AUCKLAND EDUCATION ENDOWMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 162, 11 July 1910, Page 5

AUCKLAND EDUCATION ENDOWMENTS.

THE BLOCKWORTH A QUARTER OF A MILLION. ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD. The story of the education endowment in Queen-street,', which is: now worth about a quarter of a million, and has for twenty-five years been used for the purpose of paying interest and principal on a loan for the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, reads something like a romance. It Would hardly seem possible that for such a long period an endowment could be diverted* from its proper use, but now that the claims of education have been revived, it is certain that the present Board will leave no stone unturned to secure this valuable area of | ground. In connection' with this matter j Mr. C. J. Parr was . waited ' upon, by a representative of the " Auckland :■ Star" with regard to the statement of the Hon. George Fowlds, Minister for EducaI tion, that this reserve, which fronts • Queen, Victoria, Elliott and Darbystreets, must be devoted to. the purposes of education. ' •■; "Yes," said Mr. Parr; " I consider' it very gratifying, that Mr. Fowlds should have made such a statement, as it,show3 the Minister at any rate admits ' the reserve in question must he devoted to educational purposes. I take it, therer fore, that all the other claims are disposed of, and the claimants are really out. of court as far as this reserve is Concerned. As this property is worth at least £250,000, it is an important matter to the Auckland educational district that it should hot be diverted to any other purpose." "Then you consider now that the Board's claim is strong, and likely therefore to be upheld?" " I consider that the Board's claim is unanswerable; but I must admit the Minister has made a statement that has given mc some uneasiness. It is about his intention to bring in- legislation to decide the destination of this reserve! 1 sincerely hope that the Hon. Geo. Fowlds will not do anything to interfere" with the undoubted rights of the Board of Education in respect to this reserve, and I feel sure that when. all the fact, are laid before Mr. Fowlds, he will be the last man to take any steps calculated to deprive the Auckland Education Board of a property which belongs to it'by Act of Parliament. It is as, much the property of the Board as is any other Crown grant to the holder of it.- In looking into : ihi_ matter, I find that this "reserve was ■ purchased from .the .General Government hy the Auckland Provincial Government in ISG4 for f25,000, and a Crown grant was issued to the then Superintendent of the Province. "Under, an Act of 1875 the Education Board - of Auckland was given; a controlling power over the property. .That" Act" provides that all moneys arising by way • of : . rents ; - shall "be applied for Educational purposes in accordance with the provisions of the' Education Act; 1872; Now, the latter Act expressly lays it down that all funds from this endowment must be used for purely local (that is, provincial) p-irposes. By subsequent Acts, the ■ administration of such funds is placed in-the hands or the Education Board of Auckland. Under these circumstances I hold that the General Government has not the slightest legal or moral claim upon these funds; therefore I sincerely hope that' ho : sit-, tempt will be made by "legislation to divert the trust." " Are you doing anything to protect the Board's rights in this' important matter?" .'. ' .■ "We are not sleeping upon our right, by any means. The Board has already made a formal claim on the Public Trus- ! tee for the rents from the endowment, and failing acknowledgment of the clairo within a week, our solicitor has been ,instructed to take proceedings in the ' Supreme Court in oruer to obtain from the Judge, a declaration as to the Board's title. I consider it a ."big factor in this matter, that this valuable endowment can be shown to belong clearly to 'the people-of the Province of Auckland, the General Government- having sold any rights it had in 1864,' arid received j £ 25,000 as payment for the. same. I pro--IT>ose to forward circulars to all the Northern mepibers, placing the facts fully before them, and asking- therri to assist i the Minister for Education in'seeing that the rights for which the people of Auckland paid in' 1564 are not further diverted from the cau3e of education in this district." .'