‘Savage’ cut of 14 per cent upsets council

Press, 14 July 1982, Page 20

‘Savage’ cut of 14 per cent upsets council

A savage cut in one of the most vital areas of the Christchurch Polytechnic could -be the result of a political decision, the polytechnic council has been told. The polytechnic’s director (Mr J. D. A. Hercus) told a meeting of the council that the polytechnic's library grant had been reduced 14 per cent from the amount it was told it would get at the beginning of the year. Expenditure against the original figure of $31,300 was well advanced, so the library account would have to be supplemented to allow for the reduction of income to $26,800. The Education Department had announced that the grant to all polytechnics had in-

creased, “but they have decreased our share of it." Mr Hercus said. “It has yet to be proven whether our cut is the result of a political decision or an administrative one." Professor R. Keey said that it was incredible that the department could reduce the grant half way through the year. ’ "The resources of the library are already woefully low considering the weight of material it must hold," Professor Keey said. t The council resolved to write to the Director General of Education (Mr W. L. Renwick) deploring the grant's reduction and asking for the reinstatement of the original grant.