EARTHQUAKE AREA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 118, 20 April 1931, Page 6

EARTHQUAKE AREA.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. Per Press Association. NAPIER, April 19. A meeting of the members of the Napier High and Technical School Boards with the Minister of Education, Mr H. Atmore, on Saturday evening, decided to amalgamate the two schools. The Minister had urged amalgamation in the interests of economy and efficiency under one board. There will be two schools, namely, a girls’ high and a boys’ high, with provision at each for instruction both academic and technical. Mr Atmore assured the Hastings High School Board on Saturday afternoon that the recommendation for a grant for the reconditioning of the Hastings High School would go before Cabinet at the next meeting, that the work would proceed immediately it was approved of. The Minister denied that there had been any unnecessary delay. He had to await reports before he could take any action. CRITICISM OF EARTHQUAKE BILL. Per Press Association. HASTINGS, April 19. At a meeting of representative business men of Napier and Hastings on Saturday afternoon, indignation was expressed that the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce had published criticism of the Earthquake Bill without any reference to the chambers in the Hawke’s Bay district.

The meeting gave expression to the view that the criticism and proposals had evidently been framed by persons without a knowledge of the conditions obtaining in the affected districts, and that the proposal, if adopted, would retard for years the reconstruction urgently necessary.