BACK-BLOCKS CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18170, 16 August 1922, Page 10

BACK-BLOCKS CHILDREN

PROVISION OF EDUCATION.

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES.

INSTRUCTION BY MAIL, Est telegraph.—special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The policy of the Education Department with regard to the attention given to the education of the children in the backblocks districta was mentioned by the Minister for Education, Hon. C, J. Parr, in the Houso this afternoon, when replying to Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo), who had asked when it was intended to do something for the better accommodation of the children at Rira, near Ana. The member said a very intense feeling had arisen throughout the back-blocks districts through the delay in giving improved facilities in many of the outlying areas. It was not enough, he said, to place money on the estimates and leave it there. The lack of educational facilities was driving people from the back blocks to the towns. The Minister said that a grant was made by the Cabinet a considerable time ago for the school mentioned. Mr. Jennings: But you have done nothing. , Mr. Parr: The grant was made to the Auckland Education Board. The Minister added that he was ready to admit that the present system of the committees, the boards,* and the department handling school masters led to * good deal of inconvenience and delay and a remedy would have to be found. In the case under review the department had done ail it could. He believed that tha architect of the Auckland board had reported that there were difficulties in getting timber and arranging transport, which made the matter a hard one to deal with. The department had found the money and it was for the board to build the school. Mr. Parr went on to say that the Government was "by no means neglecting the education of back-blocks children. There were no districts in the Dominion that received keener or more sympathetic attention from him t than the back blocks, and an analysis of the votes for the last two years would show that no deserving case had gone without attention. In some cases they had actually put up schools for as few as seven children in a back-blocks district.

"There is a correspondence school hero in Wellington for the benefit of the children of isolated settlements," said the Minister, "and in it an expert teacher is employed to direct the education of isolated families in the King Country, Gisborne, and Eawke's Bay districts where there are no other opportunities for education. The vote for the education of back-blocks children has been increased during the last few years from £6 to P. 6 15s per child. I do not know of anything more that I could do within the present financial limits than I am doing at present for the children of the back blocks."

THE AMUSEMENTS TAX.

NECESSITY FOR REVENUE. PLEA FOR MUSICAL SOCIETIES. [ax TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAt KEPOBTEB.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. " I agree that these societies are not out for profit, but I am out for revenue," said the Primej Minister to-day, when Mr. R. A. Wright suggested that amateur musical societies should be exempted from payment of the amusements tax. Mr. Massey added that he would make as many exemptions as possible, but he must have sufficient money to carry on the business of the country. When the Bill! dealing with the amusements tax came down, the House would have an j opportunity of saying what exemptions : should be granted.

POLITICAL RIGHTS.

THE CiVIL SERVANTS.

BILL MAY APPEAR AGAIN.

IEAPH.— SPECIAL SLErOBTEB.] * WELLINGTON. Tuesday.

In answer to a Labour member's question this afternoon, the Prime Minister said some two years ago he had passed through the House a Bill conferring full civil and political rights on members of the Public Service. Unfortunately that Bill was not passed by the Legislative Council. He had given an instruction some time ago to have a similar Bill prepared,, and if the opportunity offered he would again ask the House to pass it.