FEILDING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 9

FEILDING NEWS.

I '' TECHNICAL SCHOOL OPENING There was a largo gathering at Foilding .on Wednesday afternoon to' participate in the opening, of the now Feilding Technical' School. . ■ -.'•■■ • ;Mr. Fowlds, Minister for Education, who performed the ceremony, said ho was'pleased to bo pr.esent on what- lie,considered was a red-letter day. for Feilding. It was practically fifteen years since he had'visited the district, with -titer exception' of, twelve months ago, when lie. looked out of the .train to view the sites under consideration. Ho trusted that good results would bo obtained from the' new.-schoolj and that the money had been.wisely expended. In making .reference .to the expenditure on' education, he stated that last year £67,223 had been expended in technical oducatioii. - About seven years 'ago' the total" expenditure amounted to about. £20,000,'. showing that the increase had been considerable •ami very .rapid. ■ The amount paid out in ; last capitation was £30,987, while £2490 of this sum wont to AVanganui district. In subsidies, £13,432 was paid, while- the Wanganui Education District participated to tho extent of £532.- Last year £22,754 was spent in buildings, and. in. : the 'Wanganui district £1685 had been/spent, and this year the expenditure in Wanganui district would again. -be .large.' : The Department was discovering that the capitation for some classes was more than sufficient, and it might bo possible iri some instances to.effect a saving, and increase the capitation; for other, classes of ; instruction. The Department had assisted the residents of: the district'to build their school, and it was their duty to come for-, ward and advance the pchool and their , own interests, besides, making provision for the training of the young people. , • Mr. F. Y.'.Lethbridge, M.P., also delivered a 'short address, urging upon the residents of the 1 district, young and old, to assist in tiie working of the schools. Mr.'F. Pirani, Chairman of tho. Education Board, after impressing upon the gathering the necessity for proficiency in education, stated that" it. was necessary to raise £250 to complete tho equipments of tho school. The Mayor, Mr. W. J. B. Prewin, in a humorous r.ddress, impressed . upon the Minister to use his influence in tho direction of a dairy school for Foilding, and pointed out that the present handsomo edifice had a tendency to disguise''the inadequate structure in the Vicinity which did duty as a Courthouse. ' ' '

Clioers were given for the Minister, after which the opening ceremony was performed.