Department Refusal Of Power In School Retarding Progress

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1945, Page 6

Department Refusal Of Power In School Retarding Progress

(Special) KAIKOHE, This Day. “The Government is passing legislation for direct assistance in the reticulation of power to country districts and yet a State department is here withholding the benefits of power from its own establishment," said Mr. G. H. McKenzie during a discussion at the December meeting of the Bay of Islands Power Board on the forthcoming extension into the Cape Brett •peninsula.

Mr. McKenzie was referring to a refusal by the Education Department to replace stoves and other equipment (other than lights) in a native school and schoolhouse in the district untii it could be sure of utilising the displaced equipment elsewhere. “Not only is the department holding up the amenities of power frorp the teachers, but it is actually retarding the advancement of the district inasmuch as genuine settlers there cannot receive power for their Sheds and hemes without the additional revenue that would come from full linking up 6f the school.” said Mr. McKenzie. Mr. McKenzie considered that wherever a . native school or any school was in an area to be reticulated, it should automatically come on to the power. He moved that the board ask the member for the district to take up the question of installing ranges and water-heaters in schools. With Mr. L. M. Lane as seconder, this was passed. The resident engineer (Mr. R. R. Clarkson) gave a specific instance where a farmer had been severely penalised by the refusal of practical co-operation from the Native Department.