SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 831, 1 June 1910, Page 7

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

' kHE.VANISHED "SPECIAL" GRANTS. DEPUTATION TO EDUCATION BOAED. A deputation of twelve dissatisfied school committeemen, representative of city and suburban schools, interviewed the Wellington Education Board yesterday on the eubject of the alleged financial depression which had fallen upon the committees as the result of tho withdrawal, by the Government, of the Bpecial ninepeuny capitation grant. Mr. J. H. HelliWl set out the position ..as it affected tho Mount Cook schools. By tho withdrawal of tho grant, he said, an income of .M 3 per annum had vanished from the prospect. The Mount Cook schools, threo in numbar, yere all old buildings; in tho boys' echobl there were antiquated windows, ' from which the panes were continually falling. Three separate cleaning contracts had to be maintained, and with these and other liabilities the. financial position of the committee was extremely precarious. It was a monstrous thing to expect gentlemen to sit on school committees, and face the prospect of having to put their hands into their pockets. He would admit that cases of reckless administration on the part of some committees in the past, but in the majority of; cases thtre was a special regard for the interests of the board of the Department. It was commonly said that the boards had received this special grant. Hβ did not know, but such was believed to be tho case. Hints From "Creditors." Mr. D. Kobertson wanted to know why the grant had been stopped. So far as bis' experience went, not a shilling ot the grant had been wasted by tho committees. ■; The schools were well looked afterr-the board really ought to pay them • forlooking after its schools. (Laughter.) He understood from the pres9 that the Minister for Education had said that • the boards had received the money. It that is the case," ho said, "then you can send us a cheque K3 60on as you like."- (Laughter.) Mr. Burbidge also spoke. Referring to the straitened conditions of committees finances, he said that his committee irequently were iu receipt of accounts nearing tho hint, "Please oblige." They were not in the habit of receiving such hints in their private businesses, and ho did not see why, as committeemen, such ?'insults". should bo heaped upon them. Distress Not Broadcast. Mr. Lee , (chairman of the board) 1 was jympnthelic. He desired to say that there was,mo suggestion of administrative remissness 'on the part of the committees - in his mind. He would draw their attention to tho fact, however, that when the ' amouuts of the school committees wcro audited last year, there was disclosed, for thft whole district, credit balances aggregating £1356 19s. 6d. The distress complained of could not be broadcast. He agreed, however,- that there was conBidernble hardship experienced in the administration of large city schools. It was very essential that the funds necessary for the efficiency of schools should bo at hand: -(Hear, hear.) Some -jthools vero creditably self-reliant, and did a lot for themselves. Others, however, went to tho board for everything over .£l, practically. ' ' - Ml. .). G. W. Aitken said that thcro r-as no tloubt Whatever that tho Minister had withdrawn the grant; notwithstanding tho suggestion made by previous Bpeakers. They should, co-operate with the committees in an interview with fhe Minister. - ■ r ; Willing to Squeeze. Sir. Kobertson: If you want to squeeze the Government we'll come and help you to do it. (Laughter.) Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., thought that the suggestion'that the-board had received the ninepenny grant . from tho Minister should be removed. No such grant had been pai'l. After further discussion, the deputation withdrew, and the board ultimately nppoiuled Messrs. Wm. Allan and W. H. Field, M.I 1 .,'t0 act,as a sub-committee to confer with thi> secretary upon the. whole question of capitation grants to committees, and .report to the board at a future meeting. ' Department Wants to Know. At the same meeting a letter v;as received from the Department, asking that & copy of tho board's scale of allowances to school committees (exclusive of grants ■for" repairs paid out ..of .tho buildings maintenance votes), and full particulars of.the items chargeable to echool committees' allowances, the conditions upon which the. payment was made, and the items of expenditure to be met by tlio committee out of such payment be supplied for the information of the Department. It was decided to forward the information' asked for.