SUBSIDY QUESTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 79, 2 March 1929, Page 5

SUBSIDY QUESTION

MAKING OF APPLICATION. THE SYSTEM EXPLAINED. , The system which governed the granting of subsidies by the Education Department was explained on Thursday to Mr AV. S. Goddard, of the Palmerston North Technical School, to the meeting of the Combined School Committees’ Association. He indicated what regulations it was necessary to observe in lodging applications. Subsidies, as they all knew, were granted on the basis of voluntary contributions which consisted of money raised by actual donations or the proceeds of various functions. An important matter was that proper attention should be paid to the date by which the form of claim should be lodged, for if the regulations were not adhered to the department might refuse the subsidy. Money intended to be used for ground improvements would be subsidised at the rate of £1 for £1 with one or two restrictions; school 'baths would be subsidised only up to £2OO on the part of the department. There was no limit to the amount of subsidy that could be obtained for football and basketball grounds. As far as tennis courts were concerned, the department would subsidise money for these at the rate of 10s for £l. If the general public were to be allowed to use these courts, it was stipulated that a reasonable charge should be made for the privilege. A£l for £1 subsidy would be obtained on laying down gardens, paths, etc, while wood, coal and water expenditure carried the same amount. “The point for school committees to remember in connection with obtaining subsidies,” added Mr Goddard, “is that they should never commit themselves to any expenditure until they had received the approval of the Education Department through tile education board.”

There was no need for any committee to go into debt when making improvements provided that attention was paid to the regulations governing subsidies. First, the. money should be raised; then the application should be made for the subsidy, and only on that being approved was it safe to proceed. As far as school libraries were concerned a £1 for £1 subsidy was also allowed in addition to a grant of 3d per head on the average attendance of the school for the previous year. A point not generally known was that, if books were donated to a school library, a subsidy of 10s in the £1 could be obtained on their valuation, provided that the published price of any volume was not less than ss. Reference was made by the speaker to other purposes for which subsidies were available, including school pianos and gramophones, and he answered a number of questions.. On the motion of Mr S. AV. Oliver, he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for the information that he had given.