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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 5

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* EDUCATION BOARD'S FINANCES. GOVERNMENT REDUCES THE BUILD--1 'r *ING GRANT. •" - ALL WORK SUSPENDED K /(//Yesterday/ ./afternoon; when ./the'.members ;:.Wellin'^oii Educatiori'/Bpard , as-' Sfsetnbled; the.;r<jhairm&^ ///made unimportant {announcement'. ; with; icspcct.to the building grant. *A circular v .''letter .'dated! December 24 had been- re-/--.ceived from " the" Education Department, stating that,the grant for the district for ,th6/current; year was UXMSS, • made' prill:; ni'arily'for' the.mamtenance and; repair" of. Jg/school/buildings,/ furniture, "and //fittings, /; A; replacing; worn<ut , furniture,:;/fittings, [ ' / fencing,', etc. ;;'and : provision for all new >g.v furniture-andrfittingi required by;the in-. !/.' ■. crease at existing schobls jif v,or/by. the/establ.isbmbnt f of, smally-.or tem--fe, pofary' schools not provided ,for by spejS/icial/grant/ /The.'bbard■; may/.(50.-ran/the' : [K;V'circular)'/after/making: due' provision- 'ior j,.;-•; theLabpye ,requirements, :deivote./the W'h'ole .-/' or part of'the balance of the grant, to SiZ/other/ purposes,;/tt its/ discretion, but; the amount expended .'upon/a'dditioris/.in any - J /-year,is not'to exceed " per cent, of the : grant'for ; the yea«,.'and the additional f// floor space provided; in ..any one school or v residence during tho year is . not to exi ooed -100 square feet." • . Shortage of £2000. [ ■// / 'Th'e . etFect of / this circular,'' said the ,y / chairman,' was - that < .the .board/ was /, uni:. -expectedly faced- with a ; shortage of. -is;':;: about'42ooo on itaannual' building-grant. iV They; had : fully . expected that' the ;Gov-\--y. eniment /graat:,for-the /year".ended :1909' f//:.'would .''have amounted :to':abont.£sooo." It jw.;»as/a /reasonable■ expectation..that}>they, ij;:ishould - (receive:/// atleast- ' the-.,:same' !■/.;• amount'.. -as/;-'that granted :' the,previous }~ . :5. ; y^»-'-i-:-tliat:'-i.Viit'' i -- i :'.-:eertainly/.v i should. [- ./ not. be less. and .-'ffhen. at this time of day, after they, had committed themselves, f;: ■ to; certain-works,/they were notified'that V the grant would be. about .£2OOO- less, ;.' 'members 'would seo .that."the. board was s ; .".;;veryseriously/crippled: as\to;its;:buildingsi ; end., maintenanceadministration. '.'.The statement ,oft.finanoes'for /the'mdiith /diS: y/:'f closM| a/ debit //balance :, of . ; - - .odd.. s' . There, were due, as'against, that, accrued fry; moneyi' totalling'a similar amount, which ' : :: far ; , as jthe .buildingsindebtedness, of the jf' / board uai .lhe| estimates'/ would, f ■! show that in round' figures they were B; >;face<l;',with'' ; a .liability.' of 43700, i less .iIOOO du'o;in respect of refunds—Jo27OO. ' /; "Nearly £5000 to the Bad.',' '; . ..that ■ they .were : committM to' an kX: expenditure/.of ,Vie2ooo / for/ -works - already/ f /,>:. ii'h'andi ; :so/.tliat'.they were;:-.within 'iEIOO, (theifbad./jYUi.'jsaid^'.the/chaiirj 6btaiai«tfie fiill amount'of f. the'building .gi'ant from: the -Department, 3 ' Z j wo-'would llave a bare'margin only.■ -As •ij.V/' things this: position—. : . ' nothing, by way ol". new . works. can be j; -;• attempted,;and at the'send -of the year' ® :',/our,.debit; of:)i£sooo'',will /absdrb-.the :buildmg grant; due for 1910. The • principal ) : //pound'of . oomplaiht,'however, is this fact' iV'-- thatrwe'.have?not^bee;n'. : . previously"notified. ! K-./by.;- .-the'- iDepartment V-that'/ our -''allowaioe; : : ;vX ; in; this manner.{More-, i,: -•'bver,''.the':'procedure followed in paying over ; - the ] grapt' ■is i most '■ unKusinesdike. and un-- !,' :: fair. ,We do nOt..receiye,our^ant'.till, : tlie, J; ; end of the year, and in-order/to.-'carry/ , .on • dunng" the- year we -have ;to -go 'to - i^^theifbanl: ' interest .'.But-'these •'are'..mere details ; { compared/with the fact tha.t we"are actually to receive ■ 4:2000 • less than we were j,v//.granted -last.-year,'.'and;.-;are, :ih/conse-■/-/.ignenoe,/unable ;/fo' contemplate, 'new,' build- ' " ing and maintenance works. . " . i , Was Parliament Responsible? , j. ,-; Mr. J. G. W. Aitken: Was .the vote ;Mr. ,W.'.C; Buchanan,.:M.P., jwas sure that Parliament had not done so. . , >■; Ay:i::Mr.;i;Aitkeh:! If. .the Government vgot, i it.ri^ked/.-/for/ifwe.^caimbt'. ; ; blame : / l l > ar7 •i/i : p Uameht;i^ : ;;i;:i.//!Ay/.:V//-i//j/''A! • :;••.■ . The. chairman: The Government is ap- /' '.parently -economising : in;:vaiious:direc-tionsV:-.r; is 'orie. J ,;.:But ( expenditure on; // extensions' of ;;the /education>isystem were !.i*/{increasing: in: other;ways,"' in grants for • agricultural!and- technical.,.classes,-:; increases/of salaries;'" and -Departmental,'adr' i' /: ministration.- :;-All : - these..- .were - large charge's. .^'/TOateyer/extehsions;/were ,'un-. i' ; /-'.dertaken .mth ; Te'spect;;te;'cflrtain:braiicheS; ■ jf*/' of■ /education:'should '/not/':entail. anysac-, -'rifice i'of.- the './interests: of- priniary." educa-: :';;fl:^r. : :»Sv^v-:--.tfs/K-://^/i / V.S/5Mr.;/Wm//illan; added; a Word .of : 4,'They; hadufeeen .'.'allowed-, to ;.go ron,' j;.'' : ; buildings'.'grant w;ould at least be of a j'./:;'Bimilar;; amount'/^./yote'd-'last ;"iyear|/'conBderihgv.'.the/- gfdirth;' of J; the, /population v, .1.. and the/ /demand,'for /increased- school - ae- . I; 'oommodation. 1 . , .... ' . : ~' s '. Starving the Primary Schools, i. It was/ he continued, a most ii/ 4! of-.extensions'/in- other 5 directions. .Mr. Hogg :/They ; :are retrenching at the v. Isfa^im^CTU^wqcraao'.. jJ;/formV6f 'retfenchnient/to": cut .dowii - the pi facilities for the' education of the ■- r poor v/: ; man in order: to make provision for- more !. cultured pursuits. ■ '•• • .;-•/ 'ft-':. 1 -:-.: jfe -v'Mr.i'.Vile Jthat/the "allowance r-// I was'/computed; on; a' basis; 3J-./per cent, iv.-for : ;wbpden '.buildings,;/:; and 2 > per: cent.'" for-brick, assessed-: on the capital value ///y of 'the buildings. . The Government ,had ! I £ 'either/.; j deliberately: reduced ■ the •, capital j} i/Talue/of. the'. propertywithout notifying • the board, .or-had reduced the. rate per '/:' cent, of .the allowance. It /was sca,nclal-, i'/iOUs;that the/Governmentishould: seek to :', / repudiate ./grants i already;/.voted, and ..the i:.! .board.,:'should./certainly:/protcst^against : / ' this additional -twist - of - the / screw,' : - : ; r. i. ; The Board's ■ Policy^Justified.v I.;-. ! -Mr. v.-Buchanan \ said that'-:'some-Vyears • * Bgo certain .amendments, were made in J; :.?'■/ Act which" divested the ofI. - certain --'of. its 'autliority -in" the adrainisj: :tration of / the.-building funds.' - Tliel\ 7el- - lington- Education - Board ' had . been' ac- ; -:: : cused. by ;other ,boards of- having,' by - its | 5/policy:in l)uildihg/;schools;out-pf 'aIl jiro-: ■.' ./: Por.MP?..tlie. attendance 'of pupils;.. ,beeh 1 '.the ; direct I ;,cause;-of.the : legislation h'G f///rej?rredrtp.;:.;Twb sShools, at 'that time ; '/ : "*~^l ur itai'. and.-Epuni—had -been especit:: - ally- mentioned. What' was; the .'position ■ : now ?; 'Both were ' ovorcrowded.: Tho Go- ; • Terhm'ent .had had to make a grant for : 'additions ■; As a/ matter of j/ysfact,vthe; policy of! the board had been jri;:' one -of jreal economy., ;,otber .new /schools i': ,:'.. Bay, .Petone . West, Hutt; Lovin, and Wadestown, • had all justified the v/ftAfprovisions originally-made./ for accommo : K-:/; datioh'/: suited?' to, : increased attendance. . Che - order gone , .forth that .;/a : ;/peridd o( '■ retrenchment/was -.-to /A;/:;succeed a period of' official, waste, and i 'he described tho process which had' been • adopted as most - haphazard; and' most f: unjustifiable j.'retrenckhents . had -. 'b'een -////sXmad^'fasvin/thevprosent^case.' l }^/-/'./On: the ; 'motion ;of '-"Mr; Allan; seconded :by ; Mr. J. ICcbbell, it yas resolved that V ;'the; board as a' whole Wait upon the Minfor: Education; (the/ Hon;:: G.Z, Powlds) - : -/;; on;.- the - subject, the • date. oftlie , inter-:' ; i •: ! ,;view.'/to: be arranged, ; if possible', for tho t i .i'.-'mbming.-of.' the?day M, the - next .board meeting in February. .:/-'; v. -n. : ' Hung Up. j' ;One result of the Department's anwnouncement has : bee'n the shelving:of ,the /' ■ important work /of adding; to the recrea-' r.. • tion area of tho Terrace School: The iMinister.: had /previously: intimated that he would' favourably consider the pay- ;|; //''- ment of .half -thecost : : of- -the f additional: i^;y !^liuid.; /requii;edy.'-but;.;siuee."'.th'e/iboard;'ias'-. ;: vy./not the : where?vithai,to find- the other half ; "matters' are in .statu, quo'.' - In the ■ mean-- ; .•;■'.ji.'J.tiinc'Athe>boardjon • Mr.'. Aitken's' sugges- . ' tion; has decided 'that/ a :snb-committee/ . ' consisting of the -citv members of the ;.: : ;':'iC/board/ "confer"/ .mth.;(:the.- ::Tetrate ■ ' - School - Committee; with a view to arriv;;;/:;i.]ing.l!atJ;somei' scheme'.//whereby//the v -re-. . quired "other half".', may be found.' . Taranaki m ;.;.' During , the '.discussion' a letter, from . - the Taranaki Education Board was read," Vstated;;that':"there; are; in"; tliirty; maintenance ■grant-for} ;; !; 1909;i3 ; 0n1r .«13U."- •

A CRY FROM WANGANUI. /; "USURPATION: OF BOARD'S ■ PRIVI- // „■ "////-, / (By-' TeleirraDb.—SDecial Correspondent.) Wanganuh January 27. came in for some, severe' criticism attho hands, of Mr; . Piraii,; chairman of the.. Wangariui Education,Boardrlast/riight. .Mr.' Pirani said' that 'as a result of the stopping- of ;the; departmental grants for sewerage and ' other similar \torks, the reduction/ of the maintenance': grant/ bjj nearly,, one-thii d, the /storing ;oKfranking. privileges, etc., the Wauganui Education' Board now had to'faoe an increased. yearly expenditure of ,£2OOO. ' Mr. Pirani. further declared that the Department, since Mr. Hogben took charge,'; was- in it .wore© .'state ' than, ever knowii: .previously.', " Mr. Pirani, who seemed to be . most . affected by what he considered .the Inspector-General's. unwarrantable , usurpation - of /'..the. Education. Board's- privileges, concluded. by -stating that if. ever.' he felt; inclined .to resign it was now! -He thought it., time the Education Boards of. the Dominion should enter/a' combined//protest . against 'the maimer /in which /'the' Department..was be-, ing'. cor.ductcd. The board passed a strongly-worded resolution* -.(1) . drawing, the ''Minister's attention - to; tie. fact": that -the .reduced, grant : precludes : the .- board; /from 7 keeping''the' school;' 1 buildings -in proper repair;; (2)' declining to supply pupils . with ■ free .books " "till' : the- money. :was: received' from - the Department 1 (this 1 'on acobuirt"' of :previoris; unsatisfactory .experience); (3) protesting against the action of > the. Department:', in reducing £p. from, the/grant: to soriie itcachers attending' the Training. College;-'because of. their/ having acted; 'as' -relieving teachers in Dccemter,' and -pointing out that:; had ■ they re-; iriained idle,-' or earned .money; at) other employment; the .would;:'nave been paid;* (4) that a-circular letter-be sent to the school committees, informing them "that; the'/mainUsnaiice". grant'having. been reduced by one-third ; the. board; must rigidly' economise..., ;/.■/;!'/,: ; i ;' :■ :/'."