A SCHOOL GRANT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 69, 18 September 1930, Page 17

A SCHOOL GRANT

APPEARANCE OF FAVOUR

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, 17th September,

Regret that a member of Parliament should have been able to obtain a subsidy for a particular school in face of the decision of the Education, Department to curtail all subsidies was expressed at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board to-day.

The case was one in which notice was received from the Department that as a result of representations made by Mr. A. Harris, M.P., a special grant of £25 had been authorised towards the cost of ground improvements at Belmont School, for which an application for' * subsidy of £25 10s on voluntary contributions had been made.

In considering the matter the board, took it in conjunction with a letter received from the Department declining: to grant a subsidy of £50 toward the cost of improvements to the infant playground at Mangawhau School.

The chairman, Mr. A. Burns, suggested that the Mangawhau appUeatioa should also be placed in the hands of Mr. Harris.

Mr. Spooner: "The committee has already approached Mr. G. C. Munns, M.P."

Mr. King said it was very regrettable that the grant should have been obtained iv such a way. The principle was quito wrong.

"If the Department does change it* mind owing1 to the representations of a. member of Parliament it should keep quiet about it," said Mr. King. "The communication is more or less an advertisement for a politician."

Mr. King said there wcro many schools which had collected money but were unablo to obtain subsidies, •whereas the Belmont School obtained a special grant.

Referring to the Mangawhau application, Mr. Spooncr said it. was for permanent improvements. The total cost of the work would be about £400, but the expenditure would be spread over two o- three years.

It was deckled to suggest to the Department that all schools for which, money had been collected should be made the subject of special grants.