“THINGS NEW AND OLD."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18257, 16 August 1921, Page 9

“THINGS NEW AND OLD."

(To the Editor.) Sir, —No one rejoices more than 1 do at the splendid effort of the Avenue School Committee and the equally splendid response of the Wanganui Public. That, however, is no new thing. If there is a place in N.Z. where the people respond more liberally to the appeals made on behalf of the children’s welfare I have yet to learn where it is located. But when all that is said I must say that I resent the ungenerous, uncalled for, and ill-informed remarks of your '■correspondent E. P. Watson in Friday morning’s issue. First with regard to myself. That I was glad to be relieved of the responsibility of managing the Avenue School I do not deny. But I do most strenuously deny that I was incapacitated by real son of age for carrying on With • equal strenuousness I deny that'-the ’ place, either building or grounds was 1 left in a state of disorder. Mr Rich- ■ ardson succeeded to a school in the • pink of condition as to discipline, to 1 a satisfied and efficient staff, to a ! school library, general and reference, I such as few schools possess, and to a playground, part of which by reason of its low-lying situation, must neces- ’ sarily be at times somewhat damp', ' but which has not for - many years ’’ been in a bad condition for the child-

ren’s games. It will greatly surprise me if Mr. Richardson will not be prepared to corroborate everything that I have written. Then as to the Committee. This body has had four schools to attend to, one with a “side” school attached, and I will say, that they have always most loyally co-operated with me in any effort that has been made to increase their “ways and means.” Referring again to the grounds. A few years ago it was found necessary to widen Dublin St., and to do so a portion had to be taken from the school ground. Had the Board then insisted on the drainage being attended to as it ought to have been, the costly drain now being laid down would not have been necessary. But nothing I could urge would Induce them to move. But this the committee did do: they engaged an expert to deal with the playground, Mr. Glenn of Castlecliff. Mr. Glenn stripped the whole of the turf off the ground from the Boys’ shed to the railway, rolled it up, carted great quantities from the Dublin Street side to the other side, thus giving the ground a slope townward, and then laid the turf down again in its place. Mr. E. P. Watson didn’t know anything about that, did he? Then the Baths. The ladies met for months sewing and otherwise preparing and finally launched a bazaar which brought in the sum of £6OO to provide the baths which have been such a splendid asset to the -school I from every point of view. Later on I the committee had to interpose and correct a piece of crass folly on the I part. I shall not say of the Board, but of its then chairman, though of course the Board had the responsibility. In rebuilding the school after the second fire, three rooms, contrary to the advice of the architect, were run into two, one 40ft in length and the other 39 ft. To undo this piece of stupidity the committee had to raise another £2OO. Where was Mr. Watson when these things were adoing? And from time to time entertainments were held which made it possible to provide valuable prizes for the young people, and, during the war-time, to place large sums of money in the hands of the [ Patriotic Association for the comfort ( and well-being of the soldier boys. Last year the entertainment resulted in a nett gain, if I remember aright, of £55 which went a long way towards the erection of the tine memorial marble which now adorns the quadrangle of the school. It. was the late Miss Partington, I think, who remarked that comparisons were “odorous.” In this case there was no need for them. We all grow old, more’s the pity, but your newly awakened correspondent knows to little about the events of the last quarter of a century to be a reliable judge. Go ahead Mr. Richardson! Go ahead Mr. Grace—more power to both your elbows. —I am etc., X.H.M.