NO PROMISE COULD BE MADE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 37, 13 February 1941, Page 4

NO PROMISE COULD BE MADE

NEW GIRLS’ COLLEGE

EFFORT TO MAKE PRESENT HOSTEL BETTER After inspecting the Wanganui Girls’ College yesterday and meeting the members Or the Board of Goveinors, the Minister o£ Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, said that he could make no promises in tne mean time regarding a new building. Before anything definite could be don-' Cabinet would have to be consulted, and fie could not say what attitude it would take in the present circumstances, Mr. Mason was accompanied on his lour of inspection by the Mayor, the Hon. W.., J. Rogers, M.L.C., who is a member of the Board of Governors, Mr. E. F. Hemingway, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board; Mr. J. B. Cotterill, M.P. for Wanganui; Mr. A. McMurtrie, Assistant-Director of Education; Mr. G. S. Gordon, chairman of the Board of Governors; Dr. G. H. Robertson, a member of the Board of Governors; Mr. B. N. T. Blake, senior inspector of schools, Wanganui Education Board. Messrs. N. Annabell and J. C. Batt, members of the Wanganui Education Board, also accompanied the Minister. A thorough inspection of the college was made by Mr. Mason, who was accompanied by Miss M. E. Baker, M.A., the principal. The Minister said that a new hostel would not be built till after the new school—and this latter project might be further retarded because of the drain on labour imposed by the war. and because of the difficulty of obtaining material it would proba’oiy be a considerable time before there could be a new hostel. Conditions in the present hostel were very bad, and the purpose of his visit in the meanlim ■ was to see whether they could be made tolerable. The problem, he said, was one which would icquire consultation between the department's architect and the board’s architect. Mentioning the new school, Mr. Mason said he would do all he could to further the project, but Cabinet must first make a grant. This would not be done till the plans had been settled, and he would do what he could in that direction on his return to Wellington.