EVENING SITTING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1901, 25 July 1888, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The HduaTresumed at T3O pan. Considerable debate, arose on an amendment of Mr Tbompson'a to strike out the Item Olerk and assistant Native School Inspector £275. The amendment was lost, Mr Seddoo, with the object of elloltlng an expression of opinion from the Committee as to the desirableness of placing Native schools under the ordinary education boarda, moved the raduotlon of the vote by £1. Mr F.sher promised to give thequestlon full consideration. The amendment was agreed to. Public schools, £316,025 Mr Ormond moved to reduoe the Item by £20,000 m order to teat the question whether the school age should be raised to six years. The Premier pointed oufc that four months of the year had already gone. He felt sure that no Buoh euoa could be saved In this way as was anticipated. Government did not wish to have the education vote rednoed afc all this session, but would give further atrention to it during the recess. Mr Ormond said that he only wanted to test the feeling of members, and substituted £10,000 for £20,000, A long dlecueslon followed. Mr Allen claimed that there was a revulsion of feeling m favor of raising the *ge. Mr Beeves (Sk Albani) said that last session the reductions had pressed cruelly on teachers, and if the vote were reduced ' again they would suffer still more. ,

Mr Fiaher opposed the amendment, but repeated that during the recess Government would give fuither consideration to the whole question.

Several member?, while opposing the amendment, expressed themselves m favor of economy m otbergportlons of the department. Mr Soddon charged Mr Fiaher with favoring the amendment whioh he would support if he darad do so openly. Mr Flßher quoted from his previous speeohea to show that he had not deviated from his opinions. A good deal of reorlminaiiog discussion followed, the end of whfch was that Mr Fleher said he did not intend to make any seoret of his intention to vote for raising the aohcol age to 6 years. j Mr Reeves (St Albauß) said that if that was the case the vote of those who sup~ ported *-he Customs Tariff BUI, on the understanding that the education eyßtem would not bo interfered with, had been secured under false pretences. The Premier said that there waa no bargain of any sort, and explained that the Governmeut aa a whole did not propoae to allow any interference thla session with the education Bystem, but that Mr Fisher would vote on the question as a private member. fhe Committee divided on Mr Ormond'a Bm3ndment, \»hioh was loat by 41 to 18 Mr Hutchison moved a further amendment that oapltation bo paid on the working instead of on the strict average. The Premier Ba?d that he could not accapt such a proposition, whioh would necessitate the estimates being increased by some £8000. After some discussion the amendment waa lnat on the volos. I'-em — Natiro schools £15 550. The Premlor stated that Government would look into this matter and asoertaln what caving could t)e effected by placing the aohools undor the education boards, or m other ways. The vote waß reduced by £10 In signification of this. r