EDUCATIONAL DELEGATES' EXPENSES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2177, 17 June 1914, Page 9

EDUCATIONAL DELEGATES' EXPENSES

TESTING THEIR LEGALITY. (By Tclejraph— Association./. NOW Plymouth,. June 16. A case of'considerable interest to. Education Boards was heard in tho Magistrate's Court to-doy, when ,tho Taranaki Education Board sued the chairman and .eight members for a sum ot £5 lis., as amount of expenses paid to a delegate to. the conference of Education Boards, which was held in Wellington on May 20, 1912. The. amount! had been surcharged by the. Audit Department, The case was argued at considerable length, and hinged on. what constitutes an official visit under Scction 120 of the Public Revenues Act, 1910.. The conference had been, convened b.v the North Cante'bury Education Board for the day, before a conference of local bodies on the Local Government .Bill, in which a clause had, been proposed for the transfer of educational control to local bodies. The delegate,in question had been appointed by the chairman of the Taranaki Edjcation Board without .a meeting; and had been'instructed also to interview the Minister on other maters, which, had occupied an- additional two days. . It was contended by counsel, for tho board that this was not an official visit, -and, moreover, that as the .minute of the board, subsequent to the delegate's return, and confirming his appointment, did not mention the interview with the Minister, he was therefore not authorised by tho board to interview him even if it was an official visit... Counsel for defendants contended that the conference was virtually an official visit, and that the interview with the Ministorliad been- tacitly confirmed by tho board. Judgment was reserved.