Te Aute College.

Hastings Standard, Volume VIII, Issue 4630, 30 June 1904, Page 3

Te Aute College.

(The Abode of the Maori Footballers.) , m •" PART I. [By a W T andering Scribe.] It was in 1876 that this college was built from plans prepared by the late Mr W. B. Mountfort, architect, of Christchureh. The Christchurch and Napier Cathedrals stand as monument'' to his work, as well as many other similar structures throughout the colony. The coutraetor for the college buildings was Mr Robert Holt, of Napier, and the work was carried out under the supervision of Mr Joshua Bennett, of Hastings. Another Hastings resident was associated with the college in those early days—we refer to Mr James Reynolds, who was the first principal, and who for six years I most ably carried on the work of the early administration. Upon his retirement in 1882 Mr Thornton, the present principal, took up the work, and how it has succeeded under his care and guidance may be judged from the particulars I gleaned on Tuesday last when I visited what is, I believe, the largest native college in New Zealand, fcjome jolly schoolboys I met at the gate told me Mr Thornton, the principal, was not back yet, but that Mr Ware Waitai was in charge. J asked them to pronounce the name again, as I felt a bit shaky at the Maori pronunciation. They did so, and one lad as he laughingly turned his pony round called back, " That's all right; you just ask for the boss." It seemed to greatly amuse the boys when I ventured to remark that " boss " did not cause me any trouble in the pronunciation. There is a fine view of the college buildings and church from the longdrive which gives access to the grounds. The living house and the house occupied by the prineipal somewhat re semble, with the many gabled roofs, houses one might see in Hungary or Norway, and this resemblance is heightened by the clump of fine fir trees, which late on a winter's afternoon, in the light of a setting sun, make a somewhat sombre background to the picture, a nearer approach bringing into view the clumps of toi toi, calls one back to sunny New Zealand. But for all that the impression of quaintness and the old world look of the buildings will ciing. There was merry laughter and hammering going on somewhere inside as I knocked, that is why I did not get any response, but the door leading into the fine wide hall ('tis about nine feet in width) was hospitably open, so I did not stand on ceremony but went in, and sought the " boss," as my schoolboy friend had suggested. One of the students, who had I think been helping in the laughter, to judge from his oountenance, came downstairs and in reply to my query said '■he'd go and see." In a moment he returned and asked me to " go upstairs and find him." I found " him," that is, Mr Ware Waitai, in No. 8 dormitory, busy hammering. After greetings and a handshake he said he would be delighted to show me over the college. While we walked to the end of the room he explained that he { was formerly second master, but was now relieving Mr Thornton during the latter's absence in Australia with the football team. This, continued Mr Ware Waitai, is So. 8 dormitory. We have the small boys here. There are 16 beds ranged on each side of the room, and at the end a corner was curtained off for one of the masters. Mr Kingi Tahiwi, who is in charge of i the room. The stretchers looked very comfortable ; there appeared to be some "give" in them. Those small scholars must sleep well, but —oh, the larks they must get up to ! I could not help but picture some of the games, and the lively times Mr Tahiwi must have to keep 16 unruly boys in proper restraint. Never mind, they can only be boys once. On the same floor as No. 8 are several other dormitories, the largest being No. 4, which was, about a year ago,"added to, with a view of providing necessary accommodation for the increasing number of scholars. It has now 28 beds in it, and Mr Ware Waitai stated that before the additions to the buildings it had been used as a class room ; like room No. 8 it had also a corner curtained off and made into a snug apartment —if the term will apply in a dormitory where there are 28 schoolboys. Mr Anson Cato, son of the Rev. Mr Cato, of Opotiki, has charge of No. 4. The other rooms are not so large and are each in charge of a monitor, Nos. 5 and 7 having only five beds each, while No. 10 holds nine beds or stretchers, for that is what they really are. No. 6 was a kind of Bluebeard chamber, inasmuch as it was locked ; but there was no mystey about it—only the master, Mr Long, in whose occupation it was, had taken the key with him. There was a room, No. 9 my guide said, which he'd show me in a few minutes. On the ground flooj was room No. 1, in which was stored piles of sheets and blankets, ready to make up the beds for the boys when they came back from their travels in Australia and fi jm their holidoys. The room is used, my guide stated, as a hospital; there is a fireplace in it, In reply to my query, " Do the boys get sick very often ?"—-(the mention of the hospital for room No. 5 upstairs, as well as No. I on the ground floor, gave rise to the question) —Mr Ware Waitai replied. •' No, but if we get measles, or say mumps or influenza, you may safely count on 20 or 30 boys down within a month," and he added, " If we had an ou ntilding away from the main school we could x'' '-t the sick ones in quarantine." Next the dining room was visitedIt is a large room, -1-1 x 15 feet, well lit with windows at the side and end, and has a good fireplace. Tho boys. I was told, always have their meals under the control of the masters. The teachers' study, a cosy room opening from the wide verandah, was just peeped into, so too was the studybedroom, shared, my guide said, by " my companion Mr Friday and myself - we are both studying for the ministry." In reply to a question I was toid that both had taken their second grade, but were now preparing " to sit for their matric, which they

!must pass before taking the third and final grade to qualify them for their , calling. Mr Ware Waitai said he i found the English very difficult. His treatment of it, however, as a spoken language is excellent. This room . looked very neat compared with the others 1 had seen, for the house was undergoing a sort of spring cleaning (if such is a right term to employ in the winter time), and being prepared for the reception of the students. Next we visited the laundry. It ooked, with its bright wood five and cosy rush chair, more like a corner of a hall in some old-fashioned English house than a room for laundry work, but my guide explained that when " school was on" a big American stove was fixed in the centre of the room on which irons are heated, and then the room is just kept for the one purpose— ironing clothes. Besides the washing of clothes there is a suggestion that the scores of boys indulge in a lot of washing, as several well fitted lavatories with large plunge baths and numerous basins in a row, set in lead over concrete floors, suggest much splashing. My informant told me that the boys each morning " don't come down together, but in companies, so as not to rush things." Then' the 'lie of dumbbells on the verandah t'tside the lavatories suggests folvere o' Sandow, and the real good notion of 90 pigeon holes in five rows of 18. in each of which was a pair of boots, argued neatness—neatness being taugnt at any rate. A similar idea of pigeon holes only large ones, really lockers, is carried out in the clothes room, In which Mr Mr Ware Waitai explained " each boy in his own locker keeps his Sunday clothes," the boxes and portmanteaux all being sent up to the loft. (Part 11. will appear in to-morrow's issue.)