SCHOOL HOUSE SITE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1940, Page 3

SCHOOL HOUSE SITE

DISCUSSION AT PATEA BOARD AND COMMITTEE A satisfactory solution to the problem of finding a suitable site for the headmaster's residence at Patea public school was reached at a meeting of the committee with Wanganui Education Board members at Patea on Tuesday night. It was decided to advise the Education Department that the new house should be built on the, same section as the present residence. The school committee, which had decided to resign following the failure of its representations that the house should not be built on a part of the school playing area, then withdrew its resignation. Mr. G. N. Boulton, secretary to the board, advised that the Education Department had notified the board that the erection of the residence should be no longer deferred and to proceed lmmediately on the site originally selected by the board.

To Conserve Playing Area. For over two years the school committee had pointed out to the board- that the site chosen was not the best, said Mr. R. E. Moore, chairman of the committee. They felt it was a great mistake to take any part of the playing area for a house, as Patea was slowly progressing and they felt every yard of open ground was wanted. The smaller children and girls used one playing area and the bigger children the larger field, so that the smaller children should not get hurt. , , _ The first intimation the school committee had that a site had beem chosen was when the chairman, Mr. E. F. Hemingway, told them unofficially that ne and the architect had inspected the ground and chosen the site on a Portl°n of the playing area, continued Mr. Moore. The committee pointed out the disadvantages, but Mr. Hemingway had said they were only wasting their time; they could discuss it all night, but the matter had been settled and could not be altered. * That was not very helpful to the committee and previous committees who had put the playing area into good order and showed their interest by beautifying and improving the environ-

ment for the children. A letter of remonstrance was sent to the board and later letters went to the department, but the matter had gone on drifting. Suitable sites were suggested, but the committee had thought it was not its place to try to purchase them. It was the board's place to find a section other than by cutting up the playing area. He understood that the board had unsuccessfully endeavoured to Pl'r" chase a section opposite the memorial gates and had then notified the lessee that if he were not prepared to sell the site the board could take it under the Public Works Act. If that were possible, why had not the board acted? The board should try every opportunity of securing reserves rather than take away part of the playing area, suggested Mr. Moore. Apart from the committee's principal objection, the site chosen allowed the headmaster very little privacy, as it was close to the tennis court and swimming baths. The building up of the site of the old house for a playing area was too expensivefor the committee to undertake.

Visit of Minister. He agreed with the chairman of the board, said Mr. Moore, that the visit of the Minister of Education had been unofficial, but he felt it was unfortunate that the opportunity was taken to point out the proposed site when no school committee members were present to point out its disadvantages and put forward their point of view. ln rCcent months no notification had been rcceived from the board as to where the residence was going, the only information coming through the headmaster, who had a letter frorn the department. The committee felt it had lost the confidence both of the board and the denartment.

Mr. R. Mays stressed the fact that since' 1934 the school committee members had endeavoured to get a new house for the headmaster. They did not want the board or the residents of Patea to think they were antagonistic to a house being erected. He suggested that had the playing area been left i n its original condition the board would not have looked at it for a building site. In view of tbe suggested consolidation of schools it was a short-sighted policy to take ground which more than likely would be needed for playing area in the future, said Mr. E. Lash. Other members of the committee endorsed the remarks made. The board for some years past had realised the need for a new residence at Patea, said Mr. E. F. Hemingway, board chairman, and the former Minister, Mr. R. Masters, had been shown the house and agreed it should he rebuilt. Then the slump came and no grants could be obtained. He had viewed the school grounds that evening, said Mr. J. R. Wallace, board member for the west ward, and he could s-oreciate the enormous amount of work put into the grounds. The Minister's letter of August 23 was definite that the house was to be erected on the site chosen, he said, and he could understand the committee's exasperation.

Reslgnation "Going Too Far," The board was very much opposed to a committee with such service behind it resign- g, but he felt the committee was "carrying it too far," as it had a duty to ' the people who elected it, to the children and to their country. The board had been fighting the department since 1934 for the house, and it felt the isridence should be on the school grounds. The committee would have the old house site available for recreation. There was no doubt the football area would be reduced, but the committee would still have a good playing area left. "If the Minister of Education's letter determines the matter, what are we going to do?" asked Mr. Wallace. ''You will be left with an area you can't do anything with, so what can we do to assist you?" Mr. G. Francis: "Do you think the department will reconsider its decision?" Mr. Wallace: "No." Ilr. Francis: The matter has gone further than the school committee; the town is behind us and the Chamber of Commerce recently gave us support. If the department persists in its attitude, we shall persist and resign. Mr. Wallace asked if they did not think it better to have someone living on the school grounds. Mr. Bcauchamp replied that ' the grounds were overlooked by the police station. Mr. E. R. Hodge, board architect, suggested that perhaps the woodwork room which would shortly have to be removed could be moved now and the house built there, the tennis court to be removed to the old house site.

Solution Reached. Mr. Hemingway then moved that in the opinion of the meeting it was desirable that the site of the present residcnee be raiscd and the new residence erected thereon. the Government to be advised to tlus cfTect. The motion was secondcd by Mr. Francis and carncd. Mr. Hemingway said that when he chose the site in company with the architect he did not think there would be any complaint. In view of the fact that the school committee was unanimous that it was not desirable, the obvious way out was to appl.v to the Government and put Ihe residence on the old flte. In view of the objections raised

the Government would probably give a grant for the work of raising the see- ^ Mr. C. P. Bates (headmaster) suggested that the house could be erected behind the present one. little lcvclling thus being requircd. It was decided that the board s architect should meet the school committee on the site and report to the board. There would be a monetary savmg as drainage, lighting and other services were connected to the site, said Mr. Mr. Mays, supported by Mr. Moore, then moved that in view of the agreement reached at the meeting. the school committee withdraw its resignation. The r.otion was carried.