A HIGH SCHOOL SITE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7077, 15 March 1910, Page 8

A HIGH SCHOOL SITE.

ACTION BY LOWER HUTT COUNCIL, A deputation from the Hutt School Committee waited upon the Lower Hutt Borough Council last evening asking the council to grant for the purpose; or secondary education the piece of land on Western Hutt road purchased, for the erection of the gasworks.

The deputation contended that the system <jf education now imparted unaer the district high school was sufficient for present purposes, but the'time was now opportune for tho acquirement of a site lor secondary education, which would be central for the Hutt Valley in the future. The deputation : objected tothe establishment ot such a sciiool at Petone, as that place was not sufficiently central. They understood that when the technical school had been established at Petone the consent of certain authorities whose sanction was necessary had been given on the understanding that should a high school be required it should be erected in Lower Hutt in preference to Petone. The committee's proposal would nave the tendency of blocking Petone getting the school at the present time. The deputation did not want to act the part of the dog in tho manger, but was only asking what" it considered was a fair thing in the interests <rf the whole district. Councillor Baldwin considered the council should carefully consider the matter, and, seeing that the residents did not want the gasworks' erected in their midst, if possible, it should offer the section to the Government for the purposes of secondary education. It Petone could give, sections of land for supporting the education system thenLower Hutt should do the same. Councillor lCempthorne asked whether the council was justified in givingaway its assets without referring the matter to the ratepayers. The request was pretty serious seeing that ,£6OO was involved. *-' The Mayor said the council could not give a definite answer that evening. It would be a very good thing to get a secondary school at Lower. Hutt. It would be more central for everybody in the valley than having it on the coast. It was decided to immediately inform the Government that the council was considering the question of offering a site for the purposes of a secondary high school. In the meantime the council .will look, into the question as to how far it is "justified in using land bought for the erection of a gasworks for some other purpose, and if it is necessary to refer the matter to the ratepayers.-