CANTERBURY M.P.'S.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 2

CANTERBURY M.P.'S.

COMMITTEE RECEIVES DEPUTATIONS. A deputation from the School Committees' Association.:" waited on the Canterbury M.P.'s Committeo yesterday regarding assistanco being given committees in the matter of installing heating systems in schools.' Mr G. P. Purncll, president of the School Committees' Association, said there were anomalies in the matter of capital expenditure which were giving concern to committees. He gave instances of discomfort caused the children and teachers through inadequate heating system's. The Department, he said, had intimated that it could not find more than one-third of the cost of the installation of heating systems in schools. The deputation claimed that the Department had n» right, to evade its responsibilities in this connexion. There was nothing in the nature of luxury in the.desire of the committees that school children should not, be expected to sit and freeze in cold temperatures. The matter was one of _ dire necessity. In some instances, continued the speaker, committees were themselves expected to erect shelters in schools. He thought that the. position could be met by a special vote in the estimates. The chairman, Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., promised that the committee would do all it could to assists the School Committees.

School Teachera' Grievance. Mrs M. Ingley waited on the committee with a request, that teachers like herself, who .had retired from the service ,of the Department and been asked to take up duty again in view of the shortage of teachers, should be allowed to be brought under the full provisions of the superannuation scheme by including their first period of service., • If necessary the teachers concerned were prepared to make up any deficiencies in contributions by paying in whatever amount was required. ' The chairman said the request would receive the cQmmittee's attention.

Penal Reform League. . A deputation from the Howard Penal Reform League asked for an association to be established to assist. dis : charged prisoners. Mr C. K...N. Mackie said the deputation felt that in appealing to the jCommittee they were approaching-a source from which it was.hoped some amendment would be made to the existing law in the matter of after care of prisoners. At thfl- present time a prisoner, after stf\'i .his sentence, was let loose on IV.'.- coiiimunity, little effort being made I j assist him to rehabilitate himself, lie did not say that nothing was being done to aid discharged convicts, but -hoi claimed that it was insufficient. What the deputation was asking was that,an, association subsidised the Government, should he sot up to give-, these prisoners, the assistance they needed to become respectable members of the community; Such a; society coiUd also do a certain amount of preparatory work among the prisoners before they were: discharged, from/ gaol., .At the* present, time' 60 '■'"per/', cent.';' ; of the pri-' Boners' in- gaol, .... men. ; who had been v there > whereas, only 5 per cent., of .prisoners were such; as had previously been admitted to pro-; bation. . ;The ; committee,, recommendations made: in-jfchis connexion! by the - Prisons:Board? yW- '■ ': ', ,„ ~* Mr Mackie also stressed.'the,. need for; an institution, other than a 'gaol, to which indigent persons (could be sent. It was a.disgrace to our.''social';system that such a state of affairs was allowed to exist, he claimed. '■•■"■ .'-•': Miss B. E. Baughan amplified the remarks of the previous speaker, and drew atention to the case of Kissel, who, she claimed, should be sent to an institution where he could. undergo treatment appropriate to his case. The chairman said the matter had been brought forward by members on 1 various occasions, but although it had been agreed that something should be done as .suggested, by the deputation, up to the present no reforms had taken place. Mr Armstrong said that Miss Baughan should bring lief proposals before every M.P. in the There was rio doubt, as she said, that it. was society itself which was responsible for the conditions whuji produced the prisoner type. It was easy to lead such people into the.wrong channels, but if*an attempt were made'on the right lines; it was just as easy to lead them into the; right channel. ■ . '.

The chairman said the committee would do -what it could Miss Baughan to address M.P.'s on the question she had dealt .with. , ' Lucerne Campaign Committee. The committee also heard a deputation from the Lucerne, Campaign Committee in respect of assistance from the Government by means of a subsidy to further their object. ** Mr C. Longton referred to -various competitions which had been earned out under the auspices of the committee, and the success with which they had been attended, and urged that the M.P.'s Committee should do its utmost to induce the Government to subsidise the. sum raised by the Lucerne Committee to the extent of £250.

The chairman promised to accede to the request.. > ' . .