The Evening Star SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3808, 8 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1875.

Of all the subjects referred to in the Education Report, ot which we gave an abstract in our yesterday's issue, the one most likely to seriously engage the attention of the Pro vincial Council during its present session is that referred to under the heading “ Local Expenses of Schools.” Most of our readers are probably aware that at the'present tim these expenses are provided for under the Education * mendment ' ‘rdinance of 1865 in the following manner. Towards such teacher’s salary a sum not exceeding LIOO per annum is contributed by the Government. Two-thirds of the expenses ot renewing and repairing the school buildings and the teachers’ houses also come from th a source. The rest of the teacher’s salary, one - third of the cost of repairs, and the whole of the cost' of cleaning the school, of tiring, of prizes, and other in” cidental matters—all of these things have to be made up from the “scho I fees, donations, and subscriptions. ” It seems to us that when this part of the Act was originally framed, the words “ donations and subscriptions” must have been inserted mere’y to round ojf the sentence. If they were put in for any other purpose, with an intention, say, of providing for contingencies, it is quite certain that those contingencies have not yet arisen. In fact, if we except a few cases in which school prizes have been given by members of committees or others, we may say tba.t jye never yet beard of any case in Otago id which a donation or a subscription has been given for the purpose of supplementing the Government grant to a school. We are told that in many cases the school committees have managed to let the teachers retain the whole of the school fees as sa ary, but tbat it is now becoming the practice for committees to use part of the fees for defraying their share of the cost of repairs and other current expenses. To many no doubt this will seem fair enough, ' and to it undoubtedly would be if the school fees we»-e not so small. If the G •vemmem salary and the school fees together yielded to the teacher a larger remuneration than he had any right to expect, S, larger income than he would probably get if the*e wete np system of State education, the surplus'might be quite fairly claimed by the school committee for the purposes of effecting repairs, or eveu improvements, of the school premises. Bus when it is considered that, in many cases, the salaries paid to teachers are consider alvy less than the wages of day laborers, while not a single schoolmaster has what may be called a high salary, it is manifestly unfair to further reduce these salaries by mal ing deductions from the fees < f 20, 30, or 50 per cant. Besides, eveu if nich a policy were nut unfair, it would yet be extremely inexpedient to pursue it—that is, if it is desired that the school system attain to the highest possible state of course,“happen in any business tbat a wellqualified man will be found working for a low wage, er an ill-qualified one obtaining far more than he is worth j but in tbo long run it will be discovered that the efficiency of persons engaged in any particular occupation will be exactly in proportion to the wages obtainable by ihem. It is then highly desirable that teachers shou’d be sufficiently well pai i to make their profession attractive to young men and women of ability. But what is to be done in those cases where money is needed for repairs and current expenses ? This money must be raised somehow, and the only sources from which it can be derived are the school fees and voluntary contributions. These latter, asf w® have seen, are not forthcoming ; the school fees, tbgrpfore, must be placed under contribuijon. It appears to ua that the only possible modes of satisfactorily overcoming this difficulty are these : —The Government might take the sole control of the schools and bear the whole expense of them, as is the case in Victoria ; or better, the power of imposing ah education tax of limited amount might be conferred on the committees. As our readers know, the latter plan is the one favored by his Honor the Superintendent, and by the Government, Considerable out. cry has been raised in certain quarters about the proposed plan of dealing with the difficulty. It has been said that though it is quite equitable to levy an education tax, this levying must be performed by the State itself, and that the endeavor to place the onus of imposing this tax pn the shoulders of the committees in the districts where additional funds are required, is a propf of cowapdige on' the part of the Government. ' Well, of course it may be so ; no one knows what sort of conclusions he may arrive at after he has given a matter a lengthened consideration ; but it seems to us that it is altogether self-evident that such a plan, if adopted, would be in exact accordance with that which is already' followed in many other matte-s. To go no further than the Municipalities and the Koad Boards—How are they provided with necessary funds? Poes the Government levy a general rate, or is not this task handed ovpr to the councils and boards themselves ? Is the Corporation pf Dunedin, for instance, compelled to levy apy tajc whatever, and if it does decide on doing so, is the amount of the tax fixed by Government? Not at all. This is one of those matters that are far better carried out when left in the bauds of the City Council—that is, of course |of the people of Dunedin— than if they were dealt with in a general way by a Government that, from the very nature of the case, is unable to rightly judge of the wants and wishes of any particular district. At all events, bowpvet, the fact that the Government does

not take upon itself iha task of imposin: upon all the Hoad Hoard Districts one uniform tax, but leaves the matter to Undecided by the ratepayers themselves, in accordance with the special ne-ds of eac 1 1 rarity, is not looked upon as a proof of a want of moral courage on the part of the Government. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine a reason for the bringing forward of such a charge, and on such grounds, were wo not aware of the fact that a session of the Provincial Council is now in progress ; that the inevitable want of confidence morion, or its equivalent, will soon be brought forward ; and, that as there is no particular poli ical capital in circulation ju e t now, it is thought to be as well to make some. Wehaniy think this bogus agitation will take either with the public or with the House,