THE MAINTENANCE GRANT

Evening Star, Issue 19794, 18 February 1928, Page 2

THE MAINTENANCE GRANT

e EDUCATION DIRECTOR ON \ REDUCTION i t I BETTER PROSPECTS HINTED AT i * [Special to the ‘ Stab.’] r 3 CHRISTCHURCH, February 17. “ Economy in the Public Service is s very rigidly practised with regard to I salaries, staffs, and accommodation,” f said Mr T, B. Strong, Director of Edub cation, at to-day’s meeting of the Can--1 terbury Education Board, i Mr Strong attended the meeting to - hear matters of urgency in Canterbury, 3 and Mr Armitage brought up the qnes- * tion of the reduced grant for mainI tenance. “We admire your policy of b retrenchment,” Mr Armitage said, ‘‘but ! we consider that the maintenance grant j is not the thing to economise on. The i grant has been reduced from £16,000 to £13,000, and that not real economy. The grant has never really been sufficient in the past. It is essential 1 that buildings be kept up to date ami ’ in a good state of repair. This board 1 cannot be accused of extravagance in ' any way. We realise that, just as we [ economise, the department must econo- ; mise, but we deplore the fact that the 1 economy has taken this line.” Mr Strong: The department deplores ■ the reduction in the maintenance ! grant. We know that all the boards endeavor to maintain their buildings in ■ proper condition, but the amount set 1 aside in the Estimates for maintenance was not wholly controlled by the de- ' sires of the department. However, as head of the department I shoulder all responsibility. It was necessary to economise, and some may clqjibt as to 1 whether the maintenance giant was the right thing for the economy to affect. It appeared to the department that the time was here for economy in this line. If Mr Armitage had visited us in Wellington he would have seen that there is no extravagance indulged in by the department. Our offices arc dingy, and not comparable to the palatial room and buildings in which this meeting is being held. Sometimes lam ashamed to receive visitors from abroad in my office. I don’t know whether or not the grant will be kept at the reduced rate next year. With primary industries taking such an improved aspect and things in general looking brighter, it is possible that there will he no reductions at all, but time must tell on that question.