THE HON. MR FISHER INTERVIEWED. Auckland, March 27.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 355, 30 March 1889, Page 4

THE HON. MR FISHER INTERVIEWED. Auckland, March 27.

Tins Hon. Mr Fi&hor, Minister for Education, was interviewed at the Northern Club this morning, by a deputation from the Board of Education with reference to the disbursement of the balance of grant voted for school buildings last sossion. There were present : Messrs J. H. Upton (Chairman of the Board), D. Goldie, M.H.RI, W. P. Moat, M.H.8., J. M. Lennox, and Mr Y. E. Rice (secretary). Mr Upton said that the deputation had been appointed by the Board of Education to see the Hon. Mr Fisher with respoct to the allecation of the school building fund. He then read the correspondence that had passed between the Board and the Minister on this subject, as follows :— On February, 26th 1889, Mr Goldie, then acting chairman of the Board, telegraphed to Mr Fisher, u Board is very anxious to know whether tho balance of grant voted for school buildings will be distributed before the end of March, as there are several important works to be undertaken, and the season for building is fast passing away. Kindly give the matter your attention and let me have a definite reply," To this telegram, Mr Upton stated, the Board received no reply, but telegraphed to him (Mr Upton) and he saw Mr Fisher in roferenco to the matter. In consequence of Mr Fisher's statement that special re-

quests made for important works would receive attention, a letter dated March 12, 1889, was forwarded containing a list of immediate requirements for buildings in this district, the cost of which was estimated approximately at £4,680. It was also stated that the only money available towards meeting this expenditure was an unexpended balance of about £700 of the building grant, which the Board had reserved, because' of the difficulty, in the absence of reliable information, as to the distribution of the balance of the grant— of determining which of the buildings named should be proceeded with first. It was pointed out that the proposed buildings could be completed at less cost, and with greater satisfaction, i they were undertaken before the winter set in. The list appended — ; Newton East infant school approximate cost, £450 ; purchase of site for same £300 ; and nineteen other items, 5 for enlargement of schools, 5 for new schools, and 9 for teachers' dwellings. Mr Upton said that since this last was forwarded the Board had received most urgent requests from Onehunga, East Tamaki and Whananaki, which would represent a further outlay of at least £1000, The Board had no money except the £700 mentioned to meet their requirements, all of which were urgent, and they now asked if they could not at once receive a further payment on account of the building fund. Mr Moat pointed out that they ought to have this money at once, because the vote would lapse in another six days. Mr Lennox urged that many of the present buildings were overcrowded, and fchat enlargements were absolutely necessary. Mr Goldie said thac the Legislature set apart £30,000 for this purpose last session, and he understood there was still 1 15,000 unexpended, therefore the Auckland Board considered they had a right to cheir sh«re of the balance. He also urged the advisability of having the country schools and additions completed before the winter set in. Mr Fisher, in reply said, that the telegram sent by Mr Goldie as acting chairman of the Auckland Board, was under his conBideration when Mr Upton arrived in Wellington, and he thought that they came to a satisfactory understanding with regard to all possible requirements of the district. He did not see the letter forwarded subsequently giving a detailed list of requirements of the Auckland district, and now apologised for having sent no answer to* that communication. The Government had not yet distributed the whole of the £30,000 voted by Parliament last year for the erection of educational buildings throughout the colony, for the reason that he (Mr Fisher) had a long time back come to the conclusion that the distribution of building money upon the population bads was not satisfactory, becausemany districts at present insufficiently equipped with regard to" building requirements must remain so under such a system. The Education Department were in the middle of a process of examination with the view of ascertaining a better means of distributing; the Education vote, when Mr Habens unfortunately became ill and had lo apply for leave of absence. So that no disadvantage should arise if they were not prepared to complete a scheme for distribution of this money, and it was arranged that advances should be mado to meet the more pressing wants. When he (Mr Fisher) returned to Wellington, lie would carefully study the letter which had been read by Mr Upton, and, if it were possible to do so, he would send up to Auckland their share of the remaining money I under the vote. At all events the Department would send up any money which the Board said was specially and pressingly needed. As to the balance of £15,000 mentioned that would be the amount available supposing there \rere no disbursements of the remainder. As they knew the Government had become insurer for all the Education Boards of the colony, and had made several losses by fire at Blenheim and Otago, and the total of the remainder of the vote would be reduced by so much. The only reason why the remainder of the money was not disbursed was because of the anxious desire of the Government to find out which of the Education districts were most deserving 1 in the point of building requirements, and he hardly thought they would dissent from the desire of the Government in that particular. Mr Upton referred to the difficulties the Auckland Board had experienced in providing school accommodation in sparselypopulated districts, and said they had not deprived country settlements of help for the benefit of more thickly-populated districts. Mr Fisher said that the department endeavoured last year to ascertain, by means of information derived from the Boards, what were the actual and pressing requirements of each educational district, and they received demands amounting to £93,000. It was altogether out of the question that they could act upon such an extravagant plan. Mr Goldie stated that the Auckland Board now paid £250 a year in rents for buildings, which he urged as proof that there was urgency for increased accommodation. He also suggested that Mr Fisher should make them an advance of £2000 at once. Mr Fisher said that there was no fear of the vote being allowed to lapse. The Government would pay over the balance before the 31st March. He would be in town two days hence, and would prefer to conduct official business from the office. He also stated that he recognised that the poorer educational districts were in the North Island, at Wanganui, New Plymouth, Auckland, and Wellington, all of which were very much behind the educational districts of the Middle Island so far as equipment went. It was to do justice to these districts that some improved scheme for a distribution of the grant was required. On arrival in Wellington he would give immediate attention to the Board's request. The deputation expressed their acknowledgments and the interview concluded.

In the course of an interview between Mr Meadows, the expert in dairy produce who has been travelling through the colony for some months past, and the Minister of Lands, which took place at Wellington yesterday, Mr Meadows said that the best butter he had ever tasted, probably the finest butter that could be produced in any part of the world, he had got from Auckland. It was, said Mr Meadows, butter scientifically made, that is to say, with complete appliances to produce it, and filling all the conditions, when made, of an article of the highest class in any market of the world. Mr Meadows also found a good deal of indifferent butter in Auckland province, and he had, from a business point of view, to consider the average quality in bulk rather than the highest quality in special cases. From this point he gave Canterbury ''credit for the highest average in bulk. Mr Meadows is now about to leturn to England under orders from the commercial firm which he represents, and for which he has obtained much valuable information in regard to New Zealand produce.