WORKERS' EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 156, 27 March 1919, Page 6

WORKERS' EDUCATION

' A FLUTTER AT THE HARBOUR I BOARD, ! At the monthly meeting of tho Wel- ■■ lington Harbour Board held last evening i a communication was received from the [ Workers' Educational Association, covi ering a copy of the annual report, and seeking renewal of the .£IOO grant. Mr. [ 11.-A. Wright moved that tho grant bti : Renewed. Tho association was doing i really good work in the direction of ' teaching the workers political economy— i the people who at the present time re■i quire, suck education. The movement ; was certainly doinji good work. • Mr. J; G. Cobbo thought that tho ad- ' vantages of the association should be '. extended to the farm labourer in the ' country. i Mr. W. Wnllis said ho did not know i very much about tho work of the asso- '■ ciation, but he noted that there were ! only a few subscriptions worth mentiou- ' from the City Council, .61(10 ! from tho Harbour Board. He saw tho 1 name of Professor Hunter connected |. with the association. Well, they did I not all subscribe to tho views of Pro- ' . fessor Hunter. Professor Hunter was an i agitator, more or less. (Laughter.) This i was political propaganda and ho did not , think that the board should have suiyi think to do,with it. What benefit was ! it to the board? Did the members of the board attend the classes?

Mr. W. Hildreth said that the association was doing very good work, and was not a political organisation. It was established for tho higher education of the working classes. Mr. Wnllis: We don't benefit by Hie higher education of the-working classes. (Laughter.) Hero io what they teach— English literature, psychology, political and commercial economy—what benefit does the board get out of that?

On the motion being put to grant the '.£IOO, it was carried, Mr. Wallis alouo dissenting.