The Feilding Star Orous and Kiwites Counties’ Gazette WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1932. CITY V. COUNTRY HOSTELS

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3850, 5 October 1932, Page 4

The Feilding Star Orous and Kiwites Counties’ Gazette WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1932. CITY V. COUNTRY HOSTELS

One of Lite many surprising exposures made in : lie National iixpenditure Commission’s report i* that referring to hostels for students in the cities and other centres. “Wo are impressed,” say s the repor l, “with the excessive cost of hostel accommodation, which lias been provided on too lavisit a scale.” The Commission makes the alarming assertion, based on actual returns, that “in some cases the capital c'<*f per hoarder is well ever £1000.” An impressive table emphasising this statement shows that, the Wellington Beys’ College hosted cost £50,000, its capacity Js 100 bowlders and it has only 44 —cost, £ll4O per boarder. Tlte Napier Boys’ hostel cost £31,000 capacity 100 and it has <mly 21 hoarders—cost £1475 each. Wanganui’s Technical School hostel cost £33,813, capacity 80, 29 boarders, capital cost per hoarder £1165. If the Commissioners had taken the trouble to note tilt IVtiding; Agricultural High School hostel—both as to capital cost and occupation!—itj would only have been as a bright example, for our hostel is ,overcrowded rather than, half empty and maintains a line average. The fact i s {hnt hostels are an extravagance in the cities and a necessity in the country especially Feilding, where farmers send tkier sons to acquire knowledge that can be applied when the students in residence return home to follow farming pursuits.