GENEROUS BENEFACTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 8

GENEROUS BENEFACTIONS.

WAIRARAPA MAN'S GIFTS. VALUABLE HOME FOR ORPHANS. [BE TELEGRAPH.—OWSI CQRRESPQNDKNT.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A Wairarapa resident, Mr. A. Whatman, has made some generous benefactions in the past two years and has earned the hearty gratitude of the Wellington Education Board as representing the children of the district, At the board's meeting • to-day Mr. Tv Moss gave a brief account of Mr. Whatman's good deeds, . i 1 , When the soldiers came back, from the war, he said, Mr. Whitman gave a large area of land to be divided into 50-acre farms, with buildings, for th<s crippled soldiers. He provided a block of land for sites for 10 houses, built by the Government for returned men, arid furnished them with garages. Finally, there was a home with 10 acres of land for orphan and other children at a cost of £30,000 with an endowment of £20,000. This home was provided with a special school. The home had been placed under the control of the Salvation Army and® there were some 22 children there, with accommodation for 60, 30 boys and 30 girls.'

It was desired to establish the school as a public school under the Education Board, with a special district. An agreement had been reached to secure that the school should be constituted a State school under the entire control of the Education Board and of a school committee, in the same manner as for any other public school, with no religious instruction during school hours. There was a residence for the teacher. On the motion of Mr. Moss it was decided that the secretary write to Mr. Whatman expressing its Appreciation of his generous gift in the interests of the children of the Wairarapa and assuring him that the board will assist him in the furtherance of the project. ' At the same meeting Mr. Hugh Morrison, of Wairarapa, attended and made an offer of three acres of land for a school at Awatoitoi, with provision for a residence for the teacher. The board expressed its warm thanks and accepted the offer. .