"SUPREME COURT SITE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15094, 10 September 1912, Page 8

"SUPREME COURT SITE."

AN EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT SOME INTERESTING HISTORY. Some interest is being manifested in the disposal of what is . popularly known as the Supreme Court site." In view of the fact that legislation had been introduced providing that the site should bo set apart for educational purposes, "the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) made some interesting remarks to a Herald representative yesterday-as to the history leading up to the legislation.

The site, -he said, was a valuable reserve extending from Victoria-street to Darby-street, with a frontage of about 400 ft to Queen-street. The site was to be the subject of legislation this year, and the Minister for Education (Hon. J. Allen) had introduced a Bill to the House, last week to deal with the site. It will be remembered that during Mr. Parr's chairmanship of the Auckland Education Board the reserve 'was the ' subject of litigation. The Charitable Aid Board had made use of-the reserve for a security for one of their loans.* When the loan was paid off the Education Board put in a claim for the reserve, which was roughly valued at about £250,000. The title of the reserve was in the name of the Public Trustee. An action to decide the title was started in the Supreme Court, and removed from there to the Full Court at Wellington for decision. The Full Court decided that it was a reserve to be held in trust for the benefit of education in the province of Auckland. "It was felt by the Education Board of the dav," continued Mr. Parr, " that it was only doing its duty in urging the Government to bring down legislation to fix this reserve and its revenue for all time for the benefit of education in the Auckland province. The Board therefore convened a meeting of all the educational authorities in the province. At the meeting delegates from tho Auckland Grammar School Board, Auckland University Council, Whangarei and Thames High Schools and others were present. I had the honour to preside at the conference, at which a series of recommendations were made and submitted to the Government of tho day. "I am naturally well pleased," he continued, " to observe that these recommendations have been embodied en bloc in the Bill before the House."

In the Bill it is stipulated that after providing for certain disbursements, onethird of the rents from the reserve, is to be paid by the Public Trustee to the Auckland University College, one-third. to several secondary schools, and one-third to the controlling authorities of recognised special associated or college classes. Not less than half this last amount to be paid on account of recognised classes for agricultural purposes. : ■ ■■•: "■-•..■■':"'■ "It is gratifying ; to know,',' Mr. Parr proceeded, " that this most valuable property is going to be an endowment for education in this province for ever. Its present value is great. What it will be in 50 or 100 years' time it' is difficult to estimate, for it is one of the best parts of Queen-street. Of course, the income from the reserve is comparatively small, but the endowment will prove a splendid asset in providing excellent security should it be necessary to borrow to meet the educational wants of the province.. / . v " The setting aside of this reserve for educational purposes," . concluded Mr. Parr, " is an object lesson to Aucklanders, as it shows that if we stand together for a scheme the Government will only be too willing to give us what we ask for. But when we squabble, as we are doing to-day over a site for the University, we must take the responsibility of postponing what is a crying necessity, for, perhaps, another decade."' \