“PAROCHIALISM GONE MAD”

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1932, Page 9

“PAROCHIALISM GONE MAD”

TARANAKI AND OPAKU FUNDS.

“ONLY ONE SIDE OF STORY TOLD.”

"It is parochialism gone mad,” said Mr. W. A. Sheat, Pihama, when the subject of the Opako endowment was mentioned at the South Taranaki School Committees’ Association meeting on Wednesday night. Mr. Sheat contended that Taranaki had heard only one side of the argument and that the New Zealand University Senate had a strong case.

Mr. Sheat said the Economy Commission’s report had greatly altered the position. Now it was recommended that the endowment should go to the Consolidated Fund. If Taranaki maintained its attitude not only would the reserve be lost to the province, but to education as a whole. Only one side of the case had been put to Taranaki people, and he personally felt that some of the senate’s suggestions for the utilisation of the funds might well be considered. There was a weakness in Taranaki’s ease, or else why should all the rest of the New Zealand be against the province? He could not believe that all the men taking the opposite view from Taranaki had selfish motives. Mr. Sheat criticised statements that had appeared in newspapers. He particularly criticised the terms in which the Taranaki Daily News had referred to men who were doing valuable work for education.

The commission, said Mr. Sheat, had apparently come to the conclusion that the endowment should be taken away from Taranaki.

Mr. A. Lees: They only heard one side of it.

Mr. Sheat: We have only heard one side of it. It will be the same at the conference at Stratford.

Continuing, Mr. Sheat said the Act of 1868 had set aside the endowment for New Zealand as a whole, though the purpose had been altered in 1905. They were asked to believe that the senate was actuated by selfish reasons, but he did not believe it. He quoted the action of Auckland and Victoria Colleges in giving their agricultural endowments for Massey College, and said he believed Taranaki should show the same spirit, ft could not be said that the reserve had been used in the best possible way. If Taranaki insisted on maintaining the provincial attitude the endowment would be irretrievably lost to education. It would be worth while Taranaki people hearing someone explain the case for the other side, which time would not permit of his doing. He was sure some satisfactory compromise could be arrived at.. The president, Mr. J. Cocker, Rawhitiroa, said unfortunately there was not time to go into the question, though he was satisfied that Mr. Sheat’s statements could be controverted. Mr. J. S. Tosland, Pihama, said the principle of diverting the money from education to the Consolidated Fund was wrong. It was like breaking open a child’s money box. * The discussion then lapsed.