SCHOOLS URGENTLY NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 303, 18 September 1919, Page 5

SCHOOLS URGENTLY NEEDED

. VIGOROUS PROTEST AGAINST . * DELAY.' The feeling of tho members of the Education Board at yesterday's meeting; was unmistaka-ble on a letter being read, from tho Minister of Education (Sir Francis Bell), in reply to a request for an interview on the subject of grants for schools where they are absolutely needed. The Minister suggested tho postponement of the interview until after the present session of Parliament. ■ Several membois protested against the ■ Minister's suggestion, as ■ the matters wji.'j]i they proposed to\ bring, under his nonce were ot tus most, urgent character. Mr. T. Moss wished to move that tho board protest agaiust the delay in making Arrangements for a new school at Martinborough in place of the one recently destroyed by fire. Tim chairman tuougnt that Mr. Moss should make' it general. It was no good singling out the one school. They should protest suwujiy. however, against postponing this matter until after the session, as there wore a huge number.of children unhoused or badly housed. There might be a grant of 41,000,000 lor education purposes, but that migiit do them little good unless they got specific allocations.

Mr. R. A. Wright, M.F., expressed surprise at the answer of the Alinister to wait until "after the session. After the session came the election, and alter tho election no man on .earth knew what would happen or what party would havo tho say. Mr. W. 11. Field, M.P., said that to wait until after the sc-vion meant a delay of at least six months. To put it oft' that long they would be failing in their duty 'to , the children, and ho urged that a very etrong protest should be mado to the Minister. The fact that the Minister himself could not visit the sites had nothing to do with it. He had his responsible officers to report. I'inally, it was resolved: "That the board protest to the Minister of Education against his decision tq defer till after tlie present session consideration of various urgent mutters relating to sites and school buildings recently brought under the notice ot his Department, and that lie be again asked to receive a deputation from the board."