HOKITIKA SCHOOL BOARD

Grey River Argus, 24 October 1930, Page 4

HOKITIKA SCHOOL BOARD

TRANSFER OF INCOME

Mr O’Brien’s Action

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 23. I The matter of the Hokitika 11. g’J School Board was discussed in thel House, after an all-night sitting on the Finance Bill. The clause in the* measure under which the Mini, ter uf‘ Education s taking authority to trans ■ [ for the income of the Hokitika High’ j School Board to the Canterbury Edu 1 cation Board came on nt 12.45 p.m. | | yesterday. The Member for Westland. Mr J. I | O’Brien, traced the history of the Board. He suggested that the Minister of Education should! drop the ( clause in question for this year, and ’ should confer with the members of 'the Hokitika High School Board, and i also with representatives of the local j bodies during the recess. Mr O’Brien ' pointed out. that the Hokitika High School Board had carefully adniinis|tercd the» rci-ervcs that were entrusted ’them insofar as that the Board ha • collected quite a sum of money. Most of this income had been spent on ] scholarships for the country children [Of the district, who would not otheri wise have had fine opportunity of obtaining secondary education. The | Board, he said, also pays two junior assistants for the Commercial Classes ■ at- the High School. The Board had j commitments, with the concurrence of . the Auditor-General, to clear the re--1 serves am’ freehold property from noxious weeds. If the Minister o Education took away the whole of the income from the Hokitka High i School Board, it would seriously emjbarrass the members, who earnestly were endeavouring to do their best. ' and who had done good work. Mr I O’Brien held that the transferring of the Boards income to the Canterbury Education Board would! not be in the interest of the district. The iCanterbury Education Board’s terri--1 tory was too large now. The Canterbury Board could not have the local understanding and sympathy that- were necessary for the good ad ministration of the reserves that they vested in the Hokitika High Srtiool Board. Mr O’Brien pressed! the ‘Minister tc : drop the clause for this year, but. isince the Minister seemed determined to put the Clause through, Mr O’Brien asked that he would not use the powers that, were conferred on him by the clause until after he had visited the Hokitika District and had conferred with the Board members. The Minister, Hon. H. Atmore sail that the member for Westlandi hac interviewed him several times about the clause, and also the Leader of the Opposition. The facts aS to const’tution of the Hokitika High School Board were as had been set out by the Member for Westland. The Ho kitika Board had been the existence for 47 or 48 years. AH of the income that had been collected by the Board had been expended in Hokitika. Mr Atmore saM he would willingly give an assurance that the whole of the ncomo would still be spent in Hokitika, and that nothing unfaii would bo done to the boys and girls of the district. He hoped to visit Hoki tika at an early date and to meet the members of the High School Board.