COST OF EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 28 July 1926, Page 9

COST OF EDUCATION

MINISTER AND REQUESTS

£8,000,000 WORTH ,SOUGHT

(Dy Telegraph.—Special to The Mail)

VVIvJ. 1 'nXl i'ON, This Day. “I wish to say plainly and frankly (hat it is impossible for the Education Department to comply with all the requests of honourable members,” stated the Minister of Education (Mr Wright) in the House yesterday afternoon, when replying to remarks made after the presentation of llie Education report. ‘‘lt is easy,” said Mr Wright, “to say that we can raise more money by taxation, but the fact remains that the people of New Zealand are very heavily taxed to-day and the question of increasing taxation for any purpose has to be very gravely considered.” It was impossible to have every school just where it, was wanted. They could not put schools at the doors of every child. Some of them would have to walk. The expenditure on education was now about £4,000,000, but it could easily lie made £8,000,000, if all requests made were complied with. “We are doing a very great deal, but we cannot do everything we are asked to do.” He said requests bad been made for teachers’ residences in .country districts, bt»f ho desired to slate that there were at least 150 such residences unoccupied at the present time and this represented a capital of £BO,OOO to £IOO.OOO. They could not say that only married men must be appointed to places where there wero residences as appointments were made according to the grading list. A southern member bad urged him not to allow himself to he browbeaten by the .Minister of Finance. “No, I will hold my own,” said Mr Wright. He. was not hardhearted and would do what lie could within reason, so as to be fair to all parts of the Dominion.