HUTT VALLEY EIGH SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 255, 22 July 1920, Page 5

HUTT VALLEY EIGH SCHOOL

SITE QUESTION REVIVED EDUCATION BOARD NOW FAVOURS WOBURN TJio chairman of tlio Education Board c (Mr, T. Forsyth) moved at tho board "meeting yesterday: "That the resolution, passed on Juno 23, 1920, in relation lo the Hutt Valley secondary college sit« be rescinded." Mr. Forsyth said that circumstances that wore unavoidable had prevented him attending; the last meeting of the board, which he regretted, as he felt convinced that some members had misunderstood ■ the matter. This matter of a central secondary school for the Hutt Valley had been under.consideration for' a good; many years when, he had called a meet- < ing of tho executive to deal with it eori- 1 ously. Ho regretted that Mr. London ] was not at that meeting. Percy's Gard- ; ens, at Petone, had been favourably con-' sidered iis a site, but it was found that 1 the land there was insufficient, and 18Jacres at Woburn (tho Hutt) were sub- 1 mitted to the Education Department. ■ After going into the respective merits of! the sites for educational purposes, tha ■ board approved, and the Department • purchased this site. He, in favouring Wo- ■ burn, had borno in mind the require- j ments of tho whole of the Hutt Valley,. and had not adopted a Potono stand- • point. Woburn was certainly the most ■ central site, as it was the most suitable, including, as it did. ample flat land for' play areas. Percy's Gardens a 6cenic reserve. It was a beautiful place, and he failed to understand why; the Petone Council did not acquire it; when offered Bomo timo ago. Mr. T Moss seconded the motion. Ha said tlmt ns the result of having been., called on by Mr. M'Kenzie, of Petono; (who had represented to liim that Potono; was not being fairly treated), ha had visited the sites, and had come to tlio conclusion '-hat Percy's Gardens, thougha fino beauty spot, was not suitablo for educational purposes,- owing to tho insufficiency of flat land. Mr. G. London thought they might get twelve acres at Percy's, whereas tho eighteen and a half acres at Woburn, would at times bo littlo moro than a duck pond. Mr. Forsyth lmd evidently walked over tho paddocks, and had! been struck more with tho big thing, than tho little one, which was quite a mistake. There wcro from threo to four acres at tho back of tho Woburn property that would be practically useless. If anyone went along tho stop-bank lm would see how much tho Woburn land was beneath level of the road. Mr. Forsyth here interposed that a • part of Percy's Gardens was fully threo feet below the level of tho railway line. Mr. London retorted by saying that most of tho Gardens were above tho railway line, and that not lees than sis to eight acres of land of practical value for school purposes could be made available.

Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., agreed witli\ Mr. London in preferring Percy's Cardens, and 6aid twit tho low level of tho" land at Woburn would make it unfit for a. playground in tho winter. Mr. E. H. Penny considered that it would take 'to convert Percy's Gardens into a school site, •

Mr. E. P. "Rishworfh said that corns members of the board were too fond of. sailing round the mountain-lops of sentiment. but when it camo down to practi- 1 cal business—to the everyday things of life—thoro conld only be ono choice between tho two sites, and that was Woburn.' \VTiat they wonted were sound, minds in healthy bodies, and to get that children must have playing areas. Tho chairman, in replying, pointed out that when Mr. London had urged th«: needs of tho moment ns against those of tho future, he had made a mistake, as the needs of tho moment not <lcniiuul a school such as was proposed. On tho motion boing put the voting It< Ayea (7)-Mcssre. Forsyth, Penny, Clark, Shand, Moss, Harkncss, and Rishworth. , , , , Noes (2)— Messrs. London and I'leld. Mr. It. A. Wright, M.P., was not present, and Mr. R. M'Calhim, M.P.,. left before the voto ww takw.