SCHOOL GRANTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 283, 15 November 1923, Page 2

SCHOOL GRANTS.

QUESTION (*F POLITICAL INFLUENCE. Wellington, Nov. 14. “Why is it that the board, considered to be the educational authority for the district, agitated for this school for; .18 months and did not. get. it, yet has, now got the money all at once.'”’ asked.Mr C. I- Harkness at the Educationj Board meeting when discussing a grain, ■ of £l4OO for the erection of a school at j Sil verstrenin. “Certainly we have the money now.’’ “Then why worry?” asked the chairman (Mr T. ForsythL Mr Harkness: 1 think it is a matter which the Board should consider ver* seriously. Mr R. A. Wright, M.P. : Oh, why make trouble. Detailing his negotiations which had culminated in the grant, Mr W. H. Field, M.P.j said that the Minister, by inviting plans and specifications from the Board for the school, had promised the school. Mr J. J. Clark: What I don’t like is the fact that the Board agitated for this school for 18 months and nothing was done. As soon as political influence was brought to bear the object was achieved. Mr Field may congratulate himself very highly on his success, but Mr Field, as a member of the Education Board, has been very much slighted for 18 months. The Minister raised the issue that the Board did not push the matter, as this school was ninth on the list. You know that it is impossible to place schools in their proper ratio; they are all first. I strongly object to politics being brought into the matter.