MASSEY COLLEGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 303, 22 November 1937, Page 10

MASSEY COLLEGE

STEPS TOWARDS INCEPTION. EARLY EVENTS RECALLED. Though tho history of Massey College, recounted in the Jubilee supplement of the “Standard” on Saturday, is well-known from the time this important institution was established at this centre, there were some prior events of which not so much has been heard, but which were significant ■moves in the direction of bringing the college into existence. They reveal that perspective, and not a little strategy, combined with resourcefulness and determination, contributed towards the founding of the institution at Palmerston North at a time when other districts were pressing their claims with no faint voice.

Foremost among those who early perceived the necessity for an agricultural college, and who were persistently advocating that it should be located at Palmerston North, was Mr F. JNathan, a former Mayor, who, with his brother,' the late Mr D. J. Nathan, and for twenty years been urging the establishment of a School of Dairy Science. Overtures were made by Mr Nathan, during their visit to one of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association Shows, to the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, and the late Sir W. Nosworthy (then Minister of Agriculture), and the late Earl Jellicoe and the Con-suls-General for the United States and tlie Argentine were present on that occasion. The Minister’s reply, in effect, was that if Palmerston North found the site the Government would establish a School of Dairy Science. Events moved steadily from then on. The Borough Council was urged •to set aside for the purpose the-reserve it held at the foot of Cuba Street, while there were suggestions that an admirable site would be the 60-acre reserve in Park Road adjoining the Esplanade, now occupied by the Awatapu golf Jinks. There was a pressing need for national research and educative facilities for the dairy industry, this being recognised so fully by Messrs Joseph Nathan and Co., Ltd., and the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, Ltd., that they operated their own laboratories. Though there had been an undertaking that if those primarily interested determined where the site should be the school would be established, there was, it is understood, quite a lot of political manoeuvring in deferring a decision. with the result that there was somewhat exasperating delay until, when the late Sir Walter Buchanan left benefactions to the Victoria University College, and the late Sir John Logan Campbell did likewise to the Auckland University College, for the endowment of Chairs of Agriculture, a strong move was made for the establishment of the school.

Claims for the founding of the institution at Marton, Weraroa and Mastert'On were urged upon the Government with unremitting ardour, but Palmerston North’s vigilantes in this connection were not idle. A suggestion that the school (or college) might be established on the top of Mount Stewart was rejected on the ground that it was too isolated from a community centre. Next the Batclielar estate, where the college had its small beginning prior to occupation of the larger property higher _ up, was advanced as a site, but this met with the answer that the Government would not go south of the Manawatu River in quest of a location. However, Mr F. J. Nathan persuaded Professors G. S. Peren and. W. Riddet to inspect this site, and immediately afterwards secured an option on tho estate and the adjoining property on the terrace. Securing the support of Messrs A. J. Giaham (then Deputy-Mayor), and J R. Hardie (town clerk), Mr Nathan then went to Wellington in pursuit of the objective of having the college established, the proposal being to acquire also the late Mr P. A. McHardy’s property on the other side of the road, the Borough Council to retain the strip of bush in the valley on the property for a reserve which subsequently became Bledisloe Park. Mr Nathan interviewed Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Sir James Parr and Mr 0. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) Later Hon. D. S. McLeod made an inspection and the McHardy property was offered as a gift site to the Government by unanimous decision of the Borough Council, the Government undertaking to put through the necessary validating legislation. Following a successful campaign, the ratepayers authorised the purchase of the McHardy property for £IO,OOO, the support of the late Sir George Fowlds having been secured for the joint application of the Auckland benefaction with that of Victoria College for the endowment of tho institution. The Government itself purchased the Batclielar estate and so Palmerston North played its hand so effectively as to leave little chance of success for representations by rival elements from other areas which had been under consideration.