TO SAVE MONEY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 3

TO SAVE MONEY

IN EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION. Tho Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) has been making an investigation -. into the administration. of industrial and special schools, with the" object of discovering whether or not economies in expenditure can be effected in this branch of the Department's work.

Tho Minister, discussing this subject yesterday, said this could be done by altering the present system of purchasing stores, clothing, etc.;for those institutions. He was not disposed to allow the methods now obtaining to continue. With this end in view ho had arranged for information to bo gathered which would enable the Department to make comparisons between each school and regulate supplies and thoir nature, according to the class of the institution and the number of its inmates.

The Minister stated that from quotations and samples recently obtained for different lines from . various wareliouses, a saving of, £82 per annum can be effected over the present expenditure on 'stockings alone. Likewise on sheeting and.calico an annual saving of £65 and £37, respectively, can be realised. B-y keeping a close watch on the market prices in the four principal centres, and obtaining information as to tho probable rise and fall ;in values, he _ believed that economies amounting in the aggregate to a large sum could be effected. It should also be possible, said the Minister, to. improve on the present system of allowing each manager to purchase supplies for his own institution. 1 The Department, instead, could purchase* stocks of flour, oatmeal, sugar, etc.,'; in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of the whole of the special schools over a term. In this way exploitation of the Department would be avoided, and in addition the best articles would be obtained at the minimum market prices., At several of the institutions vegetables and fruit were grown, and the quantities produced were often in excess of requirements. The supplying of the surplus to such of the special schools that were not in a position to grow their own produce was carried on only to a small extent. The interchange was not so general as it should be, and this matter was now receiving attention. • .