EDUCATION BOARD BUILDING GRANTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13651, 7 February 1910, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD BUILDING GRANTS.

TO TH- EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

Si r< —On the occasion of the opening oi the new Addington School on Thursday last, the Hon. G. fowlds, Minister of Education, referred to a statement made by mc on the previous day it the meeting of the Education Board in regard to the large reduction made so unexpectedly in the grant for the maintenance and rebuilding of school buildings. Briefly, the points mentioned and emphasised in my remarks were:—(l) Th-tt the North Canterbury Board's grant had been reduced from £8490 in 1909 to £4331 for the current rear. (2) That the grant for rebuild.„g in 1009 was £1715. (3) That the grant for 1910 was so low that the Board would be unable to carry on its work efficiently. . In dealing with these issues the Minister did not deny that the grant as a whole had been reduced to the sum stated, viz., £4331, the reason advanced being the necessity for cutting dwwn expenses. As regards ways and means for the immediate future the opinion was expressed that the Board might very well carry on out ot its available balance for rebuilding. Now, while so simple a device would tide the Board over this year, its adoption would place the Board in a very difficult position at the end ot the year, inasmuch as it would then have to fare requirements as regards rebuilding with an empty exchequer. Rather than adopt what many would regard as bad finance, would it not be a wiser and more generous policy on the part of the Minister, in the cass of North Canterbury at least, whose Board has admittedly made what provision it possibly could for rebuilding, to act on hi.s expressed inclination and reinstate the vote for rebuilding? Coming to the conflict of opinion as regards the amount of rebuilding grant: In 1903, when the basis of distribution was laid down, the amount of £1715 was allocated for rebuilding This sum was accepted by the Board, and its responsible officers a,s a fixed one, to continue over a period. It appears, however, upon enquiry of the Minister, tHat the intention of the Department was that a revision should work automati- | cally, according to the age of the buildings in each district, tlie percentage allowance for rebuilding to increase each year as the schools became older, the annual advices received by the Board have given no indication whatever of this, the whole amount allotted to the Board having been named in one sum, with a recapitulation of the various purposes for which the grant as a whole was available. Further, the Board's average annual expenditure on maintenance for the three years ending Dectmber 31st, 1908, was £6809. This expenditure is shown in the Board's annual account, and no exception has been taken to it as being a departure from the basis laid down in 1903..0ther Beards may or may not have shared tbe misunderstanding, but at any rate, indifferently as the North Canterbury Board may have accomplished the somewhat difficult task set it by tho Department, it seems pretty certain that most of the other Boards have achieved even less success. It is now apparent that th* low percentage reduction in the case- of Wellington mentioned in my remarks, is owing to the schools in that district not being so old as thoso in North. Canterbury? The rebuilding grant—the grant now stated to be temporarily stopped—has therefore been relatively less.

Though the North Canterbury Board recognises the unenviable position in which the Minister has been placed in having to reduce expenditure, yet its closer connection with tlie requirements of the different schools causes it to realise more fully than perhaps *£he Minister can the difficulties which so large a reduction in tho grant will bring about. Tho Board claims that its expenditure on maintenance in the past has been necessary, and that if the school bindings :'n the North Canterbury district are to be efficiently maintained and the reasonable requirements ot" committees in the shape of improvements met, then the amount granted this year ;s totally inadequate.—Yours, etc. T. W. ADAMS, Chairman. Christchurch, February sth, 1910.