EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 9707, 16 May 1895, Page 1

EDUCATION BOARD.

The following additional _ business was transacted yesterday afternoon : An application from residents of Earnscleugh for the erection of a school was deferred until the spring. The Wylio's Crossing Committee asked the Board to appoint Miss Anderson, sister of the mistress, to the position of pupilteacher in the school, but it was resolved to transfer temporarily the pupil-teacher from East Taieii to Wyliirs Crossing. An application from Heriot for additions to the teacher's residence-was declined. The tender (£9O) of Thomas Short for additions, to the teacher's residence at Merton was accepted. The Ahuriri Committee wrote stating that the schoolmasters residence required a new wathhonse, cooking stove, and register grate at a cost of £-28, and also new furniture to Upvalue of £ll was required for the school. —The application was granted. The Alexandra School Committee asked that the Board leutw the joists of the school, which, owing to their not being raised from the groumi, were quite rotten, the cost being .£■■2s. The application was granted. The Waiaua Kama (Herbert) School Committee applied for an addition to the schoolroom una to the teacher's residence.—The first application was granted; the other declined. A I.ARCi; O.UESTION*. The following letter with respect to pen. and-ink money at the Oameru North School explains itself : ' The O.iniavu North School Committee have hud under consul ration the comimmicntioiis.-from die hoard s auditor and yourself in reference to the ivfns-.il or the auditor to certify the correctness of the Committee's balance-sheet becaufe of the hoards ;;rant having been applied to an impivper purpose ] run directed to sav that the Committee still hola the view that the expenditure of the money derived from the parliamentary Kraut upon pens, ink, and other school requisites ot the kind is not an improper or illegal use of the money, these are cleaTly necessary to the carrying on of a school, and, as the Education Act does not give any authority to lew fees tor the purpose of providing them, the" Committee respectfully maintain that in using for the purpose money derived from the onlv fund created by the Act thev have done no wrong —most certaiply not such a wrong as warrants the auditor, under, the authority of the Board refusing to sign the Committees accounts. 1 am, therefore, directed to ask that the auditor be instructed to sign the Committee's balancesheet, and so prevent an unpleasant conflict between the Board and the Committee, lam further directed to say that the Committee believe that the Board's resolution in support of the auditor was passed mukr a misapprehension of the facts, and that on the position being clearlv understood the Board will withdraw its authority to the auditor to refuse assent to the Committees accouuts. the Committee respectfully urge that it is incumbent on the Board cither to do this or to clearly show that there exists some source whence school requisites can be obtained without imposing fees that are contrary to an Act which provides for free and compulsory education. Mr BowtiK said that the Board must either uphold their auditor or change their regulation. He believed it was in their power to charge their regulation and allow the money to be spent as indicated. The Hon. J. MacGekoor said that one thing quite certain was that this question should not be raised in that way. As Mr Borrie said, the regulation expressly forbade the application of any of the Board's capitation allowance in the way.mentioned by the Committee. The auditor was unquestionably right in taking the stand he had. Mr Cohen differed fiom Mr MaeGregor en one point. This was the only proper way that the Committee could raise the issue, since under the regulation the auditor was bound to disallow the item of pen-and-ink money. But the Committee, if rightly advised, were within their rights in questioning the validity of the regulation, and his own view had always been that it was vitro, vires.

It was decided to uphold the action of the auditor, and to consider at next meeting the general questions.raised by the Committee.