NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL AND THE REFORM PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 149, 19 November 1914, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL AND THE REFORM PARTY.

To the Editor. •^ lr > 1 have intensely amused as a member of tl'e public who rays scot and lot at the statement made 'by Jlr. Okey at his Fitzroy meeting and at the laudatory leading article in i>n evening paper. I have no doubt that 'Mr. n)kev did his best for the school so far as 'Jiia ability extcided, but it seems to m« a very .poor best. So far as I ean gathe:- from the "talk" which in a small community like ours, deals with a matter of this great importance pretty thoroughly, the tr.llo'.ving is a lare statement of What lias happened: The Minister of Education visited New Plymouth. lie was 3hown over the school grounds and informed that tin Board was compelled ihroush the increased attendance to convert the old gymnasium into class rooms and to erect a new gymnasium, Moth projects meaning an expenditure of say, £11500; that the was -more than sympathetic in his reply; that the Board borrowed the money, and !iias expended £itine but is unable to get one pinny towards paynent of the "sum expended; (hat at the same time the pressing needs of the girls were brought forward and urged on liis attention, that lie was again sympathetic; that after repeated applications nothing has been done ,but r.hat, on the Supplementary Estimates mind you—an dthis marks the degree of importance s> scribed to the matter—appears a vote for £JOOO for a girls' high school. That the vote is not specifically for a girls' high school at New Plymouth in terms; that the vote is a conditional one, and that the money would have to be voted at the next sessions of Parliament .hefore an ynmn but a rank idiot would expend money on the faitli of its being on tlis Etimates, that the elections are elose (it hand, and if New Plymouth is not going to be in the usual discard, the citizens better get something better than a vote on the Supplementary Estimates wftieli dons not even mention New Plymouth. Candidly, do you think there is anything to be proud of oil the part of any supporter of the present Government? i\Vhat would you think of any board which started building in such a nebulous condition of things? A certain print w 1 tn the fine optimism whieli distinguishes it in matters like this, savs the Board can go ahead. Can it?—Plafcin etc., BOSKER.