"RATHER A TRY ON"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 10

"RATHER A TRY ON"

WELLINGTON COLLEGE REPAIRS

ALLOCATING THE COST.

,"I think it is rather a try on," vraa1 the description applied by Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., to a letter from the Education Department, read at. yesterday's meeting o£ the Board of College Governors, suggesting that the board should pay one-fourth of the cost of certain'repairs' to the Boys' College. The estimated cost of the repairs is £1366. Mrs. Kane thought it would" be throwing away money for the board to spend much on a building in such a condition as Wellington College. The chairman (Mr. W. F. Ward) said the board was willing to make the building safe for occupation. The boarders had not been responsible for making the repairs necessary, but the Department; wanted the board to allocate money from the boarding profits towards the cost of the repairs. It was suggested by the board that as the building had a life of only five years, it was not worth incurring co much expenditure as the Department wanted. 1

Mrs. Kane did not think the place would lasj, five years; it was perfectly oosafe.

Mr. W. H. P. Barbar: "The responsibility is the Governmest's, not ours." •Mr. E. Darroch: "If it is the business of, the Government to do it, and the building is not safe, yev have only to get an inspector." , : The Chairman: "They lay it is due to boarders, and that boarders' profits should pay something of the cost." Mr. Darroch: "They find you have a lot of profits, and they want to >get them."

Mr. W. H- Field, M.P.: "I think it fe rather a try on." The chairman, agreed that he thought so too.

The board decided to write, to the Department pointing out that the boarders were not responsible for the work having to be done, and, therefore, protested against t^fe Department's attitude.