OBSOLETE SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17328, 27 November 1919, Page 7

OBSOLETE SCHOOLS.

j REBUILDING PROPOSAL. i : FUND OF £60,000 AVAILABLE. QUESTION OF UTILISATION. I The Auckland Education Board is in the position of having accumulated a fund of £60,000 for the purpose of replacing its oldest schoois— in some cases they are in a very decrepit state—with up-to-date * bu.idings. VViin reference to the utilisation of this fund. -vir. G. W. Murray movea, at yesterday s meeting :—( a ; ilia the time jQas come wuea it is m the best interests of the community that toe jfcxiucation Board : shoaid begin the rebuilding 01 obsolete schools, to tne extent at .east of toe sum of money now iy mg to the cruiit of the rebuiid-ng land; id) that the architect, the aaviaory inspector, and at least one j memoer 01 the board representing the district interested, should report to the , board as to which schools shou.d be re- ; built within the next Id months Mr Murray congratulated che board upon the possession 01 the fund, and the Hon G J , Garland upon his foresight in building it lup in h.s- period of chairmanship. lEero | were, he pointed out, quite a number of ; new schools in course of erection, which I would, to some extent, relieve the eonjres- ; tion in the schools around the city 4i it i would be difficu.t—almost inipossfb'e— under present industrial conditions, to T" 11 .. *? ndef s for any large amount of building immediately he proposed I that the rebuilding period should extend I over 18 months. I Dr. J. S. Reekie, in seconding the motion, urged that something should be done at once in regard to the Napier street school building, which he would like to see obliterated immediately, an an evesore, and a building in which extreme conI gestion existed. It might be fotr or five years before the situation in the building . trade would be eased, and that made it the more necessary to spend available money upon the most urgent cafes forthwith. Mr. Garland, speaking in support of the motion, said that in his period of chairmanship, the destruction of a school by fire had warned the board as to the necessity for creating an insurance fund. It had, therefore, began to set moneys aside for the reinstatement of si h<'ols so destroyed. Though the board hid built 'up a fund of £60,000. it had still supplied 1 all moneys that were required out of it, ar.d had treated school committees liberaly during the war period. The Napier Street school he thought ■ was the first building that should rece.ve attention, and the old Newton East and old Newton West came next. If the Department would give the site up the board had viewed, as being suitable, in lieu of Napier Street, he would favour spending the money upon erecting an up-to-date school there. The old Newton West school was one of the very oldest in the district, dating from the time when he was a ho}'. In discussion, it was stated that the Department's attitude was that it would make no more grants for rebuilding until the money now in the board's hands was spent, or nearly spent, after which the board might. look for further grants. In the meantime, for new schools the Government would make grants, but not for the rebuilding of existing schools. Mr. J. D. McKenzie strongly urged the needs of the country districts, where schools were conducted in shacks and cowsheds and other unsuitable structures. Dr. J. S. Reekie pointed out that the accumulated hind was earmarked for rebuilding purposes, and did not affect the rlaims of country schools upon the Department with respect to new schoois. At Mrs. Baume's suggestion, the words ' to the extent at least of the sum of noney now lying to the credit of tha reniilding fund." were withdrawn by the nover. In its amended form the motion was, .greed to, and the Hon. G. J. Garland, Aeaars. K. C. Banks, J. S. Bond, and J. ). McKenzie were appointed as the com- J littee. 1