The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1918. EDUCATION ALL IMPORTANT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 400, 13 August 1918, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1918. EDUCATION ALL IMPORTANT.

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."

The Pukekohe Borough Council have very wisely lost no time in putting Into train arrangements for a poll ot ratepayers to be taken on the proposal to raise a loan of £2500 for the purpose of securing suitable land to be offered to the Education Deparmentas a site foi a technical high school. True the consent of the Governor-ln-Oouncil, under the provisions of the Appropriation Act appertaining to war regulations, has yet to be obtained but, as the sum of money required is comparatively small and the issue at stake is of an important character, the Council are justified In assuming that there will be no difficulty in that quarter. The

result of the poll is of vital moment not only to the borough of Pukekohe but to the greater portion of Franklin County for on ft depends whether or not opportunities for advanced education will be afforded • locally for" the rising generation of the district. The Minister for Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan MP.) when in Pukekohe recently gave, in effect, a definite promise that iUand was offered to the Department the de-* sired school would be erected. Recognising that the County of Franklin is directlyand materially concerned In improved educational facilities being afforded at Pukekohe the County Council last Thursday unanimously agreed

to accept responsibility for a half share of the liability incurred by

the loan as projected and thus although for the sake ot convenience and to facilitate procedure the Pukekohe rates are to be pledged as a security for the loan sjuch is being only done in a legal sense as in actual practice Pukekohe's ratepayers will only assume half of the responsibility at a cost of (roughly) £75 per annum. For this mere monetary Ilea bite, so to speak, Pukekohe will be placed in possession of a scholastic establishment that will enable up-to-date and secondary education to be imparted to those desiring knowledge in advance of that given at the primary school and in this connection it must not be overlooked that the war has proved beyond a doubt that the future of the world will be guided by the nation that most efficiently teaches its young. From a national as well as from a parochial standpoint it is therefore all important that Ihe ratepayers of Pukekohe should not hesitate to accord to the proposed loan their unqualitled consent.