CUTTING DOWN EVERYTHING

Evening Star, Issue 18640, 22 May 1924, Page 9

CUTTING DOWN EVERYTHING

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S POLICY At the meeting of tho Education Board this morning, Mr J. IT. Wilkinson moved the following resolution—" That while we thank the department for the consideration given to the request for grants for new school at Edenvale and for additions to Tahakopa School, we express our disappointment at the cutting down of the amounts asked for by about £IOO m each instance. Our 'architect has given careful consideration to every detail in connection with the buildings in order to meet the wishes of the department to effect economies wherever possible. In spite of tlleso economies the sums voted are inadequate for tho purpose for which they arc required, and wo ask that our application be reviewed and that the full amounts applied for be granted." Mr Wilkinson said that although they recognised that the department had a great responsibility in making grants for buildings, the board had never asked for larger sums than were absolutely necessary, as tha board had always kept expenses down to tho minimum. They wanted to co-operato with the department, but they asked that they should be given more generous treatment than had been the case in the past. Th? motion v/iiK seconded by Mr G. W. Wood, who said that the deportment senniej to lack confidence in the board's architect. The Chairman (Mr J. Wallace) said that be thought Mr Wilkinson had let the department down very gently. He was sure that if tho resolution hail been drawn up yesterday it would have been much more emphatic, and he was not sure whether Mr Wilkinson had done tho right thing in not making a protest. The mattor had now become very acute, as the department wns cutting down everything they asked for. They did not object to a review, but lie contended that after the board's architect had prepared his estimates from the department's plans, that the money should either be granted, or tho department should undertake the work itself. Tho motion was carried unanimously.