WEST END SCHOOL SITE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1919, Page 7

WEST END SCHOOL SITE.

MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS. There was on attendance of about 50 householders at the meeting which was held In the West End School last nleht to consider the best moans of procuring a suitable site for a new school for the district. Mr. w. w. Thomson, chairman of die committee, traversed the matters icuding up 10 tho present position. The Borough Council had had a good deal of discussion In connection with the school site at Tuknpa. Thero had been some misconception over the siic, os many people thought It referred to the football ground surrounded with terraces. The piece they were after was never used except for grazing cows, etc. It was sheer nonsense to say that they were attempting to filch the people's play ground. He asked could It bo put to a better use than for children's playgrounds? Mr. Collls had suggested that the r.ducatlon Board had been asked to buy a Piece of land the school sido of the Tukapa reserve, but Mr. Smith assured him that Ihero had never been any other- prdperty under offer, and asked him to give the statement an emphatic denial.

c l , en ma a ,etter fr °m Mr. S. 0. bmlth, MP., apologising for his absonc» owing to a prior engagement, and assuring the committee that he was of opinion that an effort should again be made to secure the site suggested. Hod this been secured last riMi' b,. was of opinion thausbofor* this very definite steps would have fifim token In Ihe direction of providing ilio district with a modern, well-equipped, and up-to-date school cite. Ho was as k'oen as any olher member nf the community to prevent tho filching of Ihe people's play grounds, but by no stretch of Imagination could It be said that the proposal to build a school on a small portion of roserve T was filching public reserved, an f agreed to it meant putting that portion of the paddock to the best possible use, and be In the Intorests of the children of to-day and the future.

Mr. P. J. H. White, a member of the Education Board, said that he was not present to represent the opinions of the Board in the matter, but would try and put the position clearly and concisely as It was to date. He considered that some misconception existed as to the attitude of the Board In the matter, end also that of the Borough Council. He was not a member of the Board when the extension of the ground was mooted, but with a . T "} l . num l»r of over 'SOO It would be recognised that even with that extension tho ground would be Inadequate for the playing area, .and alio- the buildings accommodating guch aj the Board Intended to put tip on any site no* quired. He detailed the steps that the Board bad tnken in the direction of procuring sites for the school, and stated that with the exception of this reserve T, the Board had even yet not seen any site which it considered desirable In December, 1917, a deputation which practically comprised the whole Board, waited on the Borough Council and asked on what terras they would exchange portion of Reserve T, known as tho Tukapa football ground The Borough Council met them very cordially. In making tho proposition they told the Borough Council that the only site Ihey had to exchange was the present site of the West End school and not that until tho school was erected on Its new site. The outcome was that the Borough Council proposed the somewhat three cornered deal, which wtw that Instead of the Bordugh Council asking the Government • dlMefty for the cqntrol of Ralaplhihi and Rotokare reserves, they asked the Euucatlon Board to secure for them the control of thorn for all time, and in exchange they would give the Education Board i% **«» of reserve T facing north. As laymen not Wff In law they thougnt this exchange would go through very woll, but some of the members hod,their double, and so It transpired, as not even tho Mlrilstero were able to get it. put through. The Council, however: had not yet told the Education Board that that was their final word, arid the Education Board had jot told the Council that they could uot approach the Cbudcfl from another atandr point. Though he would not pledge the Board, He thought 11. was probable this would be dope Personally he did not Know of any other reserve suitable to offer in exchaiigo. WhHj not there to criticise (he Borough eouidll, he wanted .to reply to a statement made by Mr" Collls, as reported In the newspapers, that ihe owners of a certain property had Instructed his agents that if any overtures were made regarding it for the purposes of education they could offer It at 10 per cent, under the Qov. ernment valuation. When he read the paragraph in the newspapers It was the first he know of it. He was not satisfied that the site was a suitable one, arid; In any ease 1 e pointed out that when tho" Bofctujh Cooiv oil had agreed to grant- the piece of land «. quired under certain conditions. It wouffl not have been the right thing for the Education Board to have put the matter aside and looked for land elsewhere, and It was only during the n"\J"V»m .'S at '£ ms fm,nd ""Possible to get the Bill through the House giving the Borough Council absolute oontrol of the reserves Ho expressed tho view that It was Ihe duty of local bodies and ratepayers to take " n Interest In anything that tended to the welfare of the community in whloh they lived, and referred to the action ef the Hawer'a and Stratford Borough Councils arid theNaSl? people, as well as varloua districts round New Plymouth, In assisting to donate school sites Ho fifs ° B IS t . l i" t a rlßht » nd Pfiwr method If they had an Ideal condition in the Government as,,in all other things, they would have sufficient money to get all thev wanted from the Government and not. give nnythng themselves, tl, however, the Education Vote was raised to £3.000,000 It would not be sufficient to go round, because we b»% demanding more for our. ohlldron now Dim wo (lid In the past, and as the results 6f fal assons of the war, felt that they weulAave to depend on the child and the f«tut»lenerltlon than on the present, and that l/wViour duty therefore to fit them for th 9 IboraMtitlnA [hey would have to meet In th s fuTuT » they found the .Education Department had only money enough to fcutld up-tTiMe school* urnlsh thtt, and raise the .alarles of the teachers so as to provide the boat teachers' for the children, he did not think It would be much harm If the people were calledl on in provide a little for the site n ,0 Mr. Ftepatrlok said that his observations were ho thought animals hod more cSwallon for their young than of the West End district had for thelrTh" Vn It ™" dl3 ,*»r ">»' 'hey should Sit the£ mLC '^VT"" 1 ln ll <t«*l building and nlsn have 500 erowded In less haii half-an-acr*. If lhe p „ rcn i., hn d ,"„»"!! heir duty th.li eould have been remeu u long ago. I'almerstou North w.n talWng of closing one of its schools, he tl.ou.nt the lime had arrived to do the same here The present site was most unsuitable, and aonV Ihlng should be done at once. If the Education Department failed In its duty hen the committee should ge\ the Health Srtment to send an Inspector to condemn tho school hj„., ».?; •' se*w5 e *w ' n,n ™w. d th»««<i«»uu„n™™it.&n.a,.t,owttlh Council .and ask then, ~r * c £ n ,lder the mitt " at reserve T Mr. Broome seconded the resolution It was suggested by some speakers' that leas L than i% acres would be suitable, as tbVb»l«l nnco of the reserve would be available for playing purposes IOT

Mr White said that if he *es to lose hi. seat In the Education Borpu to .*oSu not accept any less area than 4 <* 4% acres ?'„" «' ta 'w » scheol with 50ft children Hi believed they would And the Borough Council when the position was again oiplalned as they part SJ&V" k ° n SWloUaly ™" Tk » £* * The resolution was carried. On the motion of Messrs. Dear* and Bennett he School Committee was a deputatlon with pewer to ad« to their number It Zfi o «,SS' e fh M *-J hat the dor.ut.tion would confer with the Bdncat on Board prior to waiting on the Borough Council.