Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1911. THE TRUST ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10246, 24 May 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1911. THE TRUST ELECTION.

The electors of the Mastertoii Small Farm Black (which, embraces i Lansdowne and the Upper Plain, as well as the Borougjh) will to-morrow have ■fee privilege of recording their votes in rtihe election of Trustees to administer the endowment which, by the collective foresight of pioneer settlers and a wise Government, 'has been set aside for the benefit of present and future generations. In exercising their privilege—for it cannot but foe regarded as a privilege which should be highly valued—electors should consider both .the present and the future. They (Should ramemiber that the primary object of the Trust wae to asisist in (the development of educational enterprises. The object of the founders of the Trust was partially .achieved when a free and compulsory system of State education was introduced in the year 1877. It was probably on this account that the Legislature, in subsequent years, enlarged the scope of the Trust so that works of general public utihty afs iwell as, of education might .be endowed. Notwithstanding, however, the extension of the functions of the Trust, it cannot be gainsaid that the primary object «rf the endowment is to promote and assist educational institutions. In this connection, one of the first musiderations should be the pro-vision of something better and more serviceable than m available in less favoured communities. The Voters have a right to expect, therefore, that the Trustees, with a revenue which has now reached £I6OO per larumm, <and -which is annually increasing, shall do isometihing tangible for the 'town. It is just a. question whether, at the present time, Maistertou is receiving full value for its money, and whether .some of the works undertaken with Trust grants should not be provided from other sources. Particularly does this question apply to tlie Masterton District High School and .to the Teohxidail School. B.otJli of tlwise Hnsfcrfcutiorcif* have been .liberally endowed, but the Trustees he va not, apparently, restricted their grants to works which

could not reason ably have been expected to have been performed by other bodies. Moreover, the Trustees have no defined policy for the future. Certain, mefmibens have made

general . statements .concerning the possibilities of an agricultural college, or 'something of the sort, but none of them—not even the dissatistfied Mi- Ejobinson— have so far evolved a scheme which might develop into a permanent benefit (bo the present, or -even future generations. )

RoMnison had submitted a concrete j proposal by which the present and I future generations would have de- ' rived conspicuous benefit, he would have deserved well of the town. But he has failed to do iso. He lias contented himself with criticising the financial policy of the Trust, which has been designed, rightly or wrongly, with a view to increasing the revenues of the institution. Even in the exchange of sites, 'an which he played so important a pant, he must have had in view the carrying out of the expressed will of ithe people in regard to the expenditure of borrowed money. Ais was 'previously pointed out in these columns, it is now too late to discuss the wisdom of pledging the estate "of the Tiuis.t in •the provision of buildings on certain sites. The electors decided this point at a poll, and it is leaitiisfaotory to find that, whatever the future may bring forth, the investments to date have proved of a profitable character. What the electors now require to know is the intention of the Trustees concerning the increasing revenues. What do .they intend doing for the present generation? It is not a part of their duty to hoard up money for the future. The very fact that their ti-usteeshap is temporary is an indication that their .duty is chiefly to provide for the existing generation. In making their selection at to-morrow's poll, the electors should 1 (bear in. mind thfe important aspect of the question. They have four really good men from whom to I choose. Every one of them appears to have the interests, of the town at heart, hut not one of them has submitted a definite proposal for the future. The people liave therefore to decide which of the four candidates are bast fitted to perform the func--1 tiions of trustees, and which of .ttem would ib© the most likely* to deal in an intelligent'and business-like man;ner witih the problems of itihie future.