THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE TOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 220, 26 September 1901, Page 2

THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE TOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Ax the Education Board on Wednesday, some time wa« occupied in dealing with the situation caused by the aotion of the Town School Oommittee in consequence of the refusal of the Board to coatihue the special grant beyond the regulation capitation allowance!

The Town School. Committee forwarded copies of the resolution poseed at its last meeting (already published) caacelliog cleaning and other contracts owing to lack of funds, and leaving the Board to attend to those matters.

Tfye Ohairman : It seems to me that the Town School Committee wanted to hand their duties to the Board, and at the same time to retain office to criticise the Board's aotion. . »

Mr. AHafforth moved that the matter be fefqrrwl to a committee consisting of Meisrs. McAllum, Wade, acd the mover, with power to act.lt seemed, he said, as if the committee wanted special treatment in the matter of capitation grant, and that they we/e not content with the sum allowed by the regulations, They made no attempt to help themselves like the country committees, who cleared school sites, and did a large amount of usefol work which proved they took a pride in their schools, but in New Plymouth %he committee expected the Board to supply funds for everything. A similar case to that which the Boird had now in, hand occurred in the Wanganui district, the committee there going so fir as to close the school,, but the chairman 'of the Board re-opened it and carried on the committee's duties. The comI mittee, howerer, remained in office, its [only function being,as in theNewPlymouth committee's case, that oF criticising the Board. He maintained that thi town committee oould carry I on with the regulation grant, and if it did not suffioe for meeting espouses at the present rate they should eoonomise. Nearly every committee applied to the public for funds in aid of its work, but the only appeal made to the public by the town oommittee was to ask for support against what they called the tyranioal action of the Board,

In seconding % the motion Mr. 'Bignett said his sympathies were decidedly with the country oommitteee, who worked well to further the interests of their schools. From what he had seen lately it appeared as if the New Plymouth Oommittee were more inclined to run the BoirdV business than their own.

Mr. Faull questioned whether ths committee ould properly remain in office after the aotion they had taken as he did not consider they cou'd throw up part of their work without throwing up all. Be would not consent to penalise country sohools who helped themselves by cutting off part of their grants to be used for ths town school. Mr. Adlam was in favour of the motion, but demurred at the remarks made relative to the town committee not raising funds. He instanced the j anphalting at. the Central School and other works to show that the committee had helped themselves He advocated each school being dealt with oo its merits, and stited his belief that all th) committee wanted was to pay their way. The Board must bear in mind that tbe committee bad three schools to keep in order and that if all three were under one roof the expense for cleaning would be only one-half of tbe present cost for the separate buildings.

Tbe Chairman pointed out that the Ingle wood Oommit'ee waa in exactly the same position. He also mentioned that in addition to the capitation grant the Board paid .£ls a year for water supply at the New Plymouth schoo'e. • Tbe motion was then carried unanimously. ■