THE VICTORIA COLLEGE SITE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 196, 19 September 1900, Page 2

THE VICTORIA COLLEGE SITE.

Ih our yesterday's issue we referred to the petition being circulated by- the j Council of the Victoria College, which , it is intended to present to the House of Representatives, praying that what ; is known as the Mount Cook Reserve, in the city of Wellington, be set aside for university purposes; in fact, as a site for the erection of college buildings in Wellington, We have not previously entered into the discussion on this question, but copies of the petition now being in circulation in this district we feel it our duty to suggest caution on the part of those asked to sign, The circulation of these petitions is really an attempt to drag the people of this district into the struggle that is taking place between the Council and the Government regarding the site for the Victoria College. The Council has determined upon having Mount Cook as the site, and the Government, on the ground that it would be a loss to the State of some .£60,000, has refused this site and offered one on the Wellington College reserve which consists of some 70 acres. Mr. Joseph Mackay, of Midhirst, who knows well the whole of both reserves, considers the latter an admirable site and entirely endorses the position taken up by the Government. It would be just as reasonable to ask Wellington people to join in a petition to dispose of Marsland Hill as to ask Taranaki people to da so in regard to Blount Cook. Only a day or two | ago a deputation waited upon the Premier on this same question, and in the course of his reply the Premier, inter alia, said: What the Wellington people wanted was to have everything done for them. It was with thom an everlasting cry to the Government of give this and give the other. At all events the Government bad come to this decision that it thought that the area which would be rc quired for Victoria College could be , taken from the College reserve, and , still leave plenty of land for tho Wel- , lingtoo College. He had been on the ground, and had seen it for himself. Ho had a lively and friendly interest in Wellington College, and he would not do anything that would materially i injure that institution. But he did think there was land in the reserve that could be set apart for the Victoria College. He did not say it would be , ten acres, '.That area was not put in the Bill as a final decision. It was an , area which would be sufficient for the Victoria College for fifty years, and it , would leave as much as the Wellington | College could want for the next one ; hundred years. Of course, the Govern- ! ment could not allow things to remain as they were. He might, of course, take up another attitude. The membars of the Victoria College Council had , made up their minds that if they did not [ got the Mount Ccok site they would not , do anything. He could simply sit down , and say," Very well, if you think that , way, go along." But he did not wish : to adopt that attitude. He wished to ( consider the youth of the district who , required higher education. And it I was only a sense of the great injustice . that had been done and which was being done to the youth of the district ; that caused him to take any interest in ; tho matter. So far as the Victoria College Council was concerned, he , would have simply let it alone. If the , Council was going to wait till it got tha i Mount Cook site, well it would wait a . longtime. He could sit just as tight t as the council could. However, he , thought it would bs better if bo could . get the Wellington College Governors and the Victoria College Council to- ' gether, and just see whether the former , could not spare a little ground for the , latter. The Government would bo ; prepared to assist in making another [ entrance to the reserve from the main , street. It would probably give mone- , tary assistance in addition. The Vic- , toria College Council must, in the inI terasts of the youth of the district, be , forced to do its duty, and to get on j with its work as it ought to be gone on with. To have a continuanca of the | present unsatisfactory state of things , was no credit to any ono. The sooner , it was ended the better."