WEST END SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1918, Page 7

WEST END SCHOOL.

PROPOSED REMOVAL TO OUTFIELD ROAD. DEPUTATION TO BOROUGH COUNCIL. ! A deputation from the Taranaki Education Board, consisting of Messrs S. 0. Smith and P. J. H. White waited on the New Plymouth Borough Council on Monday night for the purpose of discussing with the Council a proposal to exchange the present site of the West End School for a site on the borough reserve on Cutfleld, at the Mar of Western Park. The deputation was accompanied by Mr. P. S Whitcombe, secretary to the Education Board. Mr. Smith, who was chief spokesman, apologised for the absence of the chairman of the Board (Mr. R. Masters;, who was indisposed, and also for the absence of Mr. H. J. H. Okey, M.P., who was greatly interested in the proposal, but who had been called away to Wellington on urgent business. Mr. Smith said for some years there had been an agitation on the part of parents of scholars for additions to the playground and also complaints that the school was in an unhealthy locality on account of the stream that ran in the vicinity. The Board had received such complaints and had set up a sub-committee to investigate them, and that committee had reported in favor of securing a new site and erecting a new school. The site suggested was part of the borough reserve in Cutfleld road, and the object of the deputation was to ask the Council to sanction the exchange of the present school site for the one suggested. It was estimated that if a school was erected on the site proposed, the attendance would soon go up to the maximum approved by the Department, namely 700 scholars. The Board had no other property but the site of the present school to offer in exchange for the new site where it was hoped to acquire five acres on the Cutfleld road frontage. He pointed out that New Plymouth did not at present possess a decent primary school building, ft was unlikely that the Department would agree to the erection of .an up-to-date building on the present site of the West End School and it was hoped that if the exchange suggested was effected there would he at least one modern school erected in the town.

Mr White in supporting the request, pointed out that the average attendance at the West End School for the last quarter of 1917 had been 522. and for these children to have to play on an acre of ground in which there was a big gully, and on which also the school liuilding stood, was not very satisfactory. The deputation wan not simply asking the Council to be generous, but was asking them to do what was really essential in the interests of the children. In reply to a question Mr. Whitconihe said there were ">0 scholars at the Westowii side school. The Mayor,.in reply, said the deputation could be assured that the Council saw the seriousness of the position and would give the matter tlieir earnest en.isidcration .He thought a sub-com-ir.ittee should be appointed to confer ivilll the Education Board and go fully into the matter.- He knew the Council would look at it from the Board's point of view, and would endeavor to come to a decision in the best interests of all parties concerned. Replying to Cr. Brown, Mr. Whiteombe said the Board had no power over the Education reserve near the Western Park. In a further explanation Mr. Smith said the proposal also affected the position at Spotswood. The Mayor assured the deputation that no time would be lost in going into the matter. • The deputation then thauked the Council and withdrew Cr. Short said he thought the matter was urgent. Tho Council should not look merely at the question of values in considering the matter, for after all a school oil the proposed site would be of great value to the borough. The Mayor said lie was in 110 way opposed to the proposal or the interests o' the children, but he wished to guard the borough reserves. There were not over many of them and if New Plymouth was a small place now it would not be so always. He thought the matter should lie gone into very carefully. It. might be possible to make some other arrangement. Cr. Deare said he was strongly in favor of the deputation's proposals. Cr. Griffith suggested setting up a subcommittee consisting of Crs. Clarke. Deare and himself to inspect the two properties and report on the proposal to the Council. The motion was seconded by Cr. Hayden. On (he suggestion of tjie Mayor that a member of the Reserves Committee should he on the sub-committee the name of Councillor Hill was added and the motion was carried.