ON THE WAR PATH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 314, 30 August 1932, Page 7

ON THE WAR PATH

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD DEMAND RETENTION OF TRAINING COLLEGES. LOSS TO DUNEDIN. "I want to make it clear that we are on the warpath properly, if we do not get what we want," declared Mr. James Wallace, chaii'man of the Otago Education Board, when at a recent meeting he emphatically expressed his determination to carry the fight for the retention of the Traing College to the Government camp. "I am satisfied that the people of Dunedin, and of Gtago and Southland are solidly behind us, and I am quite satisfied that the Minister of Finance knows it. I am not quite so satisfied that the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Mastcrs, realises the strength and force of public opinion being expressed in Otago. We would very much like to get Mr. Masters down here, face to face with us, to hear his opinion on the matter. We will take jolly good care that he gets our opinion. If he is willing to come down and face a public meeting, we will arrange it." A Member: Is there any chance of convincing him? "I always think that Mr, Masters is a man of common-sense," replied Mr. Wallace. "I have always given him credit for that, and still believe it, but think that he is wrongly advised. He can bring down the Director of Education. We are not afraid of anything they may put up, We do not want people in Wellington to get the idea that we are easing off the fight. The fight has not really begun yet. If they want fight, they will get it. It will not be carried on the way it is now. The basis of operations will be changed. "I have been told by men worthy of all respect that, if we want backing they will give it to us. I do not like to put the college on a monetary basis, but its retention, besides being a matter of justice to Otago, is a great matter of finance to Dunedin and Otago. You talk about the money to bo expended on tbe post office — that would be gone in three years, but the Training College expenditure is going on every year. The college is here. It is worth tens of thousands of pounds a year to Dunedin to have the college here."