OPAKU EDUCATION RESERVE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 21 August 1930, Page 6

OPAKU EDUCATION RESERVE

TARANAKI BOARD’S OPINION

STRONG PROTEST ENTERED

. Arsss f «z; tion Board to the effect tion committee s lepoi b . n i , t>o- - pjrftota* ‘to pvid, toholorsh^for I'ehoial? TaraiSiki province’ should be resumed as a national endowment for the benefit of the university of Northern New Zealand. The board regards this proposal as a bieach of faith and strongly protests against ate UC The dieting chairman (Mr J. A Valentine) stated that the o, f Taranaki was concerned. There AVasa vei v "rave danger of losing the benefits at present derived from the fund, such -is thev were, whereas these could easily have been expended. .The whole province must show a united front over the matter and he was moving so that a lead might he given. In seconding the motion Mr A. Bees said that it was quite definite that unless some united action was taken by the whole of Taranaki the district was oroing to lose for ever the revenue that had "been ;set aside for the provision oL hi flier education in Taranaki. He expressed surprise that the recess committee when visiting the district to take evidence had not mentioned the matter of the Opaku Reserve. Its proper course would have been to have inquired at the Education Board office as the headquarters of education in Taranaki. He did not think it was fair that it should have made its report without affording an opportunity for Taranaki people to say something in the matter, and it wass quite evident that Taranaki must get to work and take some decided action to prevent the report from being carried out. He knew the feelings of the chairman of the board that it was their duty to see that the reserve was kept for laraaiaki, and he would have the backing of the whole board. Mr Jones considered that the board must endeavour to form and educate public opinion on the question. Mr Insult did not know where the recess committee had secured its information regarding the reserve. The. acting chairman said that when thei reserve was set aside for Taranaki the legislators had in mind the establishment of a. colonial university which should be on the lines of the universities they knew; such as Oxford, Cambridge and! Durham. Those were teaeliiiig as well as examining bodies but the University of New Zealand was only an examining body and had no need’ therefore, of the funds. That was an important point. Mr Lees said the accumulation of funds was made an important point hut it was not the fault of the Taranaki educational authorities that the money was not used. Regulations put m by the authorities in "Wellington prevented many deserving pupils from securing the benefits of the reserve. Mr Lees said there was a possibility that the report might- not be broughtin this -session. If it did they must- get busy at once. It was resolved to forward a copy of the resolution to the Prime Minister and the Minister of .Education, to every member of Parliament, to every local body and to each High School Board and school committee in Taranaki, and with it a. ijopy of the board’s pamphlet- on the subject to the editor of each of the newspapers in the larger towns and cities of New Zealand. that every local body in Taranaki should be? asked to endorse, the resolution and send a copy to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education. It was also resolved that the chairman be empowered to convenue a conference of all concerned and meetings in all parts of the province, provided he deemed it necessary to deal with the matter.

CHAMBER OP COMMERCE ACTIVE. The matter was also discussed at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce last night, when a sub-committee comprising Messrs .T. McLeod, L. M. Moss and the secretary, Mr V. Duff, was appointed to keep in touch with the matter and frame a suitable motion of protest. The meeting approved of the general principle of agricultural "bias,” but the whole question was left to the sub-committee to deal with.