A "TAG" RESENTED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 1 October 1909, Page 5

A "TAG" RESENTED.

AUDITOR-GENERAL AND EDUCATION BOARDS. TRAVELLING EXPENSES CURTAILED. Very wroth, wore the membere; of the Wellington Education Board .yesterday, when at the monthly meeting of the board the following "tag">'on. the board' 6 accounts by the. AuditorGeneral was read out:— "The Audit Office having examined the several accounts of. the Wellington Education ■ , Board,, prepared as in accordance with tlie provisions of the. Education Act, 1908, hereby certifies' to the correctness thereof, V subject to the following exception"The payment'of <£25 os. 7(1. for ■ expenses of members, other than, expenses • enrnd in attending the meetings -of the board, and' included ' in- the item £S1 Bs. : 3d., is without authority of law, and is therefore disallowed.'" Mr. A. H. Vile-said that he took strong exception to such' an injunction on the part of the Auditor-General. ;It simply, meant that ■poor men could not conscientiously become members of Education Boards. They were not all members of Parliament, -drawing X3OO a year and a free pass-on the railways.'- Mem.ber's mn6t be. aware ,that their duties, were not confined to mere attendance at meetings of the board; They had-to travel freqnently to 'inspect, school sites, investigate fires in schools, and attend'to other matters of edncational. importance. If it was now intended that memoefs would be required to put their hands into their pocket in this connection, he for one was not going to do it. It' was an thing to ask of the board, and no Liberal Government should have been guilty of it. Jle moved:— "That the attention of the Minister for Education be drawn to the decision of tho Audit Department that-travelling allowances can only. be allowed board members when attending duly convened meetings, and that- the Minister be asked to . such, amendment of ,the law as -wul place the question of travelling allowances upon ' -a more satisfactory footing so iar as board members are concerned.' . " . Mri J. Kebbell-seconded motion. . The" chairman (Mr.'ltobert Lee). agreed that the hoard should protest - against the action of the Auditor.-Gcneral. '■ He did a lot of travelling about, visiting schools, and; keeping _ himself in touch with the progress and condition of education- in; the district generally.. He conceived that to bo his special- duty .as-chair-ihan'of'the-board, while at ; the same.-tiine I emphasising the principle 'in its application | to his" colleagues on the board. . He certainly could not afford:to pay the' travelling expenses; so incurred .out of his | own pocfent, and there | were clearly, occasions when it was absolutely necessary, as in tbo case of school - fares, for some travelling to .bo done. - He. understood that the -'tag", complained of. arose from some abuse of the travelling allowance grant by members of a. board'in another district. - • Mr. A. W. v Hogg, M.P., remarked that the Auditor-General had only carried out his duty. He suggested that the matter be referred to the board's Finance Committeo for' legal opinion' (from . the board's solicitor) on'the question. of' law. ! • , Mr." Field:-Is* the law clear on , the . point? ' ->Mr t . Stewart'.(secretary of the board) replied that it was..';*••• Mr. Lee: In all my thirty yeanr experience with'this board, travelling, allowances have never before been questioned. * • Mr.; Field: It is monstrous tiiat; members of. the-board-should be asked to pay their own . expenses when travelling on; the: business of' the board. / • The . motion was then ' put, : and '. carried unanimously. • • ' ,