WEST END SCHOOL SITE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 October 1919, Page 5

WEST END SCHOOL SITE.

COMMITTEE MEET BOROUGH COUNCIL. A deputation of the West End School Committee, witli whom were associated Mr. J. D. Sole as of tho \Vestown Progressive Association, and Mr. P. J. White, of the Education Board, and Mr. D. Evans, headmaster of the schooL waited on the Borough Council last night with a view to having negotiations re-opened for the exchange of part of Reserve T as a site for a new school. Mr. W. W. Thompson (chairman of the committee) acted as spokesman, and presented a petition containing the signatures of 500 ratepayers and householders of the school district, who desired that the site should be secured for the purposes of a school. He apologised for the absence of Messrs. J. B. Roy. P. S. Johns (chairman of the Chamber of Commerce), and R. Masters (chairman of the Education Board). In reply to the Mayor, Mr. Thompson said the Education Board was only unofficially represented on the deputation. Mr. White, in supporting the proposal, said he had the authority of the Board for stating that they were prepared end would be pTeased to re-open negotiations for- an exchange of any equity thev possessed for the site at Reserve T. .^I*I«Messrs. Sole and W. Nash supported the project, and Mr. Evans (the headmaster), also spoke on the question of the unsnita-bility of the site ana the internal conditions of the school life, which resulted frsm its present situation. The Mayor said it appeared to him that the" speakers were urging the Council to do something that the Education Board should do. It was not the fault of the Council that the West End School was on ar. unsuitable- or an unhealthy site. He did not think the Council would come to an immediate decision, but he was sure they would consider the matter seriously at the next meeting. His own attitude was that the Education Department had no righ to ask the Borough Council to give up their lands. He did not think the Education Board had looked for any other site. The Council had never had an offer of anything definite ic exchange for the reserve, but if tho committee could get the Board to offer something like Value for the site then he thought negotiations might be re-opened.