THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1919. TRUST LANDS TRUST FUNDS.

Wairarapa Age, 18 November 1919, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1919. TRUST LANDS TRUST FUNDS.

It has been assumed by the Mayor of Mastcrton —on what grounds it is difficult to understand—that the Mastcrton Trust Lands Trust, bosidos making an offer of the fishponds site of twenty-six acres for a High School, has also undertaken to find a monetary grant of £2OOO, and £SOO per year for six years. It should to unnecessary to point out that the Trustees have not pledged themselves to the latter grunt. What they did, on the occasion of the visit of the Minister of Education, was to offer the £2OOO and subsequent yearly grants for a 'Technical High School, on condition that the Government provided a suitable site. When, later, as a result of public discussion, the desirability High School, requiring a larger sitd," was presented, the- Trustees offer, as an alternative, the fishponds site. This was clearly the proper course to have pursued. It is unreasonable to expect that the Trustees, having provided a site, will also provide a cash grant towards a High School. It is the function of the State to provide the latter institution, more particularly as it is proposed that it shall contain a hostel and be used for the whole of the Wairarapa, as well as outside districts. The Trust Lands Trustees would doubtless make I grants from time to time for any special objects connected with the school that niight appeal to them. But they have no right to devote a large portion of their revenue to doing the immediate work that should fall upon the State. The grant of £2OOO which was promised towards a Technical High School might with advantage be devoted to extending the scope of the Technical School. We should then have two institutions assisted by the Trust and maintained by the State. The gift of a site of twenty-six acres represents a capital grant'of probably £4OOO. or £SOOO. As this is for a separate institution, not taking in the technical side, it is right and proper that the £2OOO offered by the Trust (or £SOOO in all) should go to the Toehnical School. Wo hope that we shall not be considered to be placing obstacles in the way of the imtnediato provision of a High School. As wo have said', it is the duty of the Stato to givo us an institution worthy of the district, particularly as we help ourselves to such an extent as to provide the site. Bat we do not desire to see the whole of t the revenues of the Trust Lands Trust devoted to one branch of education alone. The primary schools and the Technical School must not bo .neglected. The community as a whole would, we believe, object to the revenuos being pledged to the academic school alone. In view of all the circumstances, it would be well if, the Trust Lands Trustees were to make themselves perfectly clear.in this matter, so that neither the Minister nor the public should be under a misapprehension.