EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 6 October 1917, Page 4

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

AN ATTACK ON THE MINISTER

A VIGOROUS REPLY.

{By T»lejrraph.— Own QorreapondonM

WELLINGTON, This Day. v The House went into committee ' to consider the estimates of tho' Education Department. • ; .Mr Witty movtid a 1 reduction of the vote by £1 as ah indication that insufficient money was supplied to school committee for the upkeep of- schools! The Minister replied that he was recomending to Cabinet that an additioiiol sum. be" provided to meet the lifc'reased cost of material and labour. V The amendment was lost by 39. to 17. Mr ; McCallum said he was sorry; he could not ioin in eulogising the administration of "the present Minister.; Thore was a policy of drift going on,'tho worst diaft that had ever taken '. P<£''° in the history of' %he Dominion. Uh o best .officers were being forced out of the 1 " Department. • What : "goodj, ,' ho asked, resulted from the; shifting spectors,' some of whom Tiad gone at W the pistol had" been .placed: at; 'thPUheads? The ""Department l under I ;the present Minister, had no Sympathy with ' primary education in the- back-blocks, and he made a direct charge of,ma]adrnirii=tvati6n:,of; the Department jagairist the Minister! '" ' *.''' '•'" ■ ' :'\y.'r ', . I Th 6 Minister said he would at £onoe deal with this malicious attacktttfpo'i 1 himself. The origin of it lay in a desire on' the part M ; thei "honV' member tp_have a school in hie district removed; Thero was party dispute.about this 6chotolj.'a«d when he looked inJ,o the question', he found he could not give effect W& ;.tn* hoii. member's desire and .at thp"''«me time do his duty". .That, was of the horf members hbstihty.„ On {the of be. Depart- • ment. he contended that eVery; 6fflccr must'do his duty, if and that wasthe r pbsiti6 v h of 'tho .officer referred to. "No proof litia been/ .given that'a plolicy of'drift, had ept in.* ,".:!.Th« assertion to this effect"'wlas*. nothing :;but a series of wild : statements. ;._;'; ( / ' . The- debate/ on .{.he,- Efltimfttepla; was continued after, the;: .dinner, : adjourn ment. Several members made strenuous protests aeainst the lack, of of all public" schools. --A "great -deal could'be done at very .little cost. ..Another matter touched ~ upon was ihe bareness of the interiors of public schools, which must have a deleterious effect ufron the malleable minds of young children/ v . The Education vote was passed.