TECHNICAL SCHOOL SITE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6176, 6 April 1907, Page 3

TECHNICAL SCHOOL SITE

MOL’NT COOK OR MOCNT VIEW. CABINET TO BE APPROACHED. A special meeting of the Wellington Technical School Board was held last evening in connection with the movement io secure an adequately large new site for a technical .-.chool. Mr Luke (chairman) said the meeting was for the purpose of taking steps •:o‘ ask the Ministry to provide u techlical school reserve in the city. Jhe Board was moving in this matter be. ;a nse it was felt to be imperative that a new site should ho obtained if technical instruction was io bo properly carried cu. The request should be fur either the Mount Cook site whore the old gaol (now the barracks) stood, or tlie Mount View site, whore the asylum buildings were. Neither of the sites should be used longer for their present purposes. When the Land Company laid out Wellington it set aside an area known as the Town Bolt for public purposes. The Government had, however, taken parts of that area, and that was what was now required back for the technical school, it was now quite nut, of place for a gaol to bo in the centre of population; and as to the Mount View institution, that was quite out of the city when it was first established. It was not desirable that a largo mental hospital should bo located in the middle of the city. Ho moved, 4 That this Board is of opinion that it is imperative in the interests of technical education in this district that a site sufficiently large to allow rocm for adequate and suitable buildings and necessary recreation grounds should be acquired; and that in view of the necessity for its being easily accessible from all parts, a silo should bo apportioned either on the Mount Cook reserve or on the Mount View reserve. TJia t the A eting-Premior and the Minister for Education bo in. terviowed in respect to the above resolutions. ■’ Mr Allan, in seconding the resolu * tion, said there could be no two views as to the need of accommodation. The movement had been well backed up by the press, and all that was desired was to take the proper stops to secure a. site. Suitable land in Wellington was very limited, and no time should be lost fn Interviewing the Ministry. Mr Robertson strongly supported the motion. All the primary schools, he said, had playgrounds, and it was necessary that the. athletic part of the education of the young should be attended to at the technical school. The training of brain or muscle was equally important. The idea of building a gaol on the hill in the city should never lu vo been entertained, because gaols should not be put inside a city. The Government could not do better than given the technical school oven ten acres of Mount Cook, which ho would prefer before Mount View. At all events, five acres should bo given. However, a stand should bo taken up io impress upon the Government the necessity Tor providing a site in some position. The motion was carried.