FREE WATER TO SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 62, 13 March 1919, Page 8

FREE WATER TO SCHOOLS.

(To the Editor.} Sir, —Tn January, 1916, the City Council resolved—and such resolution has been incorporated in the by-laws—that all primary schools in the city should be supplied with water free of charge, up to but not exceeding an amount equal to five hundred gallons per scholar per year. Those of us who advocated and fought for this concession fondly imagined that we were relieving school committees of a heavy burden, and indirectly benefiting the parents of scholars. Notwithstanding this by-law, which is very definite on the point, School Committees in the city are regularly receiving accounts for water supplied through meter for sanitary purposes. 1 enclose copy of an account recently received by the Grafton School Committee. I understand that at least one other Committee forwarded its account to the Board' of Education, by whom it was paid. That may or may not be. but T contend that the Council has no right to i charge schools for water, whether for sanitary purposes or otherwise, until the amount allowed has been exceeded —I am, etc., PERCY McELWAIX. Member Grafton School Committee.