CASE FOR BAILIFF

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 3

CASE FOR BAILIFF

SCHOOL DEBTS UNPAID. STRANGE STORY FROM PETONE. [Fkom Qua Parliamentary Reporter.} WELLINGTON, July 19. “The bailiffs will soon be in,” declared Mr AVilford, Leader of tbo Opposition, leading up to an extraordinary story of the financial, or rather unfinancial, position, of Petono Technical School, which ha unfolded in Parliament this afternoon. There was an amusing hitch before Mr AVilford found a peg on which to hang his statement, for Air Speaker naturally insisted that tho Standing Orders should be followed. Members on all sides of tho House, quickly offered suggestions—an infringement that under tho circumstances was tolerated by tho Chair ■ and tho Leader of tho Opposition was enabled to select one of his own questions (dealing with tho lack of typewriters in the school in question). Air AVilford said typewriting classes were authorised and teachers provided, but no typewriters were furnished. _ But that was not all, for tho directors of the school had not received a penny of salary for seven months, the trades people had not been paid, and their accounts were months overdue.’ These were ordinary accounts, and yot they could not get a shilling. Tho reason was plain. The whole grant for that school, including the cost of teaching of typewriting, amounted to £l4O, out of which had to bo paid tho director’s salary of £BS, school cleaning £96, lighting ami heating £6o—a total of £240. Tho Minister of Education i How many pupils are there? Mr AVilford: “I cannot say.” Ho added! that Petono Borough Council had given £3O towards tho upkeep of tho school, and a firm had given £25, and ho could only hope that another firm would give a typewriter. Such a state of affairs was in absolute contradiction of tho pious pronouncements usually made when technical schools were opened.

The Minister of Education replied that the Opposition Leader should first make sure of lus fac-'s before criticising. Mr Wilford could have easily ascertained that the Potone School obtained reasonable grants in comparison with similar schools, and that the reason why the present master did not draw 'his salary was that the accounts were left in a difficult position, and, to assist the committee, ho was temporarily leaving his salary in abeyance. But he know he could draw it at any moment.