LONGBURN SCHOOL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2076, 17 March 1922, Page 5

LONGBURN SCHOOL.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. i ‘‘THREATS NO GOOD.” The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for i Education, when questioned by a • "Times” reporter yesterday regarding the Longburn School trouble, said he had been asked to go to Longburn that day. He (the Minister) replied that he could not do so. “The position is,” he said, “that it can do no good. I have seen Longburn already. It does not need a second visit to see the conditions that exist. I placed the matter ; of a grant before Cabinet some tuna ’ ago. The financial position however, i necessitated postponement of the mat* . ter. The application was stood down I for three months. That period will expire next week, when the matter ■ will again be brought up. Throats of resignations and removal of children ! from the school will do no good. It will only harm the children to keep I them away from school. As soon as Cabinet gives a decision, which will be i within the next two weeks, I will immediately appraise the committee.” DISAPPOINTED, BUT DETERMINED. On Wednesday evening Mr Nash* M.P., introduced to the Minister Longburn's representatives —the chairman, i secretary and headmaster. To them ■ the Minister stated that ho would place the matter of the Longbuin . j School urgently before Cabinet within i the next two weeks, and he had hopes *■ I that the grant would be made. He could not possibly visit Longburn yesi terday, but he would receive a depu- .; tatioii in Palmerston North. ;l This was reported to a gathering of i j householders, who assembled at i Longburn at 9 o’clock yesterday ’ i morning in the hope of meeting the '! Minister. Those assembled elected Mr C. Pal- , mcr as chairman, and proceeded to ; endorse and add to previous resolutions, being absolutely determined to push the matter to a final issue. A meeting will be held on Monday week, and failing a definite and favourable reply from the Minister it is j intended to proceed with the proposed ’ ] boycott. The following resolutions were I passed at yesterday’s meeting, and all resolutions arc to be forwarded to the Department of Education:— Proposed by Mr W. Brady and seconded by Mr C. G. Wright: "This meeting of householders at Longburn on the 16th inst. regrets that the Minj istcr for Education (Dir C. J. Parr.) j did not endeavour to meet tire parents at Longburn to discuss with them I the urgent necessity for a new school.” —Carried unanimously, j Proposed by Mr H. W. Bovis and i seconded by Mr A. E. Mellon, asking whether the Minister of Public Health approved of the parents’ action in withholding their children from attending school in a building which was infested with rats, fleas and dls-, ease, and which was overcrowded, badly ventilated, worm-eaten, rotten and unhealthy in the extreme.—-Car-ried unanimously.