IN EXTREMIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 4

IN EXTREMIS.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE IN DIFFICULTIES.. K During a. discussion on ways and means, -some strong remarks . were passed by: members of the Petone High Schooli Committeelast ' evening '■> on; the ;•.;' parsimony, which, they declared, at pre--sent characterises, the: system of financing' tho School Committees.. The Rev. jJ.. Thomson denounced the system as a scandal.' Committees, he ' said, had actually to put their'-hands.' in their own; pockets: to .'make ./ends,"" meet. - Preferential, treatment; had, been / shown by the-.board' to certain ■ ; committees which had been unable-to carry on. _ ■: ,y The chairman '(Mr. - 1 D. M'Kenzie) , said that, the loss of the special - grant announced' _that; this Hgrant' would be restored,, but -it would be another twelve months before they got ~ it! : The •; board haidctaken. exception to the'salaiy-' paid'by/thei.committee.:to its .caretaker.'.: ; All he could say, in' reply to that, was that : though they' paid more than; was : '•• paid/in Wellington,- it. could hardly bo called a living wage. •.. ;/ v ; Mr. Hill suggested -that. the . committee' 1 should resign, ":iin<l inform;:the r; • board that it would have to.get another . committee to, do'' the. work on .the.;; money-, available. The. ;, present. com- . mitteo could-'not. do it-.. '•! .y[; On' the; motion of ;the -Rev.: A.. Thom-> • son, it was- resolved .tbat .a letter ,be " ' sent to the. board, with a. statement of , the- committee's' toancial/positipn,'; ask-: ; ihg that , the . committee .be plai»d;;upoh;T : _ a : ; better ;-fcoting. As;jthings; stood:;; at.--;, present'," said;'the mover,' tho committee ' had;;to;:.chqoM;'l»tween';.raising; money by organising concerts,. ; bazaars;; etc., . and going- cap in ;hand to the board. , - Subsequently, when/the accounts were being-' considered; .the -■- settlement; of v certain claims called for. some v action.' There was- first as instalment ■:/, of the' caretaker's.-salary. The score- .. t-ary remarked that ho " had already 'paid one-account out of his own pocket. • "I can't pay everybody;",v he said,.v. plaintively. ■ "I'll pay it,'.'.;-said the .chairman, , ' - . •- 'Ifll give-you":a'hand- with, it," chimed'. in; someone, elsei : y J V.' ; "We'll be getting sued one of these • i .days,'.'.' remarked a\third.' > r y;. y;;' ■ Having-arranged i a -.modus >. vnwidl ,for. -the meantime;' the' wmmittee then--passed on to more congenial business.