MINISTER'S STATEMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 198, 22 August 1932, Page 3

MINISTER'S STATEMENT

SAVING OF ABOUT £40,000.

Parents of primary school children throughout New Zealand will save about £40,000 as a result of the Government's action in extending for four years the contract with the publishers for the supply of school books, according to a statement bv the Minister of Education, the Hou. R. Masters. The Minister replied to criticism of the decision to extend the contract, and pointed out the advantage of having secured an immediate reduction of 22* per cent in the retail price of books in return for the extension. "It would appear," said the Minister, "that this protest has been made without thorough knowledge of the true position. It will interest the public to know that the National Expenditure Commission made a full inquiry and dealt with this question in its final report. Following upon the recommendation in its interim report that there be no alteration in primary school books for the next five years, it has now recommended an extension of the present arrangement, provided the publishers reduce the retail prices of the books immediately.

"The reduction secured means a saving of approximately £7800 in one year's purchases. The alternative to this was the preparation of manuscripts at heavy cost, and the calling of tenders for an entirely fresh set of books. While it is conceded that if terms were normal it would be desirable to hold the copyright of the books, the Government felt the time was inopportune to compel the parents of every child to purchase new books.

"At the end of last year a special committee of the Auckland Primary Schools' Association brought down a report upon this question, when it was urged that the Government should own the manuscripts and thus effect a reduction of 25 per cent yi the present prices of books. It was suggested also that the time had come when the present piiblishers should be. asked to supply books during the balance of their contract at reduced cost to parents, who, it was said, were feeling the burden of the expense to which they were put. The special committee made mention of the fact that 5 per cent could be provided for the cost of

"Seeing that the Government has brought about an immediate reduction of 22J per cent in the retail prices of books without incurring a heavy outlay in the preparation of manuscripts, and without forcing parents to incur expenditure amounting in the aggregate to some £40,000, it is difficult to understand the criticism which has been made.

"It has been said .that the action taken was altogether too precipitate and quite uncalled for, and that the interests of parents have been sacrificed. To each of these charges I say unhesitatingly that all my efforts have been in the direction of helping the parents of the Dominion during a very trying period."