LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14225, 23 November 1909, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

' "' GOVERNMENT HOUSE. : - ;: ; >- '* ;sj| ■,'■.-. .■■"■ ■■-.-■ .'..-. /.- - tv-*;*| Sir,—Permit mo to add a few words on ". this subject. That our University studentsrequire a suitable building no one denies; y - ,/j but that it should be at the sacrifice of '■■"<' New Zealand's first Government House and grounds is like tho present-day notion of take if ycu have not got. It is to bo ig hoped that this historical old spot will bo preserved. It has just as much a right to . bo as would Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or the White, House. There Hobson, Fitzroy, and Grey lived through many an anxious day and wakeful night, tho :\ burden of Government—then Imperial— '■(% resting upon single shoulders. There such \J] men as Selwyn, Martin, Swainsin, Wyn- , '0 yard, and others were called to lend their , .; cautious wisdom. This apart from its social: v side, for within its walls Her late Majesty's •■ representatives entertained right royally, as a J indeed, wo trust, our future Governors will • continue to do. The term "Metropolitan .'' Grounds" is often used as if of some special ,\ >< city property, whereas it. originated in the,; y erstwhile Metropolitan Club being allowed Vg the use of the paddocks, hence the error. v. Surely Auckland should rise en masse not k; to despoil the University, tor which there is ample room elsewhere, but to save tho : ? filching from it* people of a rightful pos- ;-.';■£ session. Old Identity. .

:. Sir,— was glad at last to see by Thurs- )f§ day's Herald that the people of Auckland v are commencing to wake to the fact that . Government House is on the vergo of being v r ; stolon from them. Auckland has long been "the acknowledged favourite place of. residence of each Governor in turn. This has . '■ always been a thorn in the side of the Wei- .. v ■ lingtonians. Now, at last, the opportunity ;.; has cropped up of depriving us of having ' the Governor in residence amongst- us, and also of preventing a new Governor acquir- . ing tho taste for Auckland's charms, and Government House is offered for University use. Auckland is the only town at present that .possesses a. Government House, and . - a3 our city has been declared the naval base for New Zealand, it is more imperative than ever that we must retain a residence for our Governor here. Besides this, --> .it is very likely that the Admiral ;and la? '-, lady may choose to spend part of their timt .;■ in Auckland, when Government House may ~ be, as it was in 1886-7 (for Admiral and Lady Fairfax), put at his disposal. Let us Auckland people remember, if once we resign our Government House we shall never —whatever promises are held out new - gain a grant for another. A University • College we must have, but don't let us permit Government House and grounds to bo wrenched from us for that purpose. A col- . lego must certainly be built,; but it is not also necessary to build a now Government , House as well. If we stand aside and do not resist this new filching of our rights •' we will regret it once, but that once will last for the rest of time. ,

Patriotic Citizen. / .;*y

. ■'-..'-•.-.■•. , •■■■•.■: ••■ ' '.'■ ' ' -•--■: !i ''^ ; -: ; (C Sir,—lt may bo all very true that th< Grammar School boys require a larger play. '.: ground, but that is no reason for handing over the Government House grounds for that --. purpose. Their claim is something like that -; of a man who happens to have only a yard or verv small piece of ground attached to his residence putting in a claim to a por-' V, tion of his neighbour's large garden. Surely :.-'J there is no great hardship in the boys having to go to tho Domain to play cricket or football ; others who are not Grammar School ,j boys have to do -it. And is this beautiful and valuable piece of ground to be lost to j the public for ever, and given over to the ; Grammar School and University, neither of which institutions have really any claim to it? I think Mr. Poole and the other Auck- ; land members who are advocating; these, •,'■& claims are not acting in the ; interests of the , general public. If it is decided to disconi r §j tinue the use of the place as a Governor's | residence, then let it be mad© into a park->'vrv-for the public, who have the greatest right - to it. /Watchman. / -h

... . ..':.' *■: -■- '.■■'.■:-..■,!.•.■..:■;-■.; /.■/"■''//-i^:;*; THE QUALIFICATIONS, OF SCHOOL > ,".;' /INSPECTORS. ;. I/. Sir,—The Auckland Board ,of Education jtif employs eight inspectors, of whom one, the.; chief inspector, is an M-A.,, but holds no V grade under the provisions of the Education - , Act;, two are B.A.'s, and are graded under the Act, Al and Bl respectively; two am non-degree men, and are graded ; CI; and ! three others'are" ajso non-degree men, and |ra are all three graded . Dl, the ; ;lowest|grado" : ;:\{ under the , Act. ;. r Such are the qualification!! — of the eight inspectors. The Wellington. Education Board employs three;inspectors,,'.-;k' ; of whom one is an M.A., and graded ,AJ;j\yj another an M.A. and B.Sc., and graded Bl; : and the third an M.A., , and graded 81. All ;| three s degree 'j men, ~ and "all three | graded '.;■-% under the Act. '' The Wanganui Board employs also three J inspectors, of whom two are M.A.'s, : and*-.. |H the; third an ; M.A. and i 8.5 c.,-; all three degree men, and all three:graded'Bl. , "■ The little Taranaki Board - employs only 1 two inspectors, of whom one is an M.A,, and '? the ' other a 8.A., both degree - men, and <■-."'-.:> graded 81. j The Hawke's Bay Board employs also bit- • J two inspectors, both B:A.'s, •: and ' graded fill I under the Act , ,~ ~x As just shown, none of the four Boards—> .'.>s Wellington, Wanganui, Taranaki, or.' ' Hawke's Bay, employs as inspector any non- J degree man§ r or any ungraded person, ,or f anyone graded so low as either C or D;- I while the' Auckland Board employs as in- v f spectors one who is ungraded, ■ five who are |i non-degree men, two of .whom? are 'graded '•' : $ so low as C and three as D t; But what w'.Jl the explanation for so very« exceptional 4 ;li state of things? '■ " ' Spectator. .-_-—-_____________' -j T . ■ I .;./.'. , • - < , THE MANGERE BRIDGE. j Sir,—ln to-day's . Herald (November 17) 1 J there appears a paragraph which states that 11 the Mayor of Onehuuga reported. to the I Council that at a conference held over the if new Mangere • bridge : proposal the several' "'■ schemes put forward were narrowed dowa -" to two"a wooden- structure or one of T ferro-concrete." ': As ' this. is , bnlj ; a partial V. '■' statement of what was agreed upon by th« "':.':■ Mayor and our- conference, in- answer to ' V my question, permit me to state that I- war ■% authorised at my own expense to obtain a* I * professional corroboration of my ' calcula- 1 j tions and estimates for a solid embankment i] and a lock to enable scows, barges,■ etc, ;' wit&out masts, to ; pass "through, it, - aacfc - -3 i culverts in tho embankment that would! ;« • enable the water within it to be main- Jf] taincd at any height desired, ; this report - M to be presented at the next meeting of the I' conference. It is necessary to make this |; statement, as otherwise j the above para- i> \ graph will lead your readers; to think that ■|; a final decision has been come to, and that mf • the consideration of an embankment has ■'';? been entirely abandoned,;which '■■ is very far |[ from being the case. In/ fact, if the ; con- l< | ference . acts on ; the instructions of thoV-iilf ratepayers of Mangere and 'On.ohm.ffa. ex* M pressed at their meeting of October 1 when they! carried mj resolution to ' appoinß;\ this conference, it cannot .do otherwise I than give _ the first consideration to my ,"'/"] . schemo for an embankment. This resolu* 1 tion states that tho .object of the appoint- I; ment of this committee (or conference) ia fi "to investigate further as to the best way p of connecting Mangere and Onehunga by ,i moans of a structure over the tideway of I the harbour, that would be suitable '■■ for a at tram service along >t, and by . which -i the - j'. tidal waters below it > could: be controlled .°»f*j* and utilised to tho best advantage, and to f report to another meeting- of ratepayers.'* ' -|:' My resolution was carried by a very large 1' majority. The ferro-concrete or wooden, 1 i bridge proposed does not permit of trams, w The objection raised to an . embankment i'i was only because of. its alleged large cost I as estimated by two professional engineers: W& but this depends . upon the prices upon which such estimates "-; are! based; and a!- 111 though the correctness of ./ my .■ •', quantities ."$■ was confirmed "by, the engineer 'whom'-; tho ■'. f Road Board consulted, yet his prices per ' ' : cubic yard were more than twice as« higi f as what Board and the Mayor r ; statt i the material can be deposited for at tin '■$' site. I had" hoped that the conference ••;'s: - would agree to my request that the Mayo* -' ,!■ and threo other of its members who J?r* I practical builders be .; appointed /: a * "snl>-,#J| committee to go into, the "details of my ;i estimate and those of the Board's^ consult- | % ing engineer, so that "-I;could have my cal-.if J* culations of ..measurements, checked by. j A them- and point out to them • where the :1 r very large discrepancies .existed between j|f tho engineer's total-- estimate and ! mine. ! -.f; x; But they preferred to have this done pro* >! fessionallj. I may say ; that ■'I; have not • d yet: been*' accorded ( any : opportunity 'to go '."•{ Jinto details with either 'of; our local - bodies; '/> zi or their appointed representatives. " », '{. "\ Mangere, Nov. 17. , J. E. TAYIOR. ,j f --' ' '< - '■ , a