BOYS OR GIRLS?

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1915, Page 6

BOYS OR GIRLS?

HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING SCHEME. ANOTHER DISCUSSION. The question of providing accommodation necessary for both the New Plymouth Girls' and Boys' High Schools, which has been before the Board for some months past, was again under discussion on Monday night. No finality, however, was reached, the matter being left in abeyance until next Monday nigh* Mr. W. N. Ew-ing moved that the lowest tender for the erection of the Girls' School be accepted that night. He said if this were done the school could, given fine weather, be opened the second term next year. The matter was one of urgent necessitj' in view of the circumstances that "they had just had to shift the school from one inconvenient building to one not quite so inconvenient. It would be a mistake to build in anything but concrete. The Girls' School was the most important work. Its erection had been delayed too long. Had it Tieen erected four months ago he considered the Board would have saved £SOO, and a further rise in the price of material might be expected shortly. Mr. Dockrill pointed out that the total cost of the three was estimated at £14,900 in concrete. This could be reduced by £7OO if iron were used for the roof instead of tiles. If wood were used the cost would be £11,680. The total money available in sight waß £ll,500. Tenders for the Girls' School and Boys' Boarding School had been received, but those for the Girls' Boarding School would not close until Wednesday, and he thought it would be advisable to defer the matter until then. Mr. Fraser considered that in view of the difference it would be better to deal with the matter as a whole and not piecemeal. Within fifteen years tlie Board had spent £IO,OOO in improvements at the Boys' School, which at the present time was worth £IO,OOO. They now proposed to expend another £SOOO in buildings, which would mean that £21,000 had been expended on the boys, whilst- the girls were unprovided for. They were trustees of an endowment for the children of Taranaki, not for the boys from Auckland to Wellington. He admitted that they could 'fill as many buildings as they could erect as long as they had their present master, who had made the school very popular. He considered that the Board had abused their trust most shamefully in shunting the girls out and making no preparation for them. In fact, it was a disgrace, and the members of the Board were the only ones that did not recognise it as such. As trustees for the boys and girls, he said that the available jnoney should be used for erecting a school and boarding establishment for the girls, so as to place them on an equal footing with the boys. It might even be necessary to erect some of the buildings in wood. Mr. Webster: I hope not.

Continuing, Mr. Fraser affirmed that if the Board spent more on the boys and left the girls, they were not carrying out faithfully the trust given them, but were robbing half the children of Taranaki. T.lie tenders received for the two buildings were read, Mr. Dockrill considered that with modifications they might be able to erect the three buildings in wood, and provide concrete dormitories in the boys' and girls' boarding schools, which would render them perfectly safe. He had a horror of putting children to sleep In wooden buildings. He put this before them for consideration.

Mr. Fox favored going in for the whole scheme in its entirety, anil building in concrete, which would last for ever. He thought thev should at once accept tenders for the Girls' School" and Boys' Boarding School. The Girls' Boarding School could wait a year or two, and meantime they could rent a building as they were doing at present. He could not see that anything was to be gained bv putting the matter off, and seconded the resolution. He had no intention of robbing the girls. He was on the Board to do his duty, and deprecated the idea of raising the question of boys versus girls. He thought the Board had t acted fairly well. Mr. Frascr moved that the matter be left in abeyance until all the tenders were received. He considered the Board had misappropriated the endowment in treatins the boys differently from the girls. Their conscience should tell {liem so. They should not gratify their vanity by building a school for boys from the Bluff to North Cape. Mr. Ewing pointed out that the Board had not kept faith with Mr. Moves. They had promised him a house and ha,d not kept their promise. Mr. Fraser said that he had great admiration for Mr. Moves. A house could be rented for Mr. Moyes within 100 yards of the school and leave accommodation for all the boys.

Mr. Ewing: Why did you not do this before? Mr. Fraser said that since the girls had been tumbled out of the , High School, he had been like a voice crying in the wilderness for justice to the girls in Taranaki. If this additional £SOOO were expended on the boys without the girls receiving equal consideration, he felt that the Government would say that they had not carried out their trust. In fact, he would go to the Government and point out the positively dishonest methods adopted by the Board towards the children of Taranaki.

Mr. Ewing pointed put that Mr. Fraser had never objected to one boy being introduced to the boardinghouse. He was therefore a party to the present position of the school, and it was utter nonsense to talk of being dishonest. Mr. Fraser said that when they had promised to build for the boys they had a grant of £4OOO promised for the Girls' School. The chairman remarked that it was the failure to obtain that £4OOO grant that was crippling the scheme entirely.

After a little further discussion it was decided to hold a special meeting on Monday evening to deal with the whole question.