GRANTS FOR NEW SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 292, 3 September 1908, Page 5

GRANTS FOR NEW SCHOOLS.

BOARD AND DEPARTMENT. 'V ;/ UNSATISFACTORY POSITION. ■ ' ' (Nx TELBGEArH—rBESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, September 2. The Auckland Board of Education and the •Education Department in. Wellington seem likely to clash once more on tho question of grants to new schools, owing to tho minimum estimates'for new buildings being ' cut down by. the Department to a figure, atwhich 'it . .is impossible to get the buildings 'erected;; .This .> afternoon a memorandum was received by the Board from the Department asking an, explanation, of the transfer of over £8000 from the board's general account to the building account.

The secretary (Mr. V. Rice) said the explanation -was very easy. Grants made by tho Department were invariably less than were applied for in the matter of now buildings, alid gradually a. great deficit grew on tho new • buildings account, but by rigid economy 'the board managed to save on its maintenance account. Then a circular was received from the Department,-one clause m which permitted the transfer of a balanco on the, maintenance account to the buildings account. The circular was received in January, and. tho board at onc'o transferred the balance mentioned of over £8000, and not a day-too soon, for on March 30 it received a circular stating that the clause-in tho former circular was a mistake, and had been cancelled.

Mr, L. J. Bagnall said the position between the board and t-ho Department'in this respect had never been satisfactory, as the Department continually out down the building grants,' and the board was forced to expond money out of its ordinary grant. Tho board ■ should show tho Department plainly that when new buildings were reported as absolutely nccessary by architects and in-j spectors tho board expected to .receive the' full amount applied for. Mr. D. C. I urdie: The Department takes upon itself to revise every grant applied for in respect of new buildings by an important body Jilce this, and always revises them on tho assumption that the board is asking too much.' It is timo the Department was told tho position pretty plainly. After discussion, it was decided to apply for/ increases in certairt grants.