MORMON COLLEGE OPENED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 271, 8 April 1913, Page 5

MORMON COLLEGE OPENED.

TO EDUCATE MAORI BOYS. A PHILANTHROPIC SCHEME. By Telegraph —Press Association. Hastings, Last Night. Between five and six thousand people, including the 1700 Jliioris who are attending the "hui" close by, were present at the opening of the Korangata (Bridge l'a) Mormon College on Sunday. The buildings, which stand in their own grounds of some 130 acres in extent, consist of a school-house, with a lecture hall and a church adjacent, and a workshop at the back for students. They are up-to-date in every respect. The rooms are both large and airy, and should fulfil entirely the objects for which they were erected. The cost of the buildings runs into something like f1'2,000, and the expenditure on land and for the farm implements for farming and furnishings for the college will bring the total cost somewhere near £17,000. It is hoped to start school work on Wednesday next; hut the authorities are uncertain yet what course of academic instruction will be pursued. Several have been suggested in a prospectus already issued, but until the instructors have bad an opportunity of testing the ability of the students 110 definite syllabus will be adopted. The students will, of course, have to take up the study of agriculture, which is the primary purpose of the college. Professor Johnson, who has charge of the colleges, comes direct from the United States to assume the presidency. Ho is a bright young University graduate. and holds degrees in.physiology and pedagogy. Yesterday he gave a stirring speech on his church as an educational factor. "One of the great mottoes," he said, "constantly held up before ilie young people was that the glory of God was intelligence. The great prophet of the church had said that men and women could not be saved in ignorance —they could only be saved when they gained knowledge, , With those princi- J pies before them, no one Could be sur- j prised that the pioneers in the,history 'j ot the Morm<iii : Church in- the United j States had erected school buildings. If anyone could visit their cities, towns or hamlets, he would find on every prominent corner a school building, devoted to the educational development of the young people. The erection of this college was inspired by the same spirit that liad dominated the erection of their other schools, which had for their proper object the training of young people in all matters pertaining to morals and secular branches of education. The New Zealand college had been opened for the exclusive use of Maori hoys. Young Maori boys who belonged to another church would be welcomed at the college, and would be taught in the same way as other students, though flier; present religion would not be interfered \yith. Europeans would not be admitted to the school. Their sole object in erecting the school was to give assistance in the better training and education of Maori hoys, in order that they might take their place in the activities of fh" commercial world and as intelligent citizens. There was no selfish motive underlying their college, which was philanthropic in its purposes. When it was said that the cost to a student for bis schooling, board, room, and the use of all modern conveniences for a year was only £l2, it would he seen that ihc church had not gone into the question for the purpose of making money.