THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 1912 THE TRUST LANDS TRUST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10717, 11 September 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 1912 THE TRUST LANDS TRUST.

The Masterton Trust Lands Trustees spent two hours last flight in arriving at the determination that if a Hign .School, with an agricultural leaning, is established in this district, it will rentier such an institution assistance. This is the only outcome cf all the beating of drums, spilling of ink, and noisy tlecjamation to which the public has been treated during the last month | or two. Tho Trustees wore last night in excellent iß'ood. They did not even try to raise the dust, as they might well have done, over the undignified action oi' one of their members in publishing the report of a tee before they had been given the opportunit yof discussing it. In point of fact, all the Trustees did was to give an assurance, as they were entitled to do, and as their predecessors have always done, tliat they will render such assistance to higher education as their funds will permit. They did not adopt the "Robinson report." because tho franier of that report was evidently rather ashamed of it. Tho, resolutions passed by' the Trustees commit them to nothing. The only j important 'suggestion contained in tho report, whicih was reduced to a resolution, wa.s that the system of making grants to the primary schools by way of capitation should be withdrawn. This resolution, remarkable to state, did not find even a seconder. Although j the report was supposed to have omanaifed from Messrs Robinson, Wagg and Michel!, the only one who was prepared to .support it in its entirety was the one who framed it. and tried to palm it on to tho public n-s the findings of a committee. Mr Robinson will doubtless endeavour to clear himself with the public on th?s point. He absolutely failed 1 to do so at Inst night's meeting of the Trust. We need not pursue this aspect oF the question 'further in the meantime, as it lias no direct bearing upon* the largf issue that is at stake, viz., that

of founding in Masterton a secondary institution which will he worthy of tlu; district. Nobody can fail to admir 1 •Mr Robinson for the energy he is throwing into the movement for the establishment of a High School, or j some such institution, in Masterton. ! Few will be found, 'however, to understand just what, lie is striving for. in tho first place he says lie wants High School similar to those at Pr morston North, Gore and Dannevirke. These are institutions which have developed from District High Schools, j and are maintained by tho State. The' j ho enys he wants agricultural high J schools similar to those recommended by the Scottish Commissioners and 'Education Commission. These institutions have not the slightest resemblance to tho High Schools at P:ilmereton North and the other places named. Again he asks* that farm schools similar to that at Marton be organised. The Marton farm school is purely and simply a development of the agricultural course at the District High School, and a similar course of study could possibly be obtains for Masterton without any disestablishment whatever, if the settlers of tho district were, to 1 co-operate with the Education Board. With all these J proposals one can be excused- for be- 1 ing perplexed to know what Mr (Robin- J son is really after. He may know himself, but it would seem that he if not anxious that other people should know. In all his spending of energy and ink he has not yet given the slightest indication of how lie proposes to finance one or other of the projects which he has so crudely outlined. He may be reserving his details for tho ' meeting of delegates to bo held to- j day. Jn any case, as was pointed out at the meeting of tho Trust byMr Jackson last night, lie lias not yet thought fit to con suit, the chief •educational authority of the district'on any', of the proposals he has made. Whether Ihe lias intended to -slight th© members of that institution is hard to say. The fact remainf* that he has gone about the whole business in a slovenly manner, taking his advice from Dick, Tom and Harry, and never to enquire, the possibilities of 'either one" scheme or the otherUThis i is why he ig , to-day in a desperate j muddle over the whole business. Even i at" this late hour, if lie wishes to be of genuine serivce to the town (as we 'believe he docs) he will;retrace his, j footsteps and strive for something that ! ig. attainable, instead of barking at i the mcon. {