STRONG CRITICISM OF GOVT. ACTION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 54, 26 October 1931, Page 4

STRONG CRITICISM OF GOVT. ACTION

OPPOSITION MOTION ALLOUATIiON OF EDUCATION PORTFOLIO TO UPPER HOUSE NOT PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVE The apppintment of a member of the Legislative Council as Minister .of Education was the subject of criticism and an opposition motion when the first item of the estimates was under discussion in the House to- ! day. Rey. .Clyde Garr (Timaru) moved , that the vote for the Legislative Pepartment be reduced by £5 b.ecause of the appointment of a member of; the Legislative Council .as Minister . of Education and also because of the rumours that a substantial reductipn , was to be made in the Education vote. The .Chairman of Committees (Mr. ! W. A. Bodkin) said he could only ; accept the first part of the motion. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) said he regarded the appointment of a mem ber of "another place" as Minister 1 i of Education as a mistake. The Minister should . be a representative of . the people and responsible to the eleetors for his actions. * Mr. P .Fraser (Wellington Cem . i tral), said the main point was that/ an important portfolio had been removed to "another place" and mem- : bers should strongly object to it. The House had always had a lively sense > of the importance of the portfolio to the people and the people's children. Would Not Suffffer The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. ! G. W. Forbes, said he did not thihk ■ the House would suflfer through the ! transference of the portfolio to the Upper House. Economies which had • to he effected in respect to education, ; had to be very carefully thought out and the calmer and Unore serene atmosphere of the Upper House would be more condueive to that There were many instances of portfolios being held in the Council. He instanced Sir ; Francis Bell who had held portfolios ' for many years in the Legislative Council including that of "Internal Afirairs which? he submitted, was one in whjch m'embers were as much in- ' terested as Education. "Absolutely Wrong" Mr. G, C. Black (Motueka) supported the amendment and commended i the work of the ex-Minister of Education. The House was entitled to know what was proposed in the way of Education economies. Mr. H. "Atmore (Nelson), ex-Min-ister of Education, said the prineiple of a portfolio such as Education being held in a non-representative ; chamber was absolutely wrong. "I believe it wijl be -bitterly resept- •, ed throughout New Zealand," he said. The Prime Minister's reply was most , inadequate. His statement that a portfolio would benefit by being removed fromi the direct representatives of the people constituted a slur on the people's ability to choose their representatives, and he evidently thought that representatives chosen by the , Government and not answerable to the people would be better able to manage the affairs of the people. Attack on Secondary System Referring to the so-called econom- . ies, Mr. Atmore said he preferred to think of them as non-expenditure economies, In view of the fact that : nearly eyeryone who had advocated : decreased expenditure on education, had .eulogise.d the primary system, it f ollowed logically that if an attack was made on education, it must be on secondary education that it was con- ; teinplated. I)id that mean that it was proposed to introduce the old class of ' institutions in b.eing before 1904, and that only the children of the wealthy ! Would be able to receive the benefits of secQndary education. "Party-Ridden? " "If this House is so party-ridden," ' he said, "as to agree to sacrifice the interests of the children to those of > party, then I say we cannot have an : election at too early a date." The teachers had already had a cut in salaries and compared with the . 1914 standard they were practically no better off. In view of the large • classes, it was impossible to reduce the number of teachers and thus the1 scope of the economies must be confined to the facilities of free education, Education would be a test question at the next elections. The motion was lost by 39 votes , to 27 votes. Messrs Atmore, Black, ; Wilkinson, McDonald (Wairarapa), J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn), J, T. , Hogan (Rangitikei) and Rushworth (Bay of Islands) voting with the Labour Party.