TECHNICAL SCHOOL RENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 88, 13 April 1912, Page 15

TECHNICAL SCHOOL RENT.

LEGALITY OF PAYMENT CHALLENGED. Representatives of the Wellington Industrial Association and the Technical Education Board waited on the Hon. J. A. Han an, Minister of Education, on Thursday in reference to the trouble that haa arisen regarding ths payment of rent by the Technical Educition Board to the .association for the use of the Industrial Hall in Victoriastreet, in which the Technical School classes are carried on. The building was erected partly out of the profits made by the association out of the exhibition of 1896-7, on the stipulation that the room, known as the Industrial Hall and office should be set aside for the use of the association^ Owing to Jack of space the board subsequently rented the association's hall and office for £100 a year, but the- Auditor-General challenged the legality of the payment of rent, and the association "now asked the Minister to introduce into Parliament a Bill enabling the board to pay the rent to the association. Mr. J, P. Luke said that the Hon.T. Mackenzie had given him a verbal promise that he would promote the Bill which they were asking; for. Mr. D. Robertson said that if anybody kicked up a row between the Industrial Association and the Technical Education Board lliey were doing a very tin just thing. There would have been very little technical education in Wellington in the earlier days but for ' the Industrial Association. , The Minister*- said the request "was that he should' introduce legidxitiori to define the interests of the property referred to. If- he 'were to' take'* up the position of settling legal interests bQtween individuals or public bodies- he would place himself in T a very, awkward, position. " '"There were "tribunals' for the purpose; of^eettling claims to property. Before giving 1 a more definite answer he would lijce to have the views of vthe Education Board before him. The Audi-tor-General had only done his duty in holding up the payment, and theJEducatioa Department was not unfriendly to the Technical Schooi Board, but wouid like to assist it. ■