CHILDREN'S NEEDS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21362, 5 March 1941, Page 7

CHILDREN'S NEEDS

WEST SCHOOL POSITION USE AS MILITARY HOSPITAL PROTEST MEETING URGED Considerable dissatisfaction with the Government’s failure to return the new Hamilton West School which has been used Tor some months up till last December as a temporary hospital for soldiers to the educational purposes for which it was intended was expressed at a special meeting of representatives of the Hamilton Technical High School Board of Managers, the Hamilton West School Committee and the Hamilton West Parents’ Association at the Technical School last night. Mr Carrick Nisbet presided. Several speakers pointed out that the school had been vacated by the soldiers in December and the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, had then assured the Hamilton West School Committee that the building would be available immediately for the use of the children. The school continued to remain empty while the West School pupils were compelled to use the insanitary buildings of the old West School, which had been condemned by the health authorities. The opinion of the meeting was unanimous that there should be no question of reinstating the children at the expense of the soldiers and it was felt that the Government should obtain some suitable temporary accommodation for the latter in the meantime while steps were taken to erect a permanent military hospital in the Waikato Hospital grounds. Other Accommodation Suggested Whereas theic had been large numbers of soldiers concentrated in the Waikato district at the time of the outbreak of the measles epidemic there was now only a comparatively small number in local camps. The school had been taken over at a time of emergency but the emergency had now passed, said Mr Gracie, who urged that the Waikato Hospital Board be asked to survey the district to see if there were any other building which would be suitable to accommodate the soldiers, even if only temporarily. Mr V. D. Edwards suggested that the Ruakura Animal Research Station might be useful for this purpose as there were no students now in residence there. On the motion of Mr S. B. Sims, a resolution was unanimously adopted urging the Government to immediately erect permanent soldiers’ accommodation in the hospital grounds so that the new West School could be used for its original purpose and that, in the meantime, suitable temporary accommodation for the soldiers should be arranged. It was further resolved that if the school was not returned to the School Committee by March 17 a public indignation meeting should be arranged.