SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 429, 21 November 1930, Page 8

SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

CANTERBURY COLLEGE SELECTED. HISTORY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. [Special to “Chronicie."] CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 20. “Very full consideration had been given to all the facts of the case,” said Mr Atmore to-day when announcing that the School of Forestry was to be located at Christchurch. The various timber experts had also been consulted. He was quite sure that thodeeision he had made was in strict accordance with the weight of evidence. Several of the major considerations, which had influenced him were, access to the extensive indigenous forests ot Westland, the Adams Bequest for tne School of Forestry at Canterbury College and the various plantations on the Canterbury Plains and, of coursu, the State Forest area at Hamner. History of Both Schools. The history of the two schools was fully explained by Mr Atmore. He saiu that on June 12, 1920, a deputation led by Captain Mclntosh Ellis, then Director of Forestry, and Mr Phillips Turner, waited on the then Director oi Education, Dr. Anderson, and urged that a School of Forestry should bo established at Canterbury College, main ly on account of the School of Engin ering being there. During the year re presentatives of Auckland and Canter bury brought forward the claims of their respective districts. In July, 1920/ in reply to a question in the House by Mr J. A. Young, M.P. (Hamilton), Sir James Parr, then Minister of Education, said that it was intended to establish a School of Forestry at an early date in connection’with one of the university colleges. The claims of each college would receive careful consideiation. On August 8, 1920, a deputation of Canterbury members of Parliament waited on Sir Francis Bell and Sir James Parr, supporting the claims ot Canterbury College to have the school. Sir Francis Bell gave a non-committal reply, and, Sir James Parr said that air claims would be considered on their merits. According to the file, the deputation was satisfied with the attituuc of Sir Francis Bell. On August 14, a deputation waited on the then Prime Minister, Mr Massey, who had just returned from London. Sir Francis Bell and Sir James Parr, urging the claims of Auckland, Mr Massey said that it would be the duty of Cabinet to decide on the location of the School of Forestry, and. serious consideration would be given to the representations made by the various districts. He could not commit Cabinet to any promise. Not Efficient. Early in 1921 the Auckland College Council reminded the then Minister of Education, continued Mr Atmore, of the definitely considered and expressed opinion of the New Zealand University Senate that a School of Agriculture, with an Associated School of Forestry, should be established at Auckland. On October 21, 1921, the chairman of the Auckland University College Council said that Sir David Hutchins, who at one time had favoured Wellington as the location of the school, had become ardently in favour of Auckland. On May 17, 1924, the New Zealand Univer sity Senate passed a resolution favour ing separate Schools of Forestry at Auckland and Canterbury University Colleges, and on September 15 of that year. Cabinet approved of an annual grant, of £lOOO, and a grant of £6OO each for the initial equipment of Chairs of Forer~ry at both Auckland and Christchurch. Mr Atmore said that that, decision wa? not wisp, and neither school could be efficient. If there were two schools it was impossible to find the money to equip them adequately. On April 4, 1927, Cabinet marked the file “Stand over for three months.” the representations of Captain Ellis recommending the elimination of the Auckland School of Forestry and the centralising of the efforts in Christchurch. As the result of an' inquiry, the Forestry Department supplied, the then. Minister of Education with figures showing how unnecessary the two schools were. This was n July 1, 1927. The Director of Education, with the agreement of the Director of Forestry, suggested to the Minister of Education on February 4, 19928, that the Government should offer to subsidise a School of Architecture at Auckland. lu consideration of the School of Forestry there being disestablished, Cabinet decided in February that this should stand over. On April 1 of that year Major Eurse and Mr Robertson, of the Empire Forestry Conference, recommended that there should be only one school and favoured Christchurch. Canterbury Favoured. The Education Committee of the Empire Forestry Conference, which met iu New Zealand iu 1928, reported in October: “We feel that there are two very strong arguments which should be stated iu favour of Christchurch: (1) the Adams Bequest and (2) access to indigenous forests under scientific management and access to plantation wormd. ” Ou March 25, 1929, Sir Geo. Fowris, president of the Auc^ {, •”'- , University Council, asked that a couferenco be arranged between representatives of the Auckland ano Canterbury College Councils in order that the matter be gone into with a view to a decision being ilia de, and “whatever decision is come to my Council will be prepared to acknowledge and abide by it.” A deputation of representatives of Auckland and Canterbury College Councils waited on Mr Atmore on August 2, 1929, with a view to arriving at a decision as to the location of the school. The two sections of the deputation me. each other in a friendly way, said Mr Atmore, and he paid a tribute to their attitude and to the offer of a frank acceptance of whatever decision might be reached.

Originally, addec. Mr Atmore, tic matter was being considered by tic Commissioner of State Forests, but the question was handed on to the Minister for decision on the grounds that it wn> a question of teaching and scientific study and properly appertained to the Department of Education.”