FREE SCHOOL STATIONERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 172, 21 July 1921, Page 8

FREE SCHOOL STATIONERY.

TENDERS TO BE CALLED. The question of stationery supplies to the schools was the subject of discussion at a special meeting of the Auckland Primary Schools Committees' Association last evening. The president. !Mr. L\ H. 1 _rne__, presided over a full attuniance of delegates. The chairman explained that a sale committee appointed at the annual meeting to interview leading stationers had reported that it had made tentative arrangements with local supplier.-. It was intended, said Mr. Furnv-B, that members of the Association should be able to buy 11) per cent better than nonmembers, Mr. JL, H. A. Potter (Mount Eden) was in favour of the report being referred back to the sub-committee. The requirements of headmasters for a year should be ascertained, and tenders then called, the tenderers to state what discount they would be prepared to allow. He was opposed to the flovernment supplying school stationery free, contending i hat the committees should have morecontrol over the schools. If they allowed the Government to supply free stationery they would be parting with their control. The committees could buy better than the "flovernment for the schools. Mr. VV. -J. Campbell (Ponsonby) supported Mr. Potter"s views. A motion approving the concentrating of orders for stationery was carried. The chairman stated that there were some BO committees concerned, and at an average of some £10 per annum eaca a contract to supply all meant that a Sim of between £2000 and £3000 would l>e expended. It was decided to recommend tho executive to call tenders for supplies to members of the Association for six months. A further recommendation was that under the contract all committees should be enabled to buy at uniform rates.