KARAMEA SCHOOL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 15 June 1936, Page 2

KARAMEA SCHOOL

REMOVAL TO ANOTHER SITE OPPOSED IF RIVER PROTECTION WORK NOT UNDERTAKEN GENERAL EXODUS OF RESIDENTS ANTICIPATED On account of the frequent flooding of Karamea township resulting in the silting over of the school ground and flooding of the school building the Nelson Education Board suggested the moving of the school to a new site. In a letter to to-day’s meeting of the board the committee pointed out that it would prefer the school to be raised, and at the same time expressed the opinion that if general river protection work was not done the residents would be compelled to leave the township. The secretary of the committee wrote as follows: — “At the outset I may state that your board’s proposal to remove the school to another site has met with the disapproval of the whole community. Our people are proud of their school. They have recollections of being bombarded from all quarters in campaigns to raise funds for improvements and they abominate the prospect of having to start over again. The crux of the matter however, is the fact that apart from two or three knobs of very small area, there is no place free of floods on which to put the school. Moreover even if the school was placed on another site the children would still have to be sent home whenever a flood threatened. “We have great hopes of a general river protection scheme proposed to be carried out by the Government—if it were not for that hope there would be a general exodus of the residents as soon as conditions elsewhere were sufficiently prosperous to render the prospect of a new start reasonably safe. Certainly the flooding and silting of the school grounds is a great nuisance but we are all accustomed to having our houses and buildings surrounded by water, and we are prepared to endure that much in regard to the school for a year or two, rather than face the prospect of building another playground, so long as the school itself can be rendered free from inundation. In view of the attitude taken up by your board I am directed to make the further request that the board allow its architect to make a personal visit to the district in order to gain a comprehensive view of the situation. The committee is fully convinced that if that course was followed the board would have no. hesitation of agreeing that our original suggestion to raise the school is the most practical in the circumstances.” Mr J. H. Harkness said the cheapest way out would be to make a grant for the cleaning of the school after floods. Apart from floods the school had a wonderful site. Mr F. V. Knapp said it was a reasonable letter. , The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre (chairman). said he knew the general river protection work'was to be done as soon as arrangements were completed between the Government and-the property owners concerned. It was decided that the chairman interview the committee in regard to the position.