MASTERTON TRUST LANDS TRUST

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10717, 11 September 1912, Page 5

MASTERTON TRUST LANDS TRUST

THE ROBINSON REPORT. A SERIES OF RESOLUTIONS. A special meeting of tho Master-tun Trust Lands Trust was hold last evening, to consider what is known as .tho "Robinson report.'' I Hero were present—Messrs R. Krahagen (chairman), \V. Jl. Jackson, 'l'. O. K. Pragnell, Tj. Ca.selberg. 'l'. B. MicheJl and 0. E; HajucJl. Mr Robinson stated that, on behalf .of tho committee, he.had tho honour of presenting tho committee's second report, which had .already received fax.ll publicity. The first of tho recommendations was t-b.at tho committee should ..give all information, and moral assistance to the movement to establish a High School in Masterton. To secure

-this High Schaol, .the District High School would require to be disestablished. The High School * would be open to boys and girls. It was suggested that the Trust .should assist the High School when, established by the Government through ihe Education Boatd. The Edueafckm Commission had, strongly recommen.cVxl the disestablishment of the District High Schools, and the estaWishment of agrjaulfrural high schools. This was practically what the conMcittce and the Scottish Commissioners recommended. It was also recsunmended that they get into touch with the A. iand P. Association, with a view of at once establishing farm schools similar to that in existence at Martoii, Mr Robinson stated that ho had received a recommen&ition from a Martou expert that agricultural high scht&ols similar to those in Victoria should fee (established. The' speaker then referred to that portion of the report dealwith capitation grants. There had been some misapprehension over -theproposals contained in the' report in this (Connection. He did not desire to withdraw the grants from primary' schools. To make the matter-clearer, he now proposed that the grants of. the Trust be made at the beginning of every year on the estimates of the requirements of each school. Mr Rob-' inson did not think it a function of the Trust to do the work which should properly fall on the Education Board. So far as the Roman Catholic: School was concerned, he would tr*-at that in the same way as tjie State schools?. Mr C. E. Daniel! congratulated Mr I I Robinson upon the very moderate tone he had adopted'. There, was not the same sign of rancour as in the , past. Mr Daniell stated that he had had an, idc» concerning this matter for. some .years. He "congratulated Mr Robinson' upon haying awakened, enthusiasm in Trust matter's/' "So' far as the first two proposals were concerned, there could be no great exception to them. Mr Daniell pointed out that for years he had advocated an institution of the. character suggested. He thought that the revenues from the Government reserves' in the district should be expended oji secondary' education: The Trust had already set aside £SOO in building for such purposes as secondary education. So far as the recommendation to malco grants as required was concerned, he considered this would open the way to that patronage which they all objected to. The capitation proposal had been framed by the speaker, and the late Mr Pownall. Mr Daniell stated that i he would not be a party to stinting the grants to the primary, schools. In other schools in the district, they had ( to get tip concerts and make collec- , tions to maintain their schools. Ma-s----terton was in the happy position that ! 1 it did not require to .1:0 round with the hat; He did not think the Trust had power to put the whole of its funds into a High School, though ho was strongly in favour cf a High School.

Mr W. H. Jackson said he wou?d be sorry if anything ho had to say mighty lead to. tho im-rcression that he war- !

hostile to higher education. It ' appeared to him a great pity that the report had been prepared in such haste, 'and with such a slight knowledge of the facts surrounding the establishment of high schools. He could not gather from the report what Mr Robinson was working for. There was a great difference between an agricultural high school and a high school with an agricultural basis. Mr Jacksoil said ho heartily supported the proposal contained in the Education Commission's report in regard to the establishment of an Agricultural high school. A high school' with an-- -agricultural bias would be worse than useless. Before a High School could be established, the Education Board had to recommend it. The report of the committeo would be useless without the consent of the Education Board being first obtained. Tho Waitaki High School had an income from its own reserve.': amounting to £1430 per year. Other schools had also endowments. Mr Robinson asked what endowments the High Schools at Gore, Hamilton, Palmers ton North and Dannevirke possessed, . Mr Jackson stated emphatically that not one of those High Schools had been established entirely by Mie Minister of Education. So far as the farm* schools were concerned, Mr Robinson was probably not aware thr.t this was already provided at the Masterton District High School. AH they required were the animals and tho implements. Thero was no mu-oi; wh v the children from the District High School should not l;e sent r.it 10 fi-.rms and given the same 'nstrHctioii as was given at Marton. If the.v were going to try and secure an institution, let. them' make up their minds what sort of institution they required. They should ask themselves the question, what is the best institution for this district? So far a>s the grants vvora concerned, Mr Jackson stated'that ho would fight to the last against any interference with tho primary grants. Thero were.9s per cent of the children in the district, which had no chance of securing secondary education. Mr Jackson said he knew the value that the Trust had been tn :iie primary schools. The want, from l oo Trust to tho District High School n:i<; £ll6, which represented tho amount which was paid for school cleaning. Under the Trust Act, tho Trust could not withdraw its grants from the primary schools. He could not sunprirt the recommendation that the Tru-st should fully support a High School. Mr 0. N. C. Pragnell paid it seemed to him that they had to be particularly careful about passing any one of the recommendations, because they might involve the altering of the Statute. Mr Pragnell he w«s strongly in favour of higher education. Ho had. however, a strong biasin. favour of the establishment of an agricultural high school, as recommended by the.-Education Com mission in its report to Parliament. This BC.hool would include all the higher i education as well. The report. a« at present framed, did not embody a«v .

■ financial proposals. If they support- ; .ed tho proposal in regard to a farm , school, they would be pledging their . revenues. In tho meantime, lie could < ; not support the recommendation ol ! ; the committee. Mr Pragnell pointed , out that tho Trust had now a substaji- ? .tial overdraft. So far as the grants , were concerned," Mr Robinson was il- : logical. Ho proposed taking the grants from tho many to provide for .the lew. Mr Pragnell thought that the proposal of Mr Robinson in re..gard to a High School went too far. Ho d<id not think a High School would bo much of an improvement upon th«v -District High School. Mr Robinson stated that the committee was recommending a high •school with an agricultural bias, i D- Caselberg said they were all .agreed that it was not for "the Trust , to establish High Schools. It was the- ; duty of .the Trust to support sucli institutions on their merits. Ho could: not support the proposals of Mr Rob-3-nsoii's report. Ho thought the Trustees should stick to the orfjini&l intention of tho founders of tho TrustHe could not support the report. Mr T. B. Michel 1 said ho had told Mr Robinson before tlie report was framed that he was not in favour of withdrawing the grants from the schools. Ho did not favour pledging their revenue for a High School until they know how their funds stood. He could .not- see that the Trust, could do anything at present in tho wav of a ' High School. Mr T. Wagg thought - tho Trust could very well afford to give £4OO or £SOO a year towards High Schools as well a s making the grants to tho primary schools. The chairman (Mr Krahagen}) thought tho whole question was one of finance. He would support tho' whole .thing if they had the funds; He did not think, however, that they had the funds at present. He could' pot support tho proposal to offer full" .support for a High School. Mr Jackson suggested that tho.mat- . ■tor ha held over until the EducationJ*oard had been consulted, So. far J Education Board, the supreme : in the district, had been entiro :• nored.

Mr Robinson, in reply, statec . (; he had understood that Mr M. ,iolf had concurred in of } port. Ho felt that the Xros* was not in sympathy, as a body, tile proposal he bad been sent to the I'rus£ to carry out. He would the-eforo have very little to say in reply. He wanted to consolidate the whole of the District High Schools in tho. district. While-he personally objected to patronage, he did not consider .thero was any patronage when institutions made applications for'grant's. Mir RobirisoW then moved, '"That the Robinson com-, mittee bo authorised to give its moral support and assistance to the High School Establishment Committee."

This resolution was seconded by Mr Michel], and carried unanimously. A further resolution by Mr Robinson, that the committee place itself , in touch with the 'A. and P. Association, with a view to securing the establishment of a farm school, was also carried.

Mr Robinson then, moved that the system of making capitation grants to primary schools be withdrawn, with a viciv to grants being made on estimates of requirements. This resolution was not seconded, and consequently lapsed. Mr Robinson moved, "That tho Trust Lands Trust are in favour of assisting, out of the funds of the Trust, a High School if the same is established 'here, with a view to establishing" separate institutions for boys and for girls, and to giving a strong agricultural side to the Boys' High School."

- Mr Michel] -seconded this resolution. Mr Prague!! suggested an amendment to the effect that if the High JEfchool Establishment Committee is successful in its efforts this Trust, will, consider the claims of the High School to support on its merits. After considerable discussion, the resolution of Mr Robinson v.'as carried on the voices. The meeting then adjourned.