QUEEN’S PARK SCHOOL

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15972, 14 November 1919, Page 7

QUEEN’S PA RK SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT REQUESTS WORK TO BE SUSPENDED. WORjI, HOWEVER, TO. GO ON. References was made at Wednesday night's meeting of the Education Board to the site of the (Queen's Park School. Discussing the matter in bis report, the. chairman (Mr P. Pirani) stated: "Owing to the failure of the clause re Queen's Park site to pass the House, the Department has requested that work on the new school building be suspended. I could not see my way to agree to this course, in view of the fact that there appears no alternative to rebuilding on the <cld site, that work to the value of about ,£BOO or ,£IOOO has already been done, and that the Department did not undertako to indemnify the Board against a claim for compensation which tuo contractor might be inclined to make. 'The accommodation is urgently needed, and if the new building is not to go on, I think the Board should consider whether it is justified in keeping the school going in the unsuitable premises which have been occupied fox over two years. He added that if the new building was proceeded with, some rooms would ba ready for occupation in about three or four months. If the building was suspended, it would mean the acquisition of fresh land and going over all the work again at a much larger , cast. SUPPORT FROM SCHOOLS COMMITTED. A deputation from the Wanganui Schools Committer wailed upon the Board to urge it to maintain its attitude and hold on to the site. The parents, the deputation said, were unanimous in stating that they considered that the Queen's Park was the only suitable site. The deputation further stated that the Rev. Mr Camplxll had no mandate from either the church or the people to say that the Queen's Park site was not suitable. The deputation was of the opinion that the actior. of the Mayor and Borough Council was not in the best interests of the children. 'Die Chairman said that he was pleased to see. tho manner in which the people were supporting the Board in this matter. This was pleasing, particularly as it had V.PC-.11 stated that the action taken by the Board had been contrary to the wishes of the parents. He (Mr Pirani) had no diffidence in dealing with Mr Maekay, as he did not consider that that gentleman had received anything like what ho deserved over this matter. Ho was prepared to dea! with, the Mayor of Wanganui either on the platform or personally. A fact which had come out that day was that the Borough Council, long before the present controversy had arisen, had approached the Government, and had endeavoured to purchase tho two acres in the reserve. When they foi-.nd they could not do this, then they gave the Board notice to vacate tho acre. He hoped that they would yet be able to hang on to Queen's Park School. Though the Department had given them notice -to stop building operations, he had pointed out to them that to stop the present contract and commence another building would cost the Government £70(10 more. Money talked, and ho thought they would not hear anything more about stopping the building now in course of erection. MR YETTCH EXPLAINS. «jln the course of his address at the Opera House on Wednesday night, Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., referred to the Queen's Park "dispute. He said that he was sorry there had been some feeling over this matter. He denied that he had been rr.n by the Mayor and Borough Council. The Queen's Park acre was originally the property of the Borough Council, and was held for municipal purposes. In 1882 it was made a public domain and vested in the Crown, the Borough Council being created a Domain Board. Liter an application was made to the Council to have the acre u c ;ei as part of the Girls' College ground. Subsequently the Domain Board allowed the Queen's Park School to use the acre. When the school was burned down tho Council wrote to the. Education Board a,nd, inquired what it was going to do in tho matter. The Council wrote twice and received the same answer, that the Board proposed to take no action. Then a clause was put in the Washing-Up Ri'l which proposed to confiscate the acre from the people of Wanganui and use it for school purposes. He considered that the Borough Council would have failed in its trustto the people and he in his duty had they not opposed this clause.