The Wellington College Governors and the Hospital Trustees.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1568, 28 November 1885, Page 2

The Wellington College Governors and the Hospital Trustees.

At the meeting of the Wellington College Governors on Thursday, Mr Bunny moved, pursuant to notice of motion, ♦•'That the Governor's apply for authority under the Land Act, ,1885, clause 237, the sell the Paraekaretu re • serve and the sections m Paimerston North, and to lease the Mangaone rei serves belonging to the Girl's High School upon ths perpetual leasing sysj teni." Tn moving his motion, Mr Bunny said he did not propose to hammer tit the arguments which he had already, placed before the Board.' The Hospital Trustees had handed over a valuable reserve to the College Governors on the distinct understanding that a nreditabie building was to be put upon it for a Girls' High School. It would cost to finish it. The question was, where was the money to come from? The College Governors had a valuable block of land at Paraekaretu, which was at present bringing: iv scarcely anything to the Board, but if sold would realise about 25s an acre. They ought to apply to the Government for leave to sell that land, which lie believed would realize about £7000. The Girls' High School had a valuable endowment of 3000 acres m the u'orty-Mile Bush. . He did not propose to sell that, preferring that it should be leased under the perpetual leasing system. He believed it would letch;- an ' average of 2s an acre, which would, re. coup the interest on the JI7OOO The College Governors could take a mortgage from the Governors of the Girls' High School, who were m reality the same body. They might aay it was a pity to part with their reserves. The Hospital trustees might have said the same, but they willingly parted with a valuable reserve to the College Governors, »nd they had certainly a right to expect that the College Governors would T>ut up a building without delay which would be a credit to the city of Wellington. As to going to Parliament to ask for further grants of money, he would not be a party of that kind. Tliey had a valuable estate which only wanted to be dealt with,, and they could by selling the land, settle 50 to 100 familios on what was now a wilderness. They had an example ofwhat could be done by the side of the Corporation endowment the other day. Some of the land realised as high as 4s I 6d an acre, whilst the lowest was Is 6d per acre, and about 25 families would be settled on wljat would otherwise remain, a wilderness. 4fter some more discussion of a desultory character, Mr Bunny agreed to postpone the further consideration of his motion till next meeting, to /.be held at noon on Wednesday, 23rd December. — Wellington Paper.