THE URENUI SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 310, 25 May 1911, Page 3

THE URENUI SCHOOL.

1 MUCH ADO ABOUT LITTLE. At the last meeting of the Education Board a resolution was passed requesting the Health Department to inspect the Urenui School and the saleyards adjoining, and to report to the Board as to whether in its opinion the health 01 the children was endangered by the close proximity of the yards to the school building. This was the outcome of a discussion arising out of an application by the Urenui committee for a grant for the purpose of erecting a substantial iron fence along the boundary to prevent cattle driven to the adjoining saleyards from breaking into the grounds. Some strong comment was made concerning the nroximitv of the vards to the school.

some of the members describing the j position as "scandalous." A subsequent I visit to the yards by Press reporters, showed that there was really nothing "scandalous" in the position, and it was shown that the school had been placed on its present site since the erection of the yards. The school fence on the road frontage was in a bad state. Yesterday the question was revived, when Mr. Halcombe asked how long the Urenui committee was to wait before the piece of fence required was erected, i Were they to await the report of the health officer on the proximity of the salevards to Hie sehnnl» TTn afotv,o( I

the committee had made no complaint,' against Mr. King's yards, or about the 1 fence between the saleyards and the' school, and he understood that Mr. King | i is quite willing to remove the pig yards! to another part of his property if really] thought to be necessary. The committee merely complained of the state of i the fence .along the road boundary. The chairman said he had passed through Urenui since last meeting, and had inspected the school grounds, and j had been convinced that something was needed in the way of fencing, but he was unable to see what there was for a health officer to do. He had come to the conclusion that it was impossible to blame the proprietor of the sale-1 yards jn any way. The blame, if any,' must fall on the committee. He had no recollection of any previous complaints made by the committee concerning the proximity of the school to the saleyards. lie had been rather surprised on liis recent visit to And that <

the school, which he thought was near the middle of the school site, had been moved to the corner near the saleyards, and that the more recent additions had also been erected on the saleyards site. It was an astonishing thing, if a protest were required, that it had not been made earlier. Whoever had put the school there had committed a considerable error. The teachers, he understood, had not complained of smells, but sometimes the dust from the saleyards proved a nuisance, and in hot weather it was very inconvenient to have to close all the windows. There was the noise, of course, from the stock yards, but that could not be avoided,

and there was this question of keeping! the cattle out. The school fence on the road boundary was an ordinary farm fence, and three of the wires were down. A chain or so of galvanised iron fencing would prevent cattle breaking in near the saleyards entrance, and might also have the effect of keeping the children away from there, for their curiosity at

present led them to this part of 'the grounds, where they were sometimes likely to hear language other than that included in the school syllabus. One thing he must say was 'that lie could not compliment the Urenui committee on the condition of its grounds. In a natty little village like Urenui ho would expect to see almost model school

grounds. Xo live fences seemed to have been attempted, and the whole place had a forlorn and neglected look. The horse paddock was overrun with blackberries.

Mr. Halcombe said the chairman was mistaken wlien he said no planting had been done to make the grounds look tidy. Last season some 500 hedge plants had been planted, and it was hoped to have a good live fence in a few years. Again, there has been fine school gardens, the produce from which had been sold to the local hotelkeeper for .10s. These having just been taken out, the garden would naturally lack neatness. The committee had raised £5, and the board would be asked to grant a subsidy on this for ploughing and levelling the grounds, which work would be undertaken this season. Mr. HalcomVs mentioned that the committee had spwt some or £7 every year for cutting blackberries, and that was a big tax on its funds. The committee had also purchased an organ for use in the school, costing £ls. When he joined the committee' there was a brake of blackberry five or six feet high in the gully. Mr. Morton said he had had 4 t conversation on the matter with Mr. Shaw, manager for .Sir. Newton King, and be, had assured the speaker that Mr. Kirtg woulfl, if approached, assist the committee in erecting the necessary protective folic,e on the.road boundary, and would also certainly make the dividing fence to the satisfaction of the committee. The committee should approach Mr. King on the matter. He recognised the eieme.nt of danger as far as the children were concerned, and Mr. King was only too willing to obviate this as far its possible. The fencing applied for was authorised.