Secretary for Education that there is no money availible for repairs, when the Government on its own showing has such a magnificent surplus On hand. Howler the only thing to be clone is to iwait develments with what patience ve can muster. Possibly in time ■he Government may see its way to 'rant our rerjuests, tlidiigh It seems ■is if it woUlcl take a veritable Orpheus to charm money from the 'ffate coffers for educational purposes. [Since the above was in type, tenleiv have agairi bderl (killed for remirs to the Foxt-bn School.]