Minister, Member Argue Traffic School Move

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 13

Minister, Member Argue Traffic School Move

‘T fully investigated the facts before deciding to change the location of the school from Christchurch to Trentham, and in -view of the saving in cost that will be achieved, there was no valid reason for leaving the school in Christchurch.” says the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine) commenting on a second letter from Mr J. Mathison, M.P.. about the transfer of the traffic officers’ training school from Christchurch to Trentham. Mr Mathison, in his second letter, says: "Mr McAlpine’s reply confirmed my suspicion that he had agreed to transfer the school to the North Island without understanding the reasons.

[ln a letter which appeared in “The Press” on March 27, Mr Mathison asked why the transfer of the traffic training school of the Transport Department from Christchurch to Trentham had been “kept so quiet.” Mr McAlpine replied that the decision was made public as soon as it was reached. It was purely a matter of economics, he said, as two-thirds of the pupils came from the North Island and senior inspectorial staff of the department were stationed in Wellington.] "In one important respect the Minister is completely incorrect. He said most of the course was conducted at a hotel at Christchurch. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“For the first few years the Riccarton Borough Council allocated a room in its chambers, free of cost, and the school was held there under Officer Tait. When the Transport Department moved from Gloucester street to St Elmo Courts the school was transferred to the conference room in that building. No more cost is entailed than at Trentham. “True, officers attending the course in Christchurch were accommodated in a hotel. They will have to be accommodated and catered for at Trentham. The difference in cost will be negligible. “The cost of transferring the school and the equipment as well as the instructor and his family will be quite substantial and that cost could have been saved by keeping the school here. It was started in Mr Goosman's time, presumably on the recommendation of the Transport Department. “It was first suggested in 1958 that it be transferred to Palmerston North. I rejected that. The department has now used the second string to its bow and has a victory, without justification, and a South Island Minister has struck another blow at the South Island. “The school should be retained in Christchurch, where all traffic problems likely to occur anywhere are already here and no-one earn deny that.”