Education Bill

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 51, 21 July 1914, Page 6

Education Bill

NEW PLYMOUTH'S PROTEST. LAUGH PUBLIC MEETING. STROXGLY-'WOKDED RESOLUTIONS. The large attendance at last night's public meeting called for the purpose of voicing a protest against tlie proposal in the Education Bill to eliminate th" Taranaki education district as auch was ample proof of the genuineness of New Plymouth's feeling oil the matter. The Town Hall was filled to overflowing, and tlie attendance was most representative. Ilis Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. E. Wilson) presided.

TIII3 MAYOR'S VIEWS. Mr. Wilson remarked that the meeting wis called /or tlie purpose of considering a Kill dealing with the education of the children of the Dominion. As far as the general object of the Bill was concerned, most Taranaki peo:>!e would agree that it was a useful one, but the matter which chiefly concerned Taranaki as a whole and New Plymouth in a very material degree, was the question of the proposed boundaries of the education districts. New Plymouth had been the seat of educational control in Taranaki, or the greater part of it, for many years, and those who had lived in this part of the district, and who had an eye to the future growth of tlrj district, had looked forward to the time when Taranaki would become a thicklypopulated district—a province which, a» most of them knew, went as fir north as Mokau and inland to yie ricli district of the Ohura. The bearing which this had on the question before tlie meeting was that most of them thought that tlie future growth of Taranaki had .not been considered by the framcrs of the Rill. The framcrs had therefore decided to abolisli the .Taranaki educational district, and to merge it into a district to lie controlled from Wangaimi. lie drew attention to a map which, lie said, would explain the present position. It would be obvious, he said, that tin re was a serious objection to a district—sliapcd as was tlie proposed Egmont district, which would include partof Wanganui and Taranaki—being controlled from a point almost at one end of it, and he and others who had gone into the matter were satisfied that the boundaries of the proposed districts might altered with advantage, not only in that Taranaki would retain the control of the education of her own children, but also with advantage to .some of the adjoining districts. The Bill proposed to establish five districts in the North Maud—Wellington, Ifawkc's Bay, Egmont (in which Taranaki was to be embodied) and two in Auckland, namely, North Auckland and Waikato, the latter controlling the southern part of Auckland. As far as convenience of administration was concerned, it was obvious that certain parts of the provitice could !':• controlled from Taranaki—for instance, the north of Mokau, and Ohura, which were in the Taranaki province. Parts of South Taranaki, as far north a-, Eltham. now under Wanganui, could be similarly controlled. The position was that the people of Taranaki were in a position to suggest to the House that if the Taranaki district were retained, and some additions made, the proposed Waikato district coulil be eliminated and Auckland left with a more manageable district. To the Wanganui district could he added parts which were in the Wellington educational district now. ITe would move a resolution which should act as the most vigorous protest ;iossible against taking from Taranaki the education of her own children. Thcv had seen too much of this filching of Taranaki's rights. (Applause). They had lost from New Plymouth and the district one thing and another because no protest had been raised, and it should lie made clear that it would no longer be tolerated. (Applause). It. was for the meeting to show clearly that it was strongly opposed to the abolition o? the Taranaki education district and hoard, and that they were prepared to bring before the House a perfectly workable alternative scheme, which would benefit all parties. lie moved—

That tliis meeting protests against tin' abolition of the Taranaki education district, as proposed in the Education Bill now before the House, and is of opinion that while still retaining five areas, the boundaries can be so adjusted as to provide for: (a) The retention of the Taranaki Kducation Board in its profit location (New Plymouth); (b) a comparatively equal proportion of school population and schools of various grades; (<•) districts more easily and elliciently worked from (heir various centres; and that in view of the very great increase in the iiopulation of the Taranaki district which will follow the development now in progress and anticipated in the near future, the removal of the control of educational matters from tlie eupit.il town of Taranaki would lie seriously detrimental to the best interests of

the people. His Worship added that he felt very strongly on the matter. New Plymouth was only iust coming into lie" own. Tic l town had a harbor and -hipping facilities. and was backed by a rich district, and it would lie a grave mistake to let the control of education go. J[e had noticed the rapid growth of Aucklan 1. whose position wa- similar to Tarinaki's. and In- looked forward to the time when Xew Plymouth's growrh would move wtili eiputl rapidity. Mr. 11. l'aker seconded t'le motion. He referred to the filching :'rom Xew Plvniouth of the foreshore and tin l Public Works Department, saying it was about time this should stop. The meeting would he accused of parochialism and local sellishness. hut he contended that it was justifiable patriotism. lie referred to tile loss of business and trade through the filching oF such :>.p, institution from the, district. Mr. If. Trimble (chairman <>!' the Tiranaki Kdncation Poard) al.-n support - ed the re-o luiion. fie v/;ts »1;kI In .-tv so larn V a meeting, ami was sure that, flic Xorth Isle,id cou 1 d be divide! bet'-'r than the Hill proposed. South Auckland could be worked from this end. and in a few years this would be still more apparent. He pointed out that tii.« ocean trade which it was hoped file harbor would bring would have to b« fed by a. coa-tal service between Xcw Plymouth and Raglan, which would establish connection between New Plymouth and Auckland, and the Strut-ford-Main Trunk line wouhl provide further connection, which wa- even :iow ■possible in summer by r<>,tJ. This would bring Taranaki into touch with territory which was until five or six years ago pnrt of the Taranaki education district. Then the district could go further south. Wanganui could be altered if necessary—personally he was doubtful whether the Wanganui district, was wanted at all—but at least, the territory to the south of Stratford which was now controlled by Wanganui could he reclaimed for Taranaki. It should be made plain to the members' for the district that if the Hovernnmnt passed the Bill, and thev continued to support

t,ho Government, they would no longer be wanted by the electors of Taranaki. He "had lioard it said that the matter would be submitted to a Royal Commission, and lie wished to make it clear that if this were so the Taranaki district would go. He hoped the matter would he taken up by meetings in other parts of the district. It must be made clear that members must support a Taranaki district. The exact boundaries of that district were not of moment at present, but it must he a Taranaki district, with New Plymouth at its head. The motion was carried unanimously. INSTRUCTING THE MEMBERS. Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer then moved the [following resolution: ! That copies of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Education, the Hon. 0. Samuel, the Hon. W. C. Carncross, and Messrs Okey, Ilino, Wilkinson. Pcarce and Wilson, members nf .he House representing Taranaki; aud that the members be requested to n:«; their utmost endeavors to secure a readjustment of education district 'boundaries with a view to retaining a Taranaki education district.

Tt was necessary, Mr. Bellringev pointed out, that the representatives of the district should, preserve a solid front on the matter. The proposal objected to was most iniquitous, and was ft retrograde step. The history of the Taranaki Education Board showed that its administration, though beset with difficulties, had been good, and merited the support of the district, lie was pleased to see all Shades of political opinion represented, and was certain the Minister would he convinced of his error, He quoted utterances of Mr. Allen's reported in the New Zealand Times as evidence that he had not considered the interests of individual districts. He hoped the committee elect,Vl would stop at nothing to bring the -protest home to t:i i House. The Rev. A. JR. Chappell also supported the resolution. He quite shared fch.-> local feeling on the matter, while from a wide knowledge of New Zealand lie was sure that boundaries could be arranged with more regard to community of interest. He was certain that if the Taranaki education district were wiped out it would have to be restored in the near future.

The motion was carried unanimously. A COMMITTEE SET UP. The following resolution, proposed by Messrs J. Paton and Ohaney, was alio carried:— That a committee of seven, with power to add, be appointed to suggest boundaries for the new Taranaki education district as proposed by this meeting, and to take such steps* as may be advisable to bring before the Minister of Education and Parliament the objections to the provisions of the Education Bill now before the House. The following committee was elected; His Worship the Mayor (ex officio), Messrs W. J. Penn, H. Trimble, Rev. t'happell, F. 0. .T, Bellringer, J. Paton, John Skinner and T. C. List. His Worship intimated that he intended to ask local bodies in other parts of the district to call similar meetings. SCHOOL COMMITTEI;.-:" ASSOCIATION. At a later meeting of the North Taranaki School Committees' Association executive the following resolution was carried:—"That the Association protests against the abolition of the < Taranaki education district, believing it to be inimical to the best interests of education in this important district, and suggests that the present district should be enlarged so as to take in the provincial district of Taranaki, together with the counties of Awakino, Ohura, Kawhia, 'l'aupo West, Waipa and Waitomo."