Waimate Adopts Farm Section Of Rewi Alley’s School

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22948, 17 May 1949, Page 6

Waimate Adopts Farm Section Of Rewi Alley’s School

(P.A.)

WAIMATE, May 17.

Waimate has adopted a farm section of the Sandan Bailie school for training Chinese industrial co-operatives of which Mr. Rewi Alley is the headmaster. Preparations are being made to send farm implements and supplies to assist in the urgent work of bringing the large area of recently-acquired and newly-irrigated land into production and the school to self sufficiency.

Speaking at Waimate, Mr. Colin W. Morrison, Dominion secretary of Corso, said that this No. 1 project of 27 training divisions of the school was a very important part of Corso’s work. Mr. Alley was non-political and his efforts to develop Chinese industrial co-opera-tives were recognised as entirely nonpartisan.

Mr. Morrison quoted Sir Ralph Stevenson, the British Ambassador to China, as saying after a visit to the Sandan Bailie school: “This training project cannot at this stage be self-supporting though it is intended to make it so, as far and soon as possible. For this reason I recommend the cause, which I emphasise is entirely non-political,_ to the support of all well wishers of China. “I regard it as one of the most constructive and helpful pieces of work being done in China today.” Mr. Morrison said that Mr. Alley and a small band of New Zealanders sent by Corso to China were exercising an influence as ambassadors for New Zealand out of all proportion to the work they were doing. Corso personnel had been promised protection and elected to remain at their posts.