PROTEST MEETING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 71, 7 March 1930, Page 8

PROTEST MEETING

THE FRUIT-GRADING SHED ABANDONMENT OF PROJECT URGED. GROWERS SYMPATHETIC. About 200 people gathered at the Hastings Assembly Hall last night in connection with the protest against the erection of a gruit-grading shed opposite the High School and Central School in Karamu road. The act-iiig-Mayor, Cr Graham McCormick, presided. Mr H. Holdcrness, chairman of the,Board of Governors, said that speaking on behalf of tho Hastings High School he was not there to complain at tho action of any person or body. They knew that the Fruitgrowers’ Federation had the interests of the people at heart and that a grading shed was required by the federation. When the Borough Council was first approached by the Federation he was sure the council had no idea how vitally the matter would affect the Hastings High School If the matter was not brought to a head a difficulty would arise that would continue for one hundred years. He had been appalled to sec what was being done. The erection of the shed would be absolutely fatal to conditions of school life. At the present time 400 children passed by the site four times a day and even cisual drivers had to bo circumspect when travelling in that direction, During the season about a quarter of a million cases of fruit supplied by some 200 orchardists would be transported to the proposed shed, some of tho lorries delivering six times a day. There would be a continual stream of lorries whilst -the children w’ere passing. With the Cent!al School in this area were the retarded school, the dental clinic, the infant school, manual train ing school and the Hastings High School. There was only one way the children could go to school and the road was only 41 feet wide with a footpath on one side only, and a verandah at the shed overhanging the road. Although he understood that there would be a turning place within the site it would be necessary to turn to some extent on the road itself. MISTAKE MUST BE RECTIFIED AT ONCE. If the site was abandoned, continued Mr Holderness, the outside estimate would bo a loss of £2OOO, £BOO for the building and £l2OO for the property. It was a question of rectifying the mistake now or it would last for ever. Schools could not be shifted if it cost thousands of pounds.. If the site had been there before the schools they would never have been built. The expense must fall on the people. Neither he nor anyone else, he was sure, believed that a grading shed coul 1 not be built somewhere else. As he understood it, the Fruitgrowers 7 Federation had obtained a lease for the site on easy terms, but suppose a child was killed within the first six months—would that be compensated for by a payment of £4O a year? If tho federation considered the interests of the children and their parents they could easy find another place, for their shed. Ho did not think that the federation had consciously done anything wrong and believed that if the matter was properly reprerented to it, it would no doubt emend its action. Tho Government would no doubt assist in the matter. Mr J. W. Shaw, chairman of the Central School Committee, said that he endorsed Mr Holderness ’ siatements. It had been a great d'sappointment to them after battling for the new site of the Central SehoJ to learn that it was going to be sncilt by tho erection of a new fruit-grading shed. The grounds of the now school were ideal, there was no noise of traffic and the surroundings could. Hot bo bettered. When tho Minister was hero he had said that a similar onestion had arisen in Christchurch and ho was in sympathy with the S hool Committee. EDUCATIONAL VIEW POINT. Mr W. A. G. I’enlington, principal of the High School, said that he was speaking on behalf of the school purely from an educational point of view, Tho environment of schools wni. becoming increasingly known to b-« of educational value. In tho Old Country centres of education wore invariably surrounded with scenic beauty and great care was taken to see that schools were surrounded by the correct environment. It was now feared that the Hastings High School would lose that environment. The obstacle was great but “a stitch in time saved nine.” In other cities buildings costing more than £2OOO had boon demolished in order to provide adjacent schools with a co’-rect environment. It was a matter of safety of limb and of spiritual uplift, and the question to be answered was, was it worth while? Mr T. Clark Thompson, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board, expressed his hope that tho phonic would overcome the difficulty. Environment. ns "Mr Ponlington had said was of great importance. Some years ago in Dunedin Dr. Truby King had said that ‘ 1 environment knocked here dity into a cocked hat ” and ho believed that ho was right. Ho hoped that some amicable agreement could bo arranged by which’ the site could bo move<l elsewhere. Tho committee had no grudge against the Fruitgrowers’ Federation. Mr R. Baker said that to his mind it was an extraordinary thing that something had not been done before. Tho building had almost been "ompletod before any complaint had been made. OTHER PLACES FOR SITE. Mr G. A. Maddison said that there were plenty of other places for a site, the railway goods’ yards could even have been used. Mr Baker had said that the matter had received publicity some six weeks ago. but he himself had not known anything about it until he had seen the concrete foundations being built. Under a clause of the Town Planning Act he did not see why the council could not suspend the lease of tho site. There was no reason why a site should not be extended to Murdoch road. Imagine 10U0 children a day passing along the ,

road when the fruit lorries were travelling that way, and then imagine the conditions in ten years’ time when perhaps 5000 children would be using the road. It had been predicted that a junior high school, and also a girls’ high school, would be built near the site, and that children from the country would be coming in to the town to attend. To widen the road would cost more than the whole shed and the siding put together. He suggested that a conference should be arranged between delegates of the fruitgrowers and of tho High School Committee with a view to bringing tho matter to a conclusion, and suggested that it should be taken as a resolution. RESOLUTION MOVED. Mr 11. de Denne, as a member of the Parents’ League, for the absence of Mr F. S. Budd, the president of the League and o’her members who had been unabjp to attend the meeting. He moved:— ‘‘That this public meeting regards the erection of the fruitgrading shed opposite the proposed site of the new Central School as arresting the progress of the schools adjacent and as seriously endangering the lives and limbs of the children, and that Mr Atmore should be urged to secure the abandonment of the project.”

The motion was seconded by Mr Mathieson with tho amendment that a conference between delegates of the federation and tho High School Commitee should be held. Mr S. H. Baker said that as a fruitgrower ho was much against the proposed site. Ho would sooner not send his fruit to England than endanger the lives and limbs of the children. He was sure that the Borough Coincil had not gone into the matter sufficiently before granting tho lease. He concluded by hoping with all the vehemence in his nature that building cease.

Mr C. G. Cunnold suggested that tho Borough Council should refuse to grant leases in such cases. Tho chairman (Cr. McCormick) stated that there was no authority to prevent the federation from building in their own property. The council had given permission to erect a verandah over the footpath at the site.

Mr A. M. Robertson said that on behalf of tho fruit-growers he was glad that, there had been no antagonism in the matter. In order to send the fruit away it was decided to have a pooling site and this site had been the ono decided on. Mr H. H. Stoning, general manager of the Railways, had been approached and had approved of tho present siding which was eminently suitable because of its length. After that, the information had been given to the Press and it was no fault of tho fruit-growers if people had not heard of the matter. Speaking as a member of the Fruit Board ho was sure that a delegation from tho fruit-growers could confer with one from tho High School Comnrttee. As far as they could seo at that.time, the site chosen, was the most suitable one for a long load of trucks. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. Mr de Denne moved that the resolution passed earlier in the evening i should bo split into two parts, and that Mr Mathieson’s amendment should include representatives of the Borough Council and the motion was carried. It was thus decided that (11 Mr Atmore, should bo urged to secure the abandonment of the project and (2> a conference between delegates f-om the Borough Council, Fruitgrowers’ Federation and the Hastings High School should bo held. After the meeting was over a number of petitions protesting against the erection of the fruit shod were laid on the platform for those who wished to sign them.