TECHNICAL TRAINING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19101, 20 August 1925, Page 11

TECHNICAL TRAINING.

A NEW SCALE OF FEES. DEFENCE BY THE MINISTER, - . ' ■: . -. ■ . '.(!, ! i:V : ! UNIFORM SCALE OBTAINED, [bt telegraph —special REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A new scale of fees which the Education Department intends to fir for technical school students not holding free places is defended by the Minister for Education, Sir James Parr, in a reply to a question by Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), who lately suggested that the fees were unduly high. The Minister states that since 1920 the department has .been responsible for the upkeep of all technical schools and all fees from paying students are credited to the Government Recently a scale of fees was circulated for the information aud guidance of the boards. In many cases the fees were totally inadequate. The suggested scale is quite as reascnablo ' as the average of ,_the present scales adopted by different ' boards, but soma boards have been charging a great deal less than others As regards apprentices and other evening students under 18 years 1 of age, "the proposed scale is exceptionally low, and it must be remembered that at least half * of the evening students receive free tuition. Over 90 per cent, of the day pupils receive free tuition. The fee charged by the boards for fulltime day school pupils who do not hold free places varied in different schools from £1 to £s> per antium, whereas instruction of a similar character m a high school would cost the pupil £10.105... it is considered that this class of technical school pupil is being liberally treated under the new scale, where the fee is fixed at £7 10s. Even this fee does not cover half the cost of teaching and other expenses. It would be recognised, therefore, that the new scale merely puts ail the paying pupils in different parts of New Zealand on the same footing, and that the scale is exceptionally low. RESTORING BOOKMAKERS. NUMEROUS PETITIONS. NO RECOMMENDATION MADE, [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Petitions asking for an amendment of the Gaming Act, 1920, to allow the licensing of bookmakers under proper safeguards have been coming to Parliament at intervals since the present session opened All, numbering 33, were referred to the Petitions Committee The -latter reporting upon them to-day, stated that it had no recommendatiou to make, t ; ; LANDS COMMISSIONERS. SELECTION OF OFFICIALSPLEA FOR CLERICAL BRANCH. fBT TEEEJRAEH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.,]' WELUSTGTON,, WedlwdßJ. A way made* lately to Ilia Ministe* loi Lands, Hon. A. D. McLsqd, bv Mi. W. J. Savage (Auckland Wbit)'' that in future th* clerical branch of his departme i be considered when appointment! wer boiTij: made to the position of ommissionco ot Crown lands. "The training of. a surveyor does not necessarily equip him with a knowledge of the land.laws and their administration, ■" said Mr. Savag*.. "and the services pf many valuable officers of the clerical branch may be lost through their being ineligible for the positions." " s "For reasons of economy and to obviate anything m the nature of dual control it has m thr past been the practice 10.combine the positions of commissioner of Crown lands and chief surveyor," ' said Mr. McLeod in reply, "but there .is. J nothing u. thi. Land to prevent the Public: Service Commissioner from altering this arrangement if deemed advisable and appointing from either branch of the department the officei best qualified to fill the position of commissioner of Crown lands. The matter has already received consideration. Facilities are being provided for the executive officers of both branches U familiarise themselves with field work ana outside conditions generally, so that later on they may be fitted to hold the more responsible' and oneintre position of commissioner." THE SOIDIER SETTLERS.. REVALUATION AND RATES. '- . _ ■ " J " . " l [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON Wednesdar The Minister for Lands, Hon. A. D. McLeod, was asked recently by Mr. .7. A. Lee' (Auckland East), whether he coin templated any action regarding the following resolutio' passed by the Returned Soldiers Association :—"That headquarters be urged to advocate to the Govern-, ment the giving of power' 'to county councils l< review all arrears it; rates owing to them by soldier settlers on the basis that, all rating should be .on a sunt no greater than that at which the farm is revalued and that it date back to th« time from which the revaluation takes < effect and thft the county councils b» given further, power to write off further sums in cas»r that they consider necessitous." " Special valuations on behalf of tl» Dominion Revaluation Board have been made by the valuation committees for..tb* purpose* of enabling the board to consider applications for relief from rent, -j arrears of rent, interest on mortgages, and currenr account, etc.." said the Minister in reply to-day, "but the valuations made by these committees cannot | under the ousting law be used for the \ purposes of .ocal rating. In some instances the Valuation Committee's figures are greater, and in some instances less than the valuations on the local rating rolls prepared by the Valuation Depart- ; | ment undei the Valuation of Land Act and the effect that would be produced by adopting tie suggested basis of rating of soldier land« on the figures of the valuation committees would be to disturb-the unifoimitv oi ratable values and provoke applications for readjustments of Values from othei settlers. No distinction in ratable value is made as between soldiers and other settlers." » > THE PROVIDENT FUND*. STEADY GROWTH,RECORDED, [BY TELEGIIAPR —SPECIAI REPORTER.] WELLINGTON Wednesday The report of the National ProvidentFund for the year 1924 shows very satisfactory progress. At December 31, 1924,, the contributors to the fund numbered 24,231. The ti/al income for the year was £250,897, of which £150,972 represents. payments by contributors and £60,687 0s 4d interest. The rate of interest earned, £5 17s per cent., shows a satisfpetory increase over the previous year. ■ „ ■. , The fund at the close of the JW. ... amounted to £1,165,284, an increase of . £195,338. ' ;. J