GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1921, Page 4

GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL.

BOARDING-HOUSE FUND. ' MORE ACCOMMODATION WANTED, The present position of the scheme of the Old Girls’ Association in connection with raising funds for the erection of a boarding-house at the New Plymouth Girls’ High School was explained by Miss Douglas when speaking last night at the school’s annual breakingup ceremony. Miss Douglas said that the scheme was really launched about 15 month? ago, and up to the present they *.ad received in actual easily and promises about £1635, some of this being in-' terest-bearing. They had hoped by the end of this year to have reached tha end of the second thousand, but it had been a hard year in many ways. But they were not discouraged, and she desired to extend the thanks of the association to all who had helped, including those who had supported the marts and the girls who had assisted. A mart day had been held at Inglewood and brought in £3O. Jt was a small effort, but was heralded with pleasure, as it was the first distinctive country effort. The association had always received good assistance from the outside districts, but apart from that no individual effort had been organised. It was hoped that next year each district would try and arrange some function of its own. They were indebted to the principal (Miss Mclntosh), '0 the staff', and to the girls for the great help they had been. They were also grateful to the mothers who conducted a mart' day recently. Next year it was probable that the association would" conduct the campaign on slightly different lines, but would, have to be guided by circumstances. The position regarding the boardinghouse, however, remained unchanged, as the annual report from the principal showed that the accommodation was not equal to the demand. When the time was opportune it was the intention of the association to appeal to two sections of the community that they had not been much in touch with. A slight canvass had been made in the town, and. it met with a very good response. Then matters were rather depressed commercially, and for this and other reasons the association cancelled the canvass. They had not -forgotten it, however, and hoped to make an appeal to the heads of the business men of the town, and then to their pockets. Miss Douglas proceeded to illustrate her meaning by an apt argument, showing that a boarding-house for 53 girls must be of benefit to the town in the matter of business. The association, therefore, felt that they need not apologise to the business men of New Plymouth when approaching them, for if the presence of a school of 53- boarders was of benefit then they would see that with 150 pupils they would do a great deal better. The association hoped also to make an appeal to the farmers of Taranaki. The farmers were justly proud of their high-grade cattle, and the association was confident they also realised that far more valuable to Taranaki were, high-grade boys and girls. “We have given them fail- warning,” said Miss Douglas, “and .when the time is ripe we shall approach the two sections of the community. When the board has some convenient building scheme we shall be only too pleased to hand that over to them that they may collect the Government subsidy of £ for £ on it.” Miss Douglas’ remarks were received with hearty applause by the gathering, and proved an endorsement of the remarks made earlier in the evening by *the chairman (Mr. J. 'B. Fox), that the old girls had been an example to the people of the tojyn • for the live interest they had taken in [“the school