EDUCATION BOARD ALLOWANCES.

Evening Star, Issue 6912, 27 May 1885, Page 1

EDUCATION BOARD ALLOWANCES.

Ix our issue of March sth. nit,, in com* menting on the then recently concluded election to fill the annual vacancies on the Education Board, we took occasion to direct attention to the money 3 drawn by "members for personal expends. " Reference to the "accounts sho.vs," we said, "that one "member draws over fG for every meeting " he attends ; two others, £4 each ; one of "whom, by the way, travels free on the "railways, having a pass as a member of "the General Assembly." This statement was not controverted, and we took it asr therefore assured that certain members'of the Board have been making money out ioi a position which is not endowed by statute with any remuneration. The Education Act declares any member disqualified who shall receive any salary from the Eoqtf, and provides only that "it shall ''be "lawful for the Board to pay any member "residing at a distance from the ordinary "place of meeting of the Board reasonable __.'' travelling expenses." We are gratified at finding that our exposure of these little financial arrangements has led to the subject being formally brought under the. noticevsjf the Board. Mr Begg, who apparently had not been aware of the stretching-out process to which the "reasonable expenses" contemplated by the Act h:>.d been subjected until he saw our remarks, moved at the "ordinary monthly meeting on TlSmeday—" That in future expenses of attending " the meetings of the Board be aliowed to " members on the following scale : (i) Rail- " way fare actually paid both ways; (2) a "sum of 15s for each nigbt members "are necessarily detained in Dunedin "in connection with the business of " the Board." Such payment should be sufficient to meet all reasonable charges incurred by members residing in the .country. It is nothing else than a scandal that under the pretext of " reasonable expenses" members of the Board should draw pay, varying in amount, we may presume, according to the elasticity of their consciences.

The decision of the Board to. refer the resolution to a special committee for consideration was perha s the most judicious course that could be adopted under.all,the circumstances. Mr Begg clearly a very strong case ; and we think Dr M.vcgregor and Mr J. M. M'Kexzie, who could not reply thereto, displayed, at least questionable taste in ascribing his action to spleen at not having been elected to the «hair. By whatever motives, however, he may have been actuated, the facts and figures quoted remain the same. It appears -thgjt during the last year Mr Clark, Air Fraer, Mr J. M. M'Kexzie, and Dr MajCgregob received sums varying in amount in excess of reasonable expenses. These geirtleinqp, in fact, as Mr Begg put it, make.a clear gain on each trip to Dunedin. Mr M'Kexzie pockets £2 5s 7d, Dr Macobegor £2 iSs Bd, Mr Fraer £1 18s 7d, and Mr Cj-uik 15s not so bad for a purely honorary office ! In the case of Mr Clak'JL anil Mr J. M. M'Kexzie, they appear to have, as it were, doubled on the public funds by drawing expenses from the Land Board for the same visits to towiC; whilst Mr M'Kenzie is at no cost for railway travelling, having a free pass as a member of the Legislature. The honorable gentleman should be content with hisgiunea a-day for attendance at the Land Board, which meets on Wednesdays, the same 'day as committees of the Education Beard;; and not infrequently on Thursdays also, the day of that Board's ordinary meeting. We are inclined to apprehend that under existing arrangements too .much..- encouragement is afforded to professional, or. rather, we should say, trading politicians. What with the honorarium of two • hun|l»d guineas; the "bits about the deck" at lingi.:;n which fall in thte way of jVlihisterial supporters ; travelling expenses from different sources—county-councils', land boards, education boards, etc.—an energetic j&an can make a fair income, even without-the occasional assistance of substantial testimo nials. Professor Shand, who seconded the resolution, expressed the opinion that allowances on the scale proposed by Mr Begg were " ample " for all reasonable purposes, and he incisively remarked that ' r it was "quite illegal for members to make a "profit out of the Board, the Edqpft"tion Act being clear 'on the pdEnt " that they were to receive nothing for " their services, but to be simply recouped "their actual expenses." It might have been supposed, since the facts - and figures stated and quoted by Mr Begg werefipefutable and by no means creditable! parties concerned, that they would r.have kept quiet tongues, and, without courting further publicity by discussion, have allowed the resolution, defining a scale of payment in accordance with law, to be adopted. Dr Maccreoor, Mr M'Kexzie, and- Mr Fraisr seem by no means, however, put out of countenance by the'exposition of accb'rihfs, but maintain, if they are understood correctly, their right to the bawbees/iii defiance of propriety and law. Dr MACGnE(;oR,-Jn moving the reference to a committee* S&UI that he had been pointed, at,as "the " greatest sinner in respect to the matter of " expenses, but there was nothing discredit"able in what had been done." That, of course, must needs be a matter of opinion. Mr M'Kenzie having no case, adcoMuJg sto ancient custom went in for abusing "'the plaintiffs attorney, represented' on fthia occasion by Mr Begg. He affirmed that tihe country members practically did the work of the Board, and that he could not: see how any profit was made by certain of .them out of the expenses claimed and allowed.- He does not dispute the record, but contends; it would seem, that money received and pocketed over and above actual disbursement is not profit. What shall we call it, then: Salary or honorarium ? Neither of thfcseHs authorised by the Act any more than profit. Mr Fraer, the chairman of the Boards! pits in, as it were, a special plea for drawing expenses for two railway journeys when he only makes one. To come to: town afid back the same day-he would have.torise at five in the morning, so he thinks he is entitled to take the train the afterhorairirevious to the meetings of the Board. We presume he returns the subsequent aftcrnofn,

or if not, charges an extra day, so the allowance of 9d a-mile one way for two . journeys from Tuapeka-f.e., 120 milescan hardly be considered reasonable for actual expenses. . . In order that the matter, now that it is public so far, may be perfectly plain and clear, we would suggest that the Committee of the Board to whom the resolution has been referred should prepare a statement showing in detail exactly what every member has received during the past twelve months; the dates of their respective attendances, either at the Board or Committees; and the amount paid on account of each attendance. A similar return of the allowances paid to members of the Land Board might be instructive to study in conjunction.