SCHOOL BOOKS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 243, 8 July 1921, Page 6

SCHOOL BOOKS

SUPPLY BY THE GOVERNMENT BOOKSELLERS IN PROTEST MINISTER STANDS FOR PARENTS’ INTERESTS Members of the Booksellers’ Association interviewed the Minister of Education (lion. C. J. Parr) yesterday afternoon, in order to protest against tho . proposal of the Education Department to supply school stationery and books to schools through‘the education boards. Mr. 11. C. South explained that tho deputation represented tho bookselling trade throughout New Zealand. It had ■ come to protest against the proposal of the Governnuint to supply school books. The Minister said he had not made any proposal, of that kind. There had been no proposal so far that tho Government should take 'tip' tho business. What he had said was that he viewed ■with favour an idea that education boards should endeavour to supply the schools with hooks and stationery, and that tho Department would help the boa rds. Mr. South thought that this arrangement amounted to the same thing. The selling of school books and school stationery was a very large part of the trade represented by tho deputation. It amounted to 50 per cent, of the business in some cases. Small tihops dealing in books and stationery were to bo found in the neighbourhood of most of tho large schools. The booksellers asked why their trade should be singled out for opposition by the Government and the education boards. The gross profit over the ' whole range of school supplies was not more than 20 per cent., and this was not an excessive profit. If the Government could save much money for tho community by undertaking the work, tho scheme might bo desirable, but the saving could not be large unless the Government was going to import the supplies free of duty. If the Government lost this revenue, it would have, to make up the revenue by other taxation. Mr. Parr: The parents would get a benefit. : Mr. South urged that competition of the kind proposed was not fair. A Government Department ought not to compete with private enterprise on an unfair basis. The booksellers had to pay Thistoms taxation and other taxation. . Mr. G. H. Bennett expressed surprise that a Reform Minister should be fathering a "communistic” proposal. The supply of school books by the Government was a step towards free school books, and the same people who asked for free school books were asking for free uniforms and free dinners for children. The proposal was an attack on a law-abiding section of the business community. The best way to help the parents was to provide standard school books for use throughout the Dominion. Tho average annual cost of school books did not exceed 10e. per child in the primary schools. Mr. H. J. Duncan also urged that the scheme was an unfair and unnecessary attack on private enterprise. THE MINISTER’S REPLY INTERESTS OF THE PARENTS. The Minister, in reply, said he agreed that the 'booksellers carried on their trade in a lawful and useful manner. He did not approve in a general way of tho intervention of the State in any business that could be conducted better by private enterprise. But there could be no hard and fast rule on the point. The proposal that was being opposed by the deputation was that books and stationery required in the schools should be supplied to the children at cost price, instead of at the manufacturers' price plus the wholesalers’ and the retailers’ profits. The idea was not a new one. It had been discussed very fully for several years, and it had the support of education boards and school committees throughout the Dominion. The Education Department had always been : .i sympathy with the idea of cheapening the cost of education to the parents. There was no proposal to issue school books free of charge. The Department could not afford that, and in any case ho 'believed that much waste would arise if books and stationery were issued without charge. But he was in sympathy with those who wished to lighten the burden at present carried by some 50,000 parents in this country. The Minister emphasised that educational authorities were almost unanimous in asking for the scheme that was under discussion. The agitation had not come from any small section of the people. There seemed to be a general opinion that the cost of school books and stationery ought to be reduced to the lowest possible point, and he had to look at the matter from the point of view of the parents, not of any particular section of the community. The Department estimated that parents were paying about .£130,000 a year for school requisites at the present time. The Government compelled the children to go to school, and it compelled the parents to buy books. Clearly it ought to ■see that they got the books at the lowest possible price. Mr. Bennett: Why not clothing? The Minister: Don’t let us talk nonsense. Ido not compel them to buy clothing. You will admit that if the cost to the parents can bo reduced by £30,000 or £40,000 a year, it would be a move on right lines. I will not engage in any business of the kind unless we can see an absolute assurance of a reduction in cost to the parents. Mr. South: Will you take all the factors into account—customs, taxation and income tax ? Tho Minister: “Yes. lam not going to engage in any business that does not show a considerable saving to the parents. If lam not satisfied on that point and the boards are not satisfied on that ■point, no change will bo made.” The Minister proceeded to point out that in Canterbury the education board .‘.as already supplying books and stationery to the children through the school committees. The board bought its supplies from a wholesale house, rot from the manufacturers ‘as now proposed, and it was able to effect a substantial saving for tho parents as compared with the prices formerly charged by retailors. The system worked well in Canterbury, and it was being investigated by committees of the other education boards. lie did not wish to hurt the booksellers, but ho had to take a wide view in dealing with a matter that affected all the inrents, particularly at a time when every penny counted and when every penny, he feared, was going to count even more. In reply to a suggestion from the deputation that in the event of the Government entering the business it should take over the retailers’ stocks of school books and stationery, tho ’Minister said he would not make any definite promises, but he could give an assurance that the interests of the booksellers would receive fair ' attention. He did not anticipate that any change would be made as far es next year was concerned.