UNEQUAL TREATMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1079, 17 September 1930, Page 10

UNEQUAL TREATMENT

DEPARTMENT CRITICISED BY BOARD SOME SUBSIDIES REFUSED The Education Department will not agree to a subsidy of £SO toward improving the grounds of the .Muungawhau School, but, as a result of representations made by Mr. A. Harris, M.P., a special grant of £25 has been made to the Belmont School for similar work. This action came in for strong criticism at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board this raornThe work at Maungawliau School is estimated to cost £4OO, the department being asked to contribute £SO on the money raised. This was refused and a suggestion made that the work might well be postponed until the financial outlook improved. An application from the Belmont School for £25 10s as a subsidy for ground improvements had been refused, but, as a result of representations made to the Minister by Mr. A. Harris, M.P., a special grant of £25 had been approved toward the cost of the work. The same order paper brought forward a further memorandum from the department regretting that, until the financial position improved, it would be impossible to give the requested subsidy toward the cost of buying a school piano for Ohinewai. “Mr. Harris appears to have been very successful and we will have to see the member for the district regarding Maungawhau,” commented Mr. A. Burns, chairman. “It appears strange that a Minister who refused the application of Belmont only a fortnight ago on the ground that £BOO had already been granted the school for the same purpose should reverse his decision suddenly.”

“The principle of such a department being governed by an outside politician is quite wrong,” declared Mr. H. S. W. King. “If the department did alter its decision for the reason stated then it should have kept quiet about it instead of sending out a £25 advertisement for the member. The Minister still refuses to give the small grants asked for by the other two applicants. It is not fair that the influence of a member should secure a special grant of this nature.” The Government declared that it had no money, but gave a grant to one school while refusing others, said the chairman. On the motion of Mr. King, it was decided to ask the department to give “special grants” to all schools whose claims for subsidies had already been lodged when the intention to curtail this expenditure was announced.