WELLINGTON SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVI, Issue 8627, 8 December 1906, Page 3

WELLINGTON SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

The Wellington School Commissioners met on Thursday. Present—Messrs J. R. Blair (chairman), J. Strauchon, A. W. Hogg and VV. H Field.

Accounts, amounting to £68 16s, were passed for payment, and £740 was allocated to Primary and Secondary Schools.

A letter was read from Mr F. Pirani, in which he referred to his retirement, from the Board, and expressed his appreciation of the good fellowship he had found while associated with the Commissioners.

It was decided to enlarge the site selected by Mr Hogg for a school, at Lansdowne, from two acres to three acres.

The proposed exchange of land by which an addition is made to the Masterton Park was finally approved and the secretary was instructed to terminate the existing tenancy so that the land may be handed over to the Masterton Borough Council.

A circular, inviting the Commissioners to express an opinion on the form a memorial to the late Mr Seddon should take, was n ad. The Chairman held that a Technical University would be a most valuablo institution, and worthily perpetuate the memory of the late Premier; but the estimated cost, amounting to £100,000 for buildings and another £100,000 for equipment, seemed to place it out of reach. The proposal now was to devote the memorial fund to the institution of scholarships.

Mr Hogg moved " That the Commissioners are of opinion that a Technical University would be a suitable memorial for the late Premier." He was satisfied, he said, that if Mr Seddon were alive he would select such au institution for perpetuating his memory His suggestion to the Imperial authorities when a memorial was proposed to the late Queen was that it should take the form of a technical university, in which the talent of the British Empire could be concentrated. The opponents of such a scheme were simply trying to defeat it by proposing something entirely beyoad the mea.s of the people. The university he suggested should be only the beginning of an institution which, as it grew and expanded, would prove of unlimited service to the technical schools of the colony.

Mr W. H. Field seconded the resolution, which was carried.