EDUCATION TAX ON LOCAL BODIES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 9

EDUCATION TAX ON LOCAL BODIES

(By TeleErapn.-Speclal Correspondent.) ' Chrlstphurcli, August 22. When a motion condemning the proposal to tax local bodies for educational purposes was under discussion by the Linwood Citizens' : Association last evening, Mr. W. W. Tanner, in stating his opinions against the suggestion,'urged the necessity for united action being taken by the: various local bodies interested. In support of his contention, he stated that .during the election of 1905 a : certain political proposition was mentioned by two or three. individual candidates, but no Ministerial utterance was made on the matter whatever. When .Parliament met, ; however, a Bill was introduced dealing with th-o proposal, and the' Ministers assured the members that the matter had been fully : placed before the public' at a previous elec- ' tion. On the strength of this -statement the '' Bill was placed on the Statute-book, although the proposal had never- seriously been placed before the •electors as a whole. •In the pre- I sent instance it was true a _ suggestion had j been thrown out by the Minister at Aldington, but the Minister had not-elaborated his ; statement in any way, and it would therefore f Dot he correct to say that tho question had been fully before the public. It was a matter • for the public at.large,'and should be taken i up by all the School Committees and kindred ' bodies interested., He believed that our frco . education.system was as.good as any in tho < world, and it seemed to him to bo the only ' institution of value to the working classes < which remained from the huge expenditure i of tho .past. The association should do all ■ in its power to oppose the proposal hinted } at by tho Minister. j .- ; •' i