SCHOOL SITE AT PETONE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 8

SCHOOL SITE AT PETONE.

A MAORI- PROTEST. Ever since the Education Board decided to '• establish • a.' school' at the western end of the Petone ' district; ' obstacle ■after: obstacle has arisen to retard'tlio achievement of that much-needed addition" to the educational facilities of th'o district. "Filially, a site was Secured on the Main Hutt Road, the freehold of '.which was held 'by ' Nativo ■'owners, and as certain difficulties! were placed in'the way, it : was' decidod-; tb . adrjuire tlio land, leaving the settlement of'the claim' for the amount of purchaso money to bo sottled by arbitration. • . ' " The Nativo... their legal advisers, have now-.formulated a series of objections'to this a summary of these, was laid' before'the Education Board at . its meeting yesterday. The Maoris object on the following'grounds:—' ' ' (1) That the laud was the home of their ancestors, ■ ■ (2) That Matene Tauwhare, ofPetono, ; !' deceased, had' Specially declared in his ■ will his wish that the land should not -be sold,..but should';be retained by his' - descendants as a. liative home. (3) . That the land in question repre-. ' sonted -practically; all that was left of ./ the Native holdingß ill' Petone, and that i t.ho Natives earnestly desired to bo left • in tho, undisturbed'- enjoyment of this ■ old homestead. . . In' the discussion which followed, it was pointed out that'it was a question for settlement whether the'objections'set forth in tho foregoing constituted reasonable objections, and a'.sub-'committeo;;'consisting of the Chairman (Mr. .Robert Lee), Captain M'Donald/ Messrs. J- G. "W. Aitken, M.P., W. 11. Field,\M.P.,'and A.. B. Vile, was uo to investigate tho jjointa raised.