GRANTS WITHDRAWN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 206, 27 May 1932, Page 12

GRANTS WITHDRAWN

Workers’ Educational Assn. POSITION EXPLAINED Reporting that the entire financial assistance of the Government to the Workers’ Educational Institute had been withdrawn, Dr. I. L. G. Sutherland. director of W.E.A. tutorial classes, wrote forwarding a communication from the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Alasters, to the Victoria College Council which met last evening. Dr. Sutherland said that the Minister of Finance, tfie Hon. W. D. Stewart, in replying to the debate oil the clause in the recent Finance Act regarding grants to the association, had said: “The clause did not mean that the total grant would be cut out. It simply eliminated the permanent appropriation. There was still the annual vote, which was usually £l4OO, but which last year bad been reduced by £500.”

He had written to the Minister of Education asking for confirmation of this statement, which made it appear that it was the intention of the Government still to support the W.E.A. in some measure. He had now received the following reply:—

“It is not the intention of the Government to place any sum on the Estimates in support of the activities of the Workers’ Education Association. It is therefore very improbable that it will be found possible to give your association any financial assistance this year.” Dr. Sutherland stated that the tutorial classes committee felt that a false impression had probably been created. From the Hon. Downie Stewart’s statement members of the House and the general public might conclude that the W.E.A. was still to receive part of its grant, whereas the letter from Hon. Alasters made it clear that this was not the case.