THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 301, 19 December 1908, Page 4

THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

The Borough Council did not exactly cover itself with glory last night over the proposal to vote £10 in aid of the technical school; On the contrary, the ratepayers* who have the welfare of the rising generation at heart will experience a feeling of shame at the result, the motion being negatived. The" fact, stated by Mr btrachanj that the school has during ™e/ast three years paid the Council £14 for teaching pupils at the cookery classes "how 'to use the Councils gas-stoves" had no, weight. Councillors appear to prefer that bur youths of either .sex should spend their time idling about street corners and getting into mischief generally, I than learning something useful. The money asked for is the money of the ratepayers, and it is desired for the instruction of their children; but it is surprising how virtuously in- | dignant the Councillors may become over a small item of expenditure they have no sympathy with, and how much larger amounts, perhaps of less utility, may be voted without a qualm, lhe question has been several times before the Council, and much gas, real and metaphorical, has already been wasted over the proposal. Upon the last occasion the matter was discussed it was postponed to enable Mr Strachan, the bchool Inspector, to attend and explain some points upon which several Councillors professed to desire enlightenment. It. was by no means creditable to th ß Council, and certainly not coiirtepus to Mr Strachan, to take up his time and subject him to inconvenience, when the result was already a foregone conclusion. !

No sound arguments could be submitted against the proposal. The principal opposition to the expenditure appeared to arise from a mistaken idea that the ratepayers money could not be voted for the purpose. Thiu is, as we have already pointed out, a delusion. The Education Act expressly provides as follows:—"Any borough council may from time to time establish, equip and maintain, out of its ordinary funds or otherwise, technical or secondary schools, and the establishment and equipment of any such school shall for all purposes be deemed to be a puWic work." All that Councillors in the present instance were asked to do was to vote a paltry £10 as a small grant in aid, but with a most astounding ignorance of the law they are siipposed to administer, a majority declined to do this on the ground of want of legal authority to pass such a motion! These are the sort of people the ratepayers have been suffering to mismanage their affairs. Truly the time is ripe for a : change! '