PARK ON HILL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21192, 15 August 1940, Page 6

PARK ON HILL

COUNCIL’S PLANS SCHOOL’S STRONG RESENTMENT EDUCATION INTERESTS FIRST Resentment that the Hamilton Borough Council should consider seeking a section of the site of the old Hamilton West School for a park reserve was expressed at the meeting last night of the Hamilton Technical College Board of Managers. The old school will be taken over by the Technical School authorities when it is finally vacated by the primary pupils who are now using it while the new Hamilton West Primary School is in use as a troop hospital. The Borough Council recently decided to ask the Education Department for part of the old site in acting upon a suggestion made along these lines by the Hamilton Beautifying Society. The principal of the Technical College, Mr W. Fraser, stated at the meeting of the board of managers that he failed to see what business it was of the beautifying society what deal the Borough Council had made in the past regarding land. Would Be Little Used 1 The chairman of the board, Mr C. Nisbet, said he could not imagine anyone walking up the hill to a park even if one were made; and in any case he could not see what benefit it would be. Mr F. A. Snell stated that the Education Department had agreed to give a section of land between the Hamilton Post Office and the Money Order Office to the Borough Council in exchange for portion of land upon which the Technical School now stood. The Borough Council never received the land in Victoria Street, however. “Even if the department did not fulfil its obligations I do not see why this school should be penalised,” said Mr B. H. Andrews, in declaring that the school required every foot of land on the old West School site for its expansion. He considered the interests of the education of the young people came before the interests of the council in securing “its pound of flesh.” “Never Helped School” In explaining that there was legislation empowering local bodies to make grants for educational purposes, Mr Fraser stated that the Hamilton Borough Council had never done anything for the Hamilton Technical College except the presentation of one machine and the giving of the land for which they now apparently sought compensation. Efforts made by other local bodies in New Zealand to assist schools had been ascertained by Mr Fraser. The figures quoted, he said, were not right up to date, but they gave an indication of the assistance given to other schools. The Christchurch Technical School received £3OO a year from local bodies, £250 of that coming from the City Council. The Palmerston North City Council donated £3O annually to the technical school, the Wellington City Council had given £3OO a year until the depression, and the Seddon Memorial Technical College in Auckland received free land from the City Council at an estimated annual value of £6OO to £7OO. Other similar instances were quoted by Mr Fraser. Hill Beauty Disfavoured Mr Fraser added that, if he remembered correctly, the Hamilton Borough Council, when in control of domain lands in Hamilton, took over as council land all the area occupied by the old Hamilton saleyards. The council compensated the Domain Board with a very small amount for the land. One of the arguments put forth by the Borough Council in favour of removing Garden Place Hill, stated Mr Andrews, was the fact that people would not bother walking up it even if the area had been beautified. Now the council proposed taking land as a park to beautify an area on a hill which was much more difficult of access.