‘JUST DANGER THAT REFUSAL MAY MEAN COLLAPSE OF W.E.A.’

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 6

‘JUST DANGER THAT REFUSAL MAY MEAN COLLAPSE OF W.E.A.’

LEGISLATION SOUGHT VALIDATING GRANTS FROlf LOCAL BODIES MINISTER SYMPATHETIC, ______ v ' Times Special. * From Our Parliamentary Reporter. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A request that donations made ' by local bodies to the funds of the W.B.A. shoUldj be validated by , legislation this session was made to the Minister of Justice (the Hon. F. J. Rolleston) by a deputation , to-day, . , . , Tho Minister said he would plac the matter before Cabinet. Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., for Palmerston North, said it was desired to secure an . amendment of the Municipal. Corporations Act this session in regard to donations to the W.E.A. Evefy year local bodies were faced with tho difii- : culty of trying to meet requests from - A ; various organisations, included in which was the Workers Edueationad Association. - ' • ■ ; He believed the W.E.A. had come to stay and that it would bo an important factor in tho education of the young people of the country. What they wanted was that power should be given to local bodies to make donations to the W.E.A. that were not a legal charge upon the rates. Professor A. Hunter said that .the Municipal Association Conference had 1 passed a motion on the. lines of the request which was being made by the deputation. Tho funds for tho W.E.A. must come either from tho Government' or' from the local bodies, and ha thought they .should, endeavour to promote as much, local interest in tho movement as possible. If the W.E.A. was deprived of the donations of local bodies there was just a danger that the movement would collapse'altogether/ He did not suggest that the Association would bo overwhelmed with money if the amendment were passed. But ha thought it would’bo: the means ;bf plac- ’ ing the organisation on a surer footing, Mr. W. A. Vcitch, Wanganui, said ho did not anticipate ‘ that . there would bo' any dfficulty in getting tho amendment , through-, the - House, even with the Government’s thin ma-' jority (laughter).’- 1 ‘ Mr. J. G.- Eliott: "It may, bo worse in tho future.” ’ ‘ ' Mr. Vcitch said that all sides of tho House would be agreed on the necessity for the amendment, , ,i, : The Minister stated'that ho was a strong supporter of the W.E.A. which • was doing excellent work and should bp. supported. Ho could not give a dofin- t ito answer to the request; of tho deputation aa.it would be necessary to place the matter before Cabinet, , • Af,’ - Ho remembered that (some diffieplty 1 had been experienced in validating local body donations to .tRe (Cawthron Institute. Another difficulty was that similar; institutions such as - tho St. John Ambulance might make the same request. ■.- ..: : .j$ ’