THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4160, 21 July 1874, Page 3

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.

A special meeting of the members of the Board of Education was called for yesterday, at the offices in Provincial Buildings, at eleven, for the purpose of considering the financial position of the Board with regard to its relation to the Provincial Government, and the steps which it was advisable to take in order to place the matter on a satisfactory basis. Mr Waterhouse occupied the chair. The Secretary, on opening the proceedings, stated that in round numbers, the Board stood in this position, viz., that on the 30th of d une, they owed for ordinary school purposes, £1329 19s. Bd., and £750 on salaries—or in so many words, 2000 and odd pounds. To meet this, there was a sum of £OOO or £7OO, about twothirds of which might be recovered, and they had to receive from the Provincial Government, an advance on the building fund of £7OO, which was most urgently required for repairs in connection with the school buildings in many parts of the Province. The second question to be considered was the fact that the Banks had consented to advance the money requisite to place the Board in a solvent position, on the under-standing that the Provincial Council would guarantee to repay the money obtained. The Provincial Government had been addressed on the matter, but no opinion had been given by the Provincial Secretary. The Chairman said that as a member of the committee he was not prepared to continue in the position he occupied as a member of the Board, unless he was assured that a guarantee would be given that he could hold the position with honor to himself, and he could not s«e how that was to be done, unless the Board was placed in a position from which it could duly meet the calls for payment which were made upon it. Let them glance at the position in which they stood. They had been authorised to carry on the work of spreading the means of education to the furthest extremity of the Colony ; but while that was the case it must be remembered that it was their original desire to keep the expenditure within the means of the Colony. This opinion had been duly expressed to the Government, and they were didy informed that the opinion of the Board was definite on that subject at least. It was, however, felt, and perfectly understood that while the Board was to incur no needless expenditure, it was to use its discretion in supplying the needful wants of the districts over which it had control. In doing this they had incurred in all' good faith” and with, on their parts, _ the most honorable intentions, certain liabilities. It was idle to put forward such a plea as had been put forward—the plea that the Provincial Government were unaware of the feeling and tone which the Board desired to take in the matter. The course of the Board had neverbeen in doubt, except, perhaps, in the minds of some persons. Yet, during the last week, it had been shown clearly enough what the feeling of the Board was. For his own part, leaving aside all considerations of a nature which mhdit be considered to clash with the views of the Council, —he had ttis to aay, that in his private, life he had always been more than ordinarily particular not to enter into any agreement the minutise of which he could not fulfil. That being so, he could see no other course for the Board to pursue but to send in its resignation, and to leave the matter to be dealt with by the Provincial Government, which, in the first instance, was responsible for the money which had been expended, and which now should not be allowed to get away from the liability it had incurred by the action of its own authority. The speaker then read the resolution which he proposed to submit, which simply set forth that in his opinion it was desirable under present circumstances that the Board should determine on leaving their functions in the hands of the Provincial Government.

The motion having been duly seconded. Mr. Pharazyn pointed out that the Board did not derive its authority from the Provincial Government, but the ratepayers, and therefore he could not see w-hy they should abdicate the position they now held. He regretted, as they all did, the indifference of the Government; but, at the same time, he thought the Board would he acting prematurely in resigning its functions without seeing whether there was no remedy to be offered by the Provincial Council. He pointed out several instances where, from want of funds, education was almost impossible. The Chairman said that the matter seemed very clear to him. The only course to be pursued was for the Executive of the Province to call the Council together in order to authorise the levying of an education fee. The real fact was, that had it not been for the charitable efforts of the people of the Province, there would have been no schools in existence at all, or at least none that would have been worth the name of school. The education of children was expensive, and it was idle to suppose that the State, desirous as it should be to impart knowledge to all, should stand by and see the schools languishing, if not actually famishing for want of funds. In reply to a question, The Chairman said that while he knew that the funds of the different schools, and of the Education Board especially, wanted replenishing badly, the only way he could see to effect this most desirable object was to impose adequate fees, and thus create a sufficient revenue to carry on the business of the schools without, if possible, reference to the State at all. A discussion of some length followed, but ultimately the Board decided to leave the final settlement of the matter in the hands of a deputation to wait on tho Provincial Government on an early date, and to impress upon them the absolute necessity for action on the part of the Provincial Council in this matter ; and also to assure them that the Board would, as a body, withdraw from tho onerous position it held, in the event of no action being taken to put it in a position in which it could meet the claims upon it on the day in which they were due.