WATER FOR CITY SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16310, 17 August 1916, Page 4

WATER FOR CITY SCHOOLS.

! Sir, —As most people are aware the ' j Auckland City Council decided last FebI ruarv that water should be supplied free J • to the city schools, but most people were I j net aware that the resolution did not take ! : effect until July 1. The city school j i committees framed their estimates on tne i : assumption that free water was to be j ' given at once, but I notice that the { .Mayor has stated that there was nothing 1 :to justify this. I maintain that the com- ■ ' mifctees had every right to assume that j t the concession started in February. The' 1 usual water account was not rendered By ■ ■ the City Council for the quarter ended j ; March 31. A sis months' account was.! . however, rendered last month much to the j • astonishment of the Ponsonby and other , i committees. Not having received an ac- ! | count for the March quarter what was I more natural than that the committees should suppose that free water was an accomplished fact. On receiving a belated I account the secretary of the Ponsonby • School Committee at once called at the: j City Council office, and was informed that • the" accounts had not been sent out for | . the March quarter owing to shortage of | j clerical help. I may point out that busi- ; ness places received their quarterly ac- ' counts as usual, and it. would not have i meant much work to send the accounts to the half-a-dozen school committees in- i volve'd. Surely this excuse is too thin! . Was not the real reason summed up in > the fact that the council's department, was also under the impression that the j concession was to be put into operation at, ' once? R- H. Swales, ' Chairman Ponsonbv School Committee. m ! i :