DEPARLMENTAL METHODS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 4

DEPARLMENTAL METHODS.

MR. FOWLDS REPLIES TO CRITICISM. Some interesting remarks wero made by the Hon. G. Fowlds (Minister for Education) to a reporter yesterday in reply to the criticism of various education boards with referents to tiie Departmental memorandum requesting lists of teachers' residences in regard to which improvements are necessary. "To my mind," said Mr. Fowlds, "some of' t-lio comments which have been made are very ridiculous. It would* seem' as if some of the boards aro assuming that the Department woul'd like to see the improvements effected without any funds being provided for the purpose. There is nothing in tho circular to warrant such an assumption. Tile position is simply this: Tho Department is being inundated with applications for the provision of various conveniences mentioned in tho memorandum in connection with teachers' residences all over the Dominion. 1 have come to this conclusion: 'Hat if the work, is to be done at all it should be undertaken in a systematic maaaier, and the most urgent cases, should be taken first. For that reason I have asked the various boards to mo with a list of the residences '? r . e F districts that come within, the Definition laid down in the memoram- , ouui, and to "place them in the order of urgency. "As I can find money out of the moneys to be voted by Parliament this year,' continued Sir. Fowlds, "I propose when I get the lists to make a pro rata division among the boards for the purpose in question. Some boards liavo been more insistent than others, but it would not. be fair that- all the' money should go to the most clamorous boards'. 1 feel confident that 1 will be able to provide _ something out of this year's appropriations for the most urgent cases at any rate. Some of the boards really seem to think that it is their special function to criticise everything that is proposed to be done by the Department—whether it is good or bad."