COST OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9097, 4 July 1888, Page 5

COST OF EDUCATION.

THE RETRENCHMENT PROPOSALS.

VIEWS OF AUCKLAND MEMBERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Tuesday. Some of the Auckland members to-day expressed to me their regret at the rejection of Mr. G. M. Reed's motion for educational retrenchment. The way they put the matter was thus :—" We are trying to save the people from increased taxation by lopping off luxuries, and at the first touch of economy in a luxurious education system the people cry hands off." The retrenchment party consider such conduct a poor way of strengthening their hands, at the same time they consider the proposed scheme of retrenchment too big a jump, and that raising the school age to six, with fees for the 6tn standard, would meet all the exigencies of the case for the present. Other members are pleased that Mr. Theo. Cooper's amendment was carriedfirst, because free education was about the only real benefit which accrued to the masses through the loans ; secondly, that if the education system was once tampered with, other parts of it would be assailed by its enemies; and thirdly, that if retrenchment is to be made in the expen diture on education, it must begin at the top of the tree, namely, secondary education, and work downwards to the primary school system. Some of the Auckland members state that they will be no parties to retrenchment under thehead of Education till this is done, and the enormous sums frittered away on University Colleges and Grammar Schools substantially curtailed.