PUBLIC MEETING AT GREYTOWN

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 42, 21 October 1867, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT GREYTOWN

A Public Meeting was lield at tlie School-house Grevtovrn on Monday evening for the purpose of hearing from Mr G. R. Carter an account of his trusteeship of the Greytown Reserves. There was a large attendance on the occasion, on the motion of Mr R. "W akelin Mr Hart Udy, sen., was unanimously elected to the chair.

The Chairman, having read the advertisement convening the meeting, called upon Mr Carter to address them. Sir Caetek said, Mr Chairman and Gentlemen,—l am glad to find myself amongst so many old friends and new faces. The former remind me of old associations and pleasant days, the latter indicate to me the attractions of the Wairarapa and the progress it has made since I left it four years ago. I appear before you to-night to render you an account as your trustee for the town lands of Greytown. I have not been able to do this so soon as I expected, from having been detained in town with my own affairs —sadly in arrears after such a long absence. I also received from the Wairarapa daring one week eight letters, when of course I could not but attend to the requests contained in them, which helped to detain me; still I thank you for the forbearance you have shewn me in waiting so patiently and • so uncomplainingly, and I venture to hope that the statement I am about to make to you may be as satisfactory as others I have made to you in by-gone days. (Hear, hear.) I have served two apprenticeships to you in this matter, for it is now fourteen years since, I was bound to you as one of the Committee of the Small Farm Association. It is att his moment my sincere desire that the trust should he honorably closed as speedily as possible, and that my indentures should be cancelled, with your approval and for my relief, for I think that you will admit that the responsibility of being trustee for 240 town acres and 4S acres of reserved town lands and issuing conveyances (under regulations somewhat vague) for the town acres, is not a light public Mutyi particularly so when sometimes pufeha..*£rs would, not take up the grants when they 'were ready. and I had to move them-from one .person’s charge to another. However Tam now happy to’ say that" there are only dgbt keeping.

The rent roll of Greytown lands exhibits the i sum of £77 10s., due on account of the rents from lands leased by me during the last four years. Of this £3l has been collected and £46 10s remains to be got in. There are still 15 town acres and 13 reserve acres unappropriated, of the latter one is occupied by the school, another by the Court-house and also, I trust, I soon by a Telegraph office, as I have promised ] the Postmaster-General and the Superintendent to see that that acre is placed at the disposal of the former, in order that the.Wairarapa principal Telegraph Office may be placed in the most’appropriate pfeee—for Greytown is a central part arid a centre of the population and trade of the valley. Well now I propose to take other two acres for public buildings, which will leave Greytown possessed of 26 town acres, I have power to sell all these town acres, but it would be better to call the Small Farm Association together to sanction this, and reserving the rest for educational purposes. Resolutions to this effect will be brought before the meeting. The 48 acres (which was purchased by Mnsterton as well as Greytown funds,) vested in me, I can only dispose of under instructions from the Small Farm Association, which I suggest should be called together and the Committee as well. 'The 'male ahd most important questions now remains for me to touch upon, that is, what’is to be done with the 28 town acres and 48 acres of reserves ? in order that the greatest amount of public good may be derived from them. To my mind your course is clear and distinct. Education was to be promoted by (these reserves. The Small Farm Committee suggested this, and your good sense and intelligence will I trust approve it. Is there anything of more importance to the well-being of society than education ? yet how much apathy exists on this subject. It is true that considerable progress has been made in this district in providing an elementary education, bet can any one point to a free grammar school from one end of the Province to the other ? No nothing that I am aware of, has been done to introduce a higher class of instruction fra-those youths whose mental qualifications—whose brains are of a higher order than the average. * There is a sprinkling of clever boys in every community thirsting for knowledge, for these there is no intellectual opening. Mere reading, writing and arithmetic are btft'the tools whereby to gain knowledge and acquire that sort of education which disciplines the mind and makes men able to grapple with and overcome intellectual difficulties, I would ask, what is to become of our vaunted New Zealand free institutions, if the rising and coming generations if this colony do not furnish educated politicians ? The present race of old and distinguished colonists will soon pass away. Who are to replace them ? Are we always to import statesmen and professionals from the old country? That would neither be to our interest nor our credit, it would be derogatory to us as Englishmen. lam sure you feel and see this great educational want as much as I do. It is no new idea of mine. I have cherished it for years, and during my visit to England I saw much that made me feel acutely that our New Zealand youth are greatly inferior, not in mental capacity—but in intellectual training; it is premature to talk of Universities and Colleges and stuffing boys with a knowledge of the classics, while the establishment of grammar schools—middle-class schools has been so generally neglected in this Province. We have the primary or elementary schools, we want next that sound, practical and and general education of the English grammar school or first-class academy. It is these institutions that have sent forth into the world the men who have made England the great country it is. There are three stages of learning, first, that acquired in the common school; second, that obtained in the grammar school; third, that, the highest class, to be derived from a college. Establish the first and second and colleges as soon after as you can; but I araeonvincea thatneither the second nor thethirdcan be established without government aid and endowments, and the sooner we begin this the better. Education should be a national object for it contributes to make a nation successful in war and great and prosperous in peace. The Prussians are a well educated people. Thoy beat the half-educated Austrian hordes in war, and are equal to France in peace. Education is a national pride in the United States, and allowing a large margin for American boasting, who will venture to assert that they arc not victorious in war and famous in peace. And at that place—where might be seen the grandest display of human ingenuity and intellect —the French Exhibition in Paris— America put in an appearance—which if it did not “beat all creation” it made men wonder at the resources and wealth and admire the superior intelligence ofAmericans, as displayed in her natural products, locomotives, agricultural implements and manufactures. But what the Americans prided themselves most upon, was not a building to represent a gaudy palace or a magnificent temple; but showing they had not lost old English notions of plainness and utility; they exhibited full-sized model wood buildings of a farmer’s home in the far west and a common school of the States, (hear, hear) the latter larger and loftier, but not unlike the school we are in now. In the school was a Commissioner to explain the school system peculiar to America. Now I dare say some of you are ready to ask, “ what did New Zealand exhibit ?” Well that New Zealand which thinks so much of herself—which contains a population of over 200,000 —-which exported in 1865 over two millions sterling worth of gold,andaboveamillionsworthofwool

—which has educated men and eminent men as her leaders and legislators—which talks of loans by millions up to seven—which submits to have a more expensive government and to heavier taxation than any other country — which is so poor as to require a little loan of a quarter million —which is so rich as to make a present of a quarter million to foreign creditors —which is to be the “United Kingdom," of the future —which is to sweep the seas—have a brush with Australia and conquer India. How do you think this great country of anamolies was represented at the Paris Exhibition, in order that emigrants might be attracted to her shores, and capitalists be made aware of her intelligence and her vast resources? I will tell you that this colony did exhibit to the “ crowned heads” of Europe and millions of people. One dirty Maori mat; a thigh and leg bone of the moa; a full sized drawing of a moa—four or live unclean fleeces of wool, a sectional drawing of the Canterbury country and what else do you think ? lam afraid I should stay here all night before you guessed it, so I will tell you,—it was a bundle of heart of totara shingles, and that an indifferent- specimen.'' (GteatTCaugllter.) I sneaked out of the New Zealandtgpqnrt for when I heard people asking the way to ill felt ashamed

of my country and my only hope for the credit i of , the 'colony was that these _ contributions had been sent by patriotic maories. (Cheers.)) r I fear I am digressing a little and I must get back to the question of education, and its applies-: [ bility to the rising generation,: any one man of‘ Whom, if he has the legal, the mental and the: educational qualification may become the! Premier of this colony or'the Superintendent of this Province: but if you do not place 1 within his reach, education, ymr disqualify him: for those high offices,' nay you &6 more, you) deprive him of his birthright. The time is coming, I hope, when true local simple self-government to country districts will be conceded, and will be as successful as the Dis-; trict Councils are in Adelaide, where they have? power to make and mend roads, and control;! over education, and a share of the public revenue. The time, I trust is not far distant when it will be fairly discussed as to whether the period has arrived for gradually allowing the Provincial Governments to die out, but take care before you agree to part with those Provincial Institutions, which have been our pride and our boast and have made New Zealand what it is, that you do not simply exchange the General Government for the Provincial ones: better remain as we are than do that. I, as a strong Provincialist, did in my first public address to you in 1857, when I was a candidate for your suffrages, stated to you as follows : —“ Some "complain of the the extensive powers of the Provincial Councils is being too great,” to this I replied, “ for a number of years these extensive powers will be required; but when these islands are peopled with a large population, when the country is intersected with common roads and railways, when powerful steamerson our coasts and messages are sent by Electric telegraph, then can centralization take place, the‘Six Colonies’ [the .Provinces] become one colony and the present Provinces be divided into counties, the whole governed by a strong central Government.” Again in 1858, I spoke thus: — “ I am of opinion, that while the unity of the colony and the six provinces in it, should be maintained, yet I would separate fhe districts in each Province, giving to each district a full and complete system of local self-government, and a just share of the land revenue raised in it, to be expended by the local authorities.” I think that you will agree with me that if these powers are handed over to you and are worked successfully—it will be best done by the best educated men amongst us. Therefore do I now wirii to impress upon you, the urgent necessity of commencing an agitation .for a free grammar school for this district, and open to lads selected from the common schools on account of their -superior proficiency in them. The way this may be done is for Greytown, Car- ■ terton, Masterton and Featherston to agree to throw into one common lot—to use a fashionable word for a dubious financial transaction — to consolidate all the educational reserves within the boundaries of these districts, and at present vested in the Superintendent and partially let. I think it would be necessary to pass a resolution to this -effect, adding to it that it Is the earnest wish of the settlers that not any portion of the funds arising from them: should be expended out of this district. I. protest against it and I feel assured that you will support me. (Cheers.) So far so good. I have now to ask you to consider all I have said to-night, and to consent that the spare reserve acres may, through the Small Farm Association and by an Act of the General Assembly, if required, be handed over to form one lot with the above-named valley reserves, and for the purposes and on the conditions I have just named. Before you entertain this proposal, let me explain its feasibility. If these re- : serves are thrown together they will comprise about 66 town acres, 48 reserve acres and about 730 suburban and rural acres. These would let for at least £l5O a year, with 14 years leases and grassed and fenced at the end of the terra. The accumulation of principal and simple interest from this fund of £l5O- - year—lent out yearly as it accrued—would amount to the sum of £3675, say allowing for non-letting, charges, &c., £3OOO. Thus at 14 years from this time—there would he £3oooto commence agrammarschool withand an increased rental on the lands, of I should say, four times the present value, say £6OO a-year, and during the 14 years, there is the chance of gifts of land and money from private parties to enable you to found one sooner than 14 years, say in 5 or 7 years. 'Tiiere is not a man in this room but what could aid in this good work if he likes—either through his good wishes or his exertions. Every father of a family lias some spare time to think over and aid in this matter —which so deeply concerns him, his children, and future generations. A man does not live for himself alone t he does not live for the present hut the future. In conclusion, do let me impress on you the importance of assenting to what will be proposed to you when I sit down. lam anxious to aid in the movement all I can. lam not pleading for myself. I have no political object to serve; hut I cannot hut feel an interest in this district, which ! represented for so long a period, and though I may have bee® censured by some parties in the valley, I condole myself with the fact that public men must expect their public actions to be often criticised and sometimes unjustly censured. Ido not complain of this —and as for any gross personal attacks that may, have been made, or untruths told, by whomsoever, when I was thousands of miles away and unable to defend myself, you will agree with me that they were ungenerous,unfair, un-English and ungentlemanly, (cheers), and and therefore unworthy ofmy notite. Ifaiy long stayin England has inconvenienced ordissatisfied you I am sorry for it—hut it was caused by my endeavors to serve the Province and not to serve myself, but that will not make me forget the great confidence placed in meby you and the consideration and kindness, I have ever received at the hands of the Wairarapa people in past times, and here let me say, as I conclude, that it will always give lae pleasure to serve you while I cam, and if my services are not further wanted, still it is my earnest desire and wish that at least we may part as friends. I

The following resolutions were then put and with a singular accord were unanimously passed: — Mr R. Wakeein proposed aud Mr H. H. Jackson seconded—

That the thanlcs of this meeting are due and are hereby tendered to Mr Carter ,-f of his, very interesting address, and is of opinion .that that part of, it. relating to the trusteeship, of the Greytown-reserVes is satisfactory* . Mr R. Wakelin proposed and secondM by Mr T. Kempton— '

That in the opinion of this meeti ?g the

; revenue derived from the Educational Eeserves ! in the Wairarapa out to constitute a separate • fund for Educational Purposes in the Wairarapa : district, and that ithe Ciiairmau be requested to ' communicate this resolution to the Government with the view of’ steps being taken to give it legal effect.

, Proposed by Mr.H. H. Jackson, seconded by Mr J. Hall— That in the opiuioir of this meeting it ishighly desirable that a Grammar School should be established in the' Wairarapa as soon as practicable. 1

Proposed by Mr & Moles, seconded by Mr J. Hall— That in order to forward the establishment of such Grammar School—which shall have dor its primary object the education and boarding of a certain number of boys, selected on account of their merits from the Common Schools of this District—it is expedient that the reserve town acres, the unsold town acres and the AS acres forming dhc Greytown belt be especially reserved, by such legal enactment as may bo necessary, for the purpose of being added to the educational reserves in the townships of Featherston, Greytown,Carterton and Masterton in order to form one common trust and fund for the endowment of such a Grammar School as is herein named. Proposed by Mr E. Griog, seconded by Mr O’Connor — That Mr C. B. Carter do convene a meeting of the members of the Small Farm Association and the’Small‘Farm Committee as early as possible to take into consideration the above resolutions with a view to their adoption and also to sanction the appropriation of suck reserve town acres as may be sufficient for the pathoses of the School —the Court House, Public Hall a Telegraph Office and other buildings. A vote of (thanks was then given to the Chairman, after which the meeting separated.