ST. STEPHEN'S SCHOOL

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 215, 9 September 1921, Page 2

ST. STEPHEN'S SCHOOL

(To the Editor.) Sir. —The report of the proceedings of the Education Board when the question of the acquirement of St. Stephen's Native School property was under consideration may lead many persons to assume that Mr. King's quotation covered the whole of the Trust. That this is not go may Iw seen from the title deed, which, after reciting that the land was granted to the Bishop of New Zealand and his successor Bishops of New Zealand, goes on to say: "In trust nevertheless and for the use or towards the support and maintenance of the said school so long as religious education, industrial training and instruction in the English language shall be given to Touth educated therein and maintained thereat" The omission by Mr. King to state this fact—that religious education must he given at the school—whether intentional or not, certainly is unfortunate. The further statement by Mr. King that the General Trust Board had made "an admission we could not get before" is a somewhat extraordinary one for him to commit himself to, seeing that the Board of Education had had the title searched by their solicitors, bad forwarded to the Education Department full details of that search, which the Education Department in turn passed to the General Trust Board, with a request that the Trust Board should state its views. The letter under discussion was the result. I may add that this letter is forwarded by direction of the Bishop and the General Trust Board. —I am, etc., O. A. THOMPSON, Diocesan Secretary.