WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21807, 12 June 1936, Page 17

WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

TO THE EDITOE OP THE PBBEB. Sir,—l do not think any good results would come from a joining of forces of “Another Ratepayer,” your correspondent, and myself. One of the three is in the Timaru district, so would not be available for discussions. The only chance of reforming the Workers’ Educational Association in Christchurch is through the publicity of the press, to bring the matter under the notice of those who have sought, and who have been given, the power to deal fairly with the people’s money; that is, the city cou»»cillors and members of other local bodies. Before giving any of the people’s money to the Workers’ Educational Association they should see to it that any money given is used for the purpose for which it is given, and that the purpose is a worthy one, and the money is used to good advantage. To give the public’s money to an organisation simply because it has a fine-sounding name, without taking any further interest in the thing, is simply to waste it.

j If your correspondent cares to send his name and address to me. through ! you, I will call on him when oppori tunity offers. There will be no harm | in discussing the matter., My last letter was referred to Mr ' Acland, president of the district council of the Workers’ Educational Association, who said he had no comment to make. I think it was a pity he did into the matter and make some comment. I know M Acland, and I respect him. He is a member of one of the pioneer families of Canterbury. He has been interested in educational matters for a long time. He has been president of the district council of the Workers’ Educational Association for many years. He is a very capable chairman: but. unfortunately for the association, he has not been able to take an active part in it for many years. He usually attend? one meeting a year, sometimes not that. His name as president gives the organisation a tone it does not deserve these days. The chairmanship of the meetings is usually taken by one of the association’s vice-presidents, none of whom make as good a chairman as Mr Acland. I am sure Mr Acland does not know what the district council of the association is d r>h g with the public’s money. He still regards it as an ideal. Unfortunately, that ideal has been betrayed and smashed by those who should have nurtured it; so that now there are high costs and very little eduction of workers. The arranging for an occasicnal lecture, and an occasional concert or social could be carried out very successfully by a small committee acting much in the same way as a school committee. Unless something is done to make the association in Christchurch more of a real educational movement, and less of a profit-makinv concern, it will die out. It is impossib’e for a Dominion secretary to exercise proper control over a district secretary or over a tutorial class secret iry, or over a lecturer when all these positions are held by the' same individual. This truth is evidenced by the high costs and the poor results in Canterbury, where this absurd arrangement obtains. A part-time secretary in the combined districts of Otago and Southland receives £SO a year; a part-time district secretary in Wellington receives £123 a year; and a part-time secretary in Christchurch, one of the smallest districts of the Workers’ Educational Association in New Zealand, receives £3OO a year. This sort of thing does not show intelligent management.—Yours, etc.. RATEPAYER. June 9, 1936. [“lf this man has any serious objection he had better call and see me at my office,” said Mr H. D. Acland, when he was asked to comment on this letter.]