AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12176, 23 January 1903, Page 6

AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

INTRODUCTION OF THE BOARD SCHOOJ ';.':: SYSTEM. ""* : \ [f||j A NEWMARKET SITE SELECTED. ; ' : 1| THE question, of the introduction of the board ' school system in connection with the Auckland Grammar School has been discussed periodically by the governing: body for soait years, but whilst there has been no lack o' - unanimity as to the desirableness of erecthif a boardingttouse for scholars, the proposal! - ! i have always been blocked by a failure on th> • - part of the members of the Hoard of Gove> nors to agree upon a site. The " battle d the sites," as it has been called,, has beei waged unceasingly year after year. At last however, a decision has been arrived at b? the carrying: of a resolution at yestcrdayi meeting of the Board of Governors to acquire a house and land at Newmarket for tne purpose referred to. Mr. a. Kidd moved, in accordance wito notice, the following resolution:—" Thtt the land .in Wynyard and Stanley Streets l« -. - reserved as a boarding school site, and that plans be prepared for a suitable building; that negotiations be entered into with ths late Mrs. Howard's trustees for the purchua * of the property adjoining that site." MKidd said.that, as to ;he question of site. Ie considered that it was most essential that t should be adjacent to the school itself, ft might be urged that a country site was verjr healthy, but it would be beset with many disadvantages, on account of its distance from the school. In Wynyard-street the? ' \ had an excellent site on their own laud, ani ■ one that was quite close to the school. There were four acres of land, on which a sports ground could be made, and the boys would also be near the Domain. The Chairman (Sir G. M. O'Rorke) said that the, site in Wynyard-street was half level and half hill, and he did not suppose that a clear acre of level was included in it. He ,van strongly of opinion that the boardingnouse shoald be outside the city boundary, and witn , the facilities afforded by ■ the introduction of the electric tramways the distance , from the school would be no; objection. He K strongly favoured a suburban site, and if the' - Board rejected Mr. Kidd's 1 proposal he would V propose that they acquire the late , Mr. Hesketh's property at Newmarket for th» .'' purpose. J > • ' * „ Professor Brown said that he had formerly ; been opposed to tie "Wynyard-street site, ':P?sßt the recent improvement* effected to it had made it a more desirable site, and he would ' ; ' support Mr. Kidd'a motion.- . The Board should build op its own land, : and by erecting a building specially designed to meet its requirements it would be able to secure '. more economical working than by making / use of an existing building built for another "V' purpose. If the boardinghciuse ; were built at Newmarket the scholars would have to travel by tram to the school, and this would' mean a cost to each pupil of at least £4 a year. ' , r The Hon. J. A. Tole supported the proposal to purchase Mr. Hesketh's property. On the motion being put it was lost, on the ' • j casting vote of the chairman, the voting being: ■ —Ayes: Messrs. Kidd, Bagnall, and Professor % Brown. Noes: The Chairman, Messrs. Tole. w Jffl and Luke. ; . •'<■'■{

The Chairman then moved that the Board purchase the late Mr. Hesketh's propertv, at I •Newmarket, at a cost not exceeding £4500. * <": :■ Professor Brown : >. said it would be better for the Board to build «i its own land at Ep- =K som, where they would be near the tramways, " and where for £2000 or £2500 they could secur* a _ building far superior to that on the sit« advocated by the chairman. . Mr. Kidd moved as an amendment, " That thr 1 question be allowed to stand over until there 1 was a full attendance of the Board." Suoh an important subject; affecting future genera- , tions, should not, he said, be decided by six ■fl out of ten members. 1 ' ■ , This amendment danothe. amendment, moved by Professor Brown, that the Board should build at Epsom, were both lost on tli» casting vote of the chairman, the voting being even. ■■■■•'■ , ~. ■ v ..;:<||i| _ The Chairman's motion to purchase 'the Newmarket property was then put and carried, on a similar division, the casting vote being again exercised. ,