HON. C. J. PARR.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17740, 17 April 1923, Page 11

HON. C. J. PARR.

TO CHRISTCHURCH.

L Hon. C. f- Pa«. Minister of JLticm, and Minister in Charge of % Hospitals, who is at present in Christchureh, visited Sumand, while there, was met jfayor and Councillors of the Borough Council, and with discussed the question of con- — e the Deaf and Dumb Institute ■*?? L with the borough water sup--4 next paid a visit to the Com- : . { Da ii at Kcdc-liffs. The buildVeipenses of this structure have ya, largely subscribed to by local ' Seats, and during the day it is t of by the children of the Sine school, While m the evenings '.Available for any use which the ■' liiens desire- The Minister con--oTli-tpd the Hall Committee on their £1 in having so fine a building •lohlfi for local purposes, and 'SJy addressed the children of the ual He was accompanied on Ins rft bv the member for the district, W r J. StcCombs, M.P. _ - The Minister next paid a visit of • Wiou to the old school building foZa, in which tho infant 'Lrtments of the Opawa School are Zl taught. He was met by members fthe School Committee, who requested Win to facilitate the building of a new Sol on the site at present occupied u the old structure. The Minister intimated that he vsnld ho prepared to discuss the mat'Ewith a deputation consisting of : -Snbers of the School Committee and H T. Armstrong, IX (j. feulhjjj, and J. McCombs, M.P.'s, at 9.15 •- us, to day- .. r i tho Philipstown School, Mr tor was received, by Mr A. L. 'Wilkinson, chairman of the School Committee, and several members of tot body. Ho was conducted round Z n ew building, and said that he delighted with, tho work which >"V«4 been done by both tho staif of Wrti school and the committee. The -Ajprnmn pointed out the advisability j j making use of the section opposite lift school, which had been acquired ky the Education Board some time jo He suggested that two portable is should be erected suitable for : rtf accommodation of the smaller cluldrm, an I the grounds laid out as a playground, which could be used jiotonly during school hours, but also (j all occasions. _ The Boys' High School was visited, u company with Mr H. D. Acland, djirman Of the Board of Governors of Owterbury College, in the afternoon. ' The pupils of the school were assembled jj the gymnasium, and were briefly ■iddressed by the Minister, who next • mteeded to the side school at Avon- ; iile of the Girls' High School. 'deputations received. ? <£ Reputation consisting of the chair- *■&. and members of the Beckenham i V 'B6ool Committee waited on the Hon. jS(SJ. Parr yesterday afternoon and fijfed that extra accommodation should ffcprovided at as early a date as posInle at the Beckenham School. p!he deputation was briefly introjjjoced by Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., asked the Minister to give his l/ivouraiile consideration to their requests.' '■ ■ ..

Newton, chairman of the com|initte.e, in ..addressing the Minister, 'g|aid:"'that the,, accommodation at the V|ehool was shockingly inadequate. The :ttliool-noiv served a very thickly'raralated district, and its boundaries = tw|mfc recently been extended. The 'twffluteo wished two additional classbe added to the present rail ding, because, under the prefcomstances, the best results be obtained from the pupils. ; Q. Carlisle, a member of the ;ee, said that during the war iary structure had been erected ;Hhe demand for extra school (idation, but this was now past ulness. Some ' 104 pupils were ill this building each day, and Smber some tests had been made jjard to its sanitary conditions, -day a thermometer placed in if during the above menlid' registered 91 degrees, while, ie pupils were in their classes le afternoon, tho temperature ill.Considerably higher. The toll-number stood at 390, and 'as an average attendance of ist of the class-rooms were over- . "We have not come here you good-day," continued Mr "we have come to talk busiiVe tvish you to consider the of a dental service for the

IKejMinister: "I thought when you gjpra meant business that you were BVto inform me of some largeis?j|: public movement to improve otiniMig, Mr Carlisle said that he |'otitiine what had been done by pbfic"at a later stage. He stressed pgency.of the establishment of a « service for tho school, and that the Sydenham service was overworked. He also wished to If* teachers' room provided. The idttee had done a good deal themThey had asphalted the school Bpte at a cost of £2lO, and had spied the City Council to give Ra quarter of an acre adjoining School. The school, swimming baths completed, and when it. Iponsidfired that the school had pn erected only seven or eight years, |Wnld be seen that the committee been inactive. In conclusion, the Minister to visit the his stay in Christchureh. «ge. Minister, replying, stated that SJould endeavour to visit the school following day. It appeared that building was over-

crowded, but there was approximately 11 square feet of accommodation for each child attending the school at tho present time. He could not personally undertake to have the two new classrooms erected, because the recommendation to that effect would first have to come from the Education Board, and would be dealt with relatively to its urgency. The cost of providing two large class-rooms, he pointed out, was £3406, but ho would be pleased to give the matter his favourable consideration on receipt of a recommendation from the Education Board. Already demands had been made in Christchureh for new schools the cost of which was in the vicinity of £120,000, and it v. .is obvious that he could not secure from Parliament a grant of so large an amount for one city alone. "With regard to the provision of a dental parlour at the school, he could not make Uny definite promises, but the services of some thirty dental nurses who had just completed their training would be available this year, and it was probable that two of these ladies would be stationed in Christchureh. At 3.30 p.m. the Minister held a conference with members of the Canterbury Education Board. A further deputation consisting of Messrs H. T. Armstrong:, F.. J. Howard, M.P.'s. and J. Bloomficld, waited on the Minister to urge an extension of the Order of Reference for the recently appointed Commission set lip to enquire into the welfare of the blind in iS'ew Zealand. Mr Armstrong stated that the Order was nob sufficiently wide and the enquiry was authorised only in the case of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind in Auckland. t The Minister explained that such was not the ease, and be bad made the Order of Reference sufficiently wide to include enquiry into the general condition of the blind and to their training, general welfare and supervision. He then read the Order of Reference, and Mr Armstrong stated that it was very satisfactory indeed. M|r Bloomfie\d, who has taken a, very keen interest in the matter, made a statement as to the education and after care of the blincl. The Minister stated he thought Mr Bloomfield's evidence would "be of value to the Commission, and he promised to make the necessary arrangements for that gentleman to appear in Wellington before the Commission. To-day's Programme. At 9.15 a.m. to-day, the Minister will receive a deputation from the Opawa School. He will then visit the schools at Addington, Brighton, Aranui, and Richmond, and will leave by the ferry steamer to-night for "Wellington.