THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1912. THE TRUST LANDS TRUST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 23 November 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1912. THE TRUST LANDS TRUST.

Mr H. C. Robinson ie entitled to every bit of satisfaction he may dorive from the public meeting 'held by hini in the Masterton Town Hall last evening, 'For months past, with tho assistance of a journalistic claqtieur, ho has been endeavouring to create a suspicion in tho minds of the public that the business people who have boon entrusted with tho management of Trust affairs are a set of noodles, incompetent to fulfil tho terms of the Trust, and incapable of formulating anything in the shape of a policy. One of the points stressed' in support of this contention is that less than one per cent, on a capital value of £OO,OOO is expended in the cause of education. This is a specimen of tho fallacious line of argument that Mr Robinson and his admirers have been adopting all through tho piece, A fifth standard schoolboy would have no difficulty in knocking the bottom completely out of such, -a contention. Mr Robinson surely knows) —or, if he does not, he should know —that a large proportion of the Trust property is not revenue-producing. Take the valuablo site at the corner of Hall and Chapel Streotg as an example. This is valued at many hundreds of pounds, and yet it doeg not, and probably never will, bring in a penny of revenue. If critios of' the Trust were honest to themselvea and the public they would state the percentago that is expended upon education from tho actual revenues of the Trust, and not the percentage on the capital value >f Trust property. We have ourselves contended, and wo still con:end, that the Trustees, who have >een endeavouring by their building policy to swell the revenues of the Frust, should now set to work' to for-

mulate a definite scheme for the future. We Hare th» assurance that the Trustees intend doing so, and wo lipjro confident iu ability to

carry out ail undertaking, when the time arrivos, which will be of permanent value to the town. Whatever Air Robinson may say or urgo to tho contrary, we are satisfied that tho Trustees, as a body, are inspired with the one idea of administering the Truat revenues for tho good of the community as a wholo. And in this connection wo would cliallenge Mr or his claqueurs, to tliow n solitary instance in which tlio moneys of the Trust havo been wrongfully expended. It is very well to indulge in vague generalities and to make bald assertions. Will Mr Robinson givo a »spe£ilie instance in which the revenues of the Trust have been expended in a manner wliioh is not in accordance with the spirit of the Trust? Ho cannot! lie claims that for years past he Iras boon fighting for reform. What reform? What does he offer the people himself? Why, only a few weeks back ho asked tlhe Trustees to pass a resolution, inviting Sir Robert Stout, and the Inspectors of the 1 Wellington Education Board, to formulate an educational policy for tho 'lVust. Is this not an admission that ho is himself incapable of framing a | policy, and that his claim to be able jto effect reforms is unadulterated egoism and bluster? It was fortunate for tho reputation of the town, and for the dignity of tho Trust, that the Trustees as a body wero not prepared to admit their utter incapacity, as Mr Robiason would ha.ve them admit it. But what do wo now find? The gentleman who, on his own admission, is incapable of producing a policy, has the assurance to invito his coiieagues to admit what they refused to admit at tho Board table, that they are a get of incompetents, and to tender their so that those incapable of framing :i policy may be entrusted with the management of Trust affairs. 'Lhis U truly a delightful suggestion to come from one who claims a knowledgo of the courteous and proper methods of transacting public business. Fortunately the great bulk of the beneficiaries under the Trust aro possessed of intelligence, and they laugh at the very idea of inviting the Trustees to resign as a Ixxly—Trustees who 'havo been elected by the people themselves, and'who are honestly striving, without fee or reward, to do their best for the community as a whole. So far as the High .School movement is concerned, that is bemde th« question. Tire Trustees are, we believe, determined upon assisting in every possible way tho project for the establishment of an Agricultural High School. When the proper time arrives, that school will be an accomplished fact, in spite of the efforts that are being made to wreck its prospects. The wholo of the Trustees are in favour of the project, and when tho Government has tho monoy availand after the Haw h«is been amended next session, the Agricultural High School will oomo. By that time the overdraft of the Trust Ltvnds Trustees will probably be wiped out. and a substantial sum will bo available for subsidising tho institution. In the meantime, the publio need not be agitated in the 'least by th.-* 'reckless statements that aro made concerning alleged maladministration. The Trustees have been doing their best in the interests of the town, and wo have no doubt they will continue doing so in spite of all the indignity and insult they may be offered by arrogant critics.