NEW SOUTH SCHOOL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 11 October 1880, Page 2

NEW SOUTH SCHOOL.

The erection of a new school building in Arun-street ;for the south end of the town is progressing apace. On Saturday we paid a visit to the works, and were forcibly struok with the energy being -displayed by the contractors, Messrs. Given and Watson. Great progress has, been made of late, and it is fully anticipated that the building will be ready for occupation after the Christmas vacation. The walls are nearly completed, and the stonemasons' work will, it is expected, be finished this week, should the weather prove favovahle. The western wing has already been prepared for slating, and the oarpenters are busily engaged upon the rooffing of the main buticiing, which will be ready for the date-workers as soon as they are finished at the wing. The whole work is, in fact, being carried on upoti a system which gives the earliest possible chance foi? each set of tradesmen to commence operations. As we mentioned aij the time the plans were prepared, the building is of Oamaru stane, the material for which has been obtained from the Fortification Quarry, and is of excellent quality. The foundations are, however, of Port Chalmers bluestone, the use of which, in addition to setting off the building in appearance, will provide the great advantage of preventing damp rising from the ground. The window-sills are also of Port Chalmers bluestone, the use of which has a pleasing effect. The roof is of open timber work and slates, the slates used being the best American. In connection with this, we may express some surprise that, iq, a building of a public otherwise entirely . of Colonial, material, the slates were not o.b.Wued from our own excellent sjate quarries; but we can soaroely quarrel with the Education Board upon this score, for the best of materials and workmanship are being put into what will undoubtedly be the most handsome, convenient, and comfortable school building in Qaraaru. Harking back to the nature' of the building, we may mention that the salient angles are pointed out with rusticated quoins ; that the windows and doors are plain faced, cavitto at angles ; and that the gables are, ornamented with neat barg<? boards. To the casual observer ? judging from its present aspect, the building, when completed, will present a plain but- neat and comfortable appearance, well befitting an edifice designed for a public school. There will be no gaudiness nor even architectural beauty, but the building will look e\ T ery inch a school of a cheerful This outward pf comfort will be fully out inside, where the walls will be dado lined far about 4ft Gin in each of the rooms, and 6fc in the passages, while the upper portions of the walls will be neatly pointed. The ceilings will be 0 20ft high and plastered. The of which there will be five, wi}l Soft by 22ft, avid each will possess a lire-place. The lighting \yUi be excellent, as there will be no less than 22 large windows in •the building; while ample means of ingress and egress will be provided by four principal entrances. Ventilation, a matter of very groat importance, has been duly considered, each class-room being furnished with four patent ventilators in the ceiling and two Archimedean ventilators, besides which there will he five circular louvre - ventjla-. [jors pvQYidad Ma gables and in the porph of the main entrance, The centre portico will be the master's room, and over the centre will be placed the belfry and vane, The building will be enclosed with a picket fence in front and a paling fence on the sides and back, and will have a fair amount of vacant ground. Altogether the school, as we have previously- remarked, will be the school building in Oamaru, a,nd Mr. Rice and his assistants reap a very handsome reward for the good work they have hitherto performed in the wretched building now used as a South School. But.two things yet require to be done to complete matters in connection with the new school, and unless these are accomplished the surroundings of the school will tend greatly to its disfigurement. Firstly, the tion Board should take ?te,pa to acquire the adjoining auction, part of which runs between the building and. the street-, with an outhouse in unpleasant proximity to the.oentre of the school, and immediately in front of the master's room. This section belongs to the Municipality t but arrangements were made for of sections, and ' the present tenant, who holds a fourteen years' lease, is willing, we believe; ! to sell his interest for what appears ! a small sum when the advantages which would accrue to the school Unless this section is secured, the grounds of the school will he disfigured in form, tho aspect of the school spoiled, and a source of annoyance perpetuated. The expenditure of a comparatively small sum should not prove a matter of vital importance while the advantages to be obtained arc so groat. Now for the second thing to bo done, and tho work in this case de-, volves upon tho Borough Council. ' Tliose who frequent the locality need not be told „ that tho land on either side of th,e 'street is somo feet above the street lo.vol, and ' that a narrow cutting lias been mjade 1. sufficient oi\ly ijo'r a dray road, tfhe pduci^tipA' Boarcf purpose sloping. -their 1 ground gradually using the eSrth to fill up tho hollow 1 on the west of the building. They have 1 already asked the Counoil to have the ro- 1

mainder of the street line on the south side cut down to the proper level, but that body has declined to do the ■work on the score of want of funds, at the same time offering the Board permission to do the work and use the soil for filling in purposes. This offer was not accepted, for the Board, of course, has not the power to devote its funds to the improvement of public streets. The whole work would not cost a large sum, and seeirig that if it is not performed ■. a - narrow bank will be left, .which, in addition to.proving a decided eye-sore, may prove a source of danger to the school children, the Council might very reasonably devote a, little of its limited stock of money to the work. It might fairly, at any rate, meet the Board half way, and offer to cut away the unsightly embankment on the condition that the Board paid for the cartage away of the earth. The adoption of such, a course would prove mutually advantageous —the Council would have the street permanently widened, and the Board would receive sufficient material to fill up the unsightly hollows in the school grounds, while the appearance of the building would be improved, and the safety of the scholars ensured.