SCHOOL BOOK CONTRACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21342, 17 November 1932, Page 14

SCHOOL BOOK CONTRACT

DEFENCE BY MINISTER

NET SAVING OF £46,?80

PARENTS' BEST INTERESTS

[BY TELfcGnAPH—SPECIAL EE PORT EH ] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A protest against the renewal of Che school text books contract was made by a deputation from the national conference of the School Committees Association, which waited on the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and the Minister of Education, the Hon. It Masters to-day. Mr. A. Roberts (Auckland) submitted figures purporting to show that tho savings said to have been made by the action "taken were wide of tho mark. Tho Minister had made a statement that a fresh scries of books would entail an expenditure of £40,000. School did not regard that figure seriously. At present, every shilling counted and if a saving of one shilling per child could bo made by a fresh arrangement, it would be well worth while.

A Full Inquiry

Replying, Mr. Masters said that soon after his appointment ho went very fully into the whole matter of text books, and had found that the contract then in existence would not expire until the end of 1933. Tho two main points for consideration were:—(l) Making arrangements for a completely new contract; or (2) negotiating for the extension of tho existing contract. A new contract involved heavy capital expenditure on the part of parents, and ho did not think, in view of the conditions obtaining, that he would have been justified in recommending the Cabinet to force that upon the people. The alternative was to negotiate for an extension of tho existing contract on the host possible terms, and after a full and careful consideration, he had recommended that course. He claimed that an excellent contract had been made from the parents' viewpoint. Mr. Masters said the National Expenditure Commission had recommended that there should he no change of books for five years, that a reduction in the price of 25 per cent should be secured in return for extension of the present contract for three years, and the purchase of tho copyright for not moro than £SOO. That meant that at the end of five years a change of books would havo been necessary and £SOO would have been paid for nothing. Terms ol Agreement

The terms of the new agreement were:— (1) All books 011 the authorised list to be subject to an immediate reduction 9f 22J, per cent on retail prices (which included years of the existing contract); (2) the immediate reduction of 22J; per cent to apply also to tiny tots, primers and progressive primers; (3) the contract to be extended for four years over and above the I 5 years remaining for the existing contract; (4) the quality of the books to remain as at present. No alteration 111 prices would result from tho rise in the rate of exchange or an increase in customs duties. Only one of four complaints received regarding quality had been substantiated, said Mr. Masters.

He had been charged with not securing a reduction 011 all books. It was true that readers published in England were not included in the contract, but he was now in negotiation with the publishers and hoped to secure a substantial reduction.

In connection with the issue of new books in 1929, the department had practically left the matter in the hands of the Master Printers' Association, which was given every opportunity to tender. It failed to respond. Comparison of Figures

Mr. Masters said it had been mentioned by the Wellington School Committees Association and others that lie could have saved 33 1-3 per cent, or an amount equal to £46,200. As a matter of fact, ho had actually saved more than that. The Masters Printers' Association estimated that the volume of cost, for books for the first year would be £55.443, and that 75 per cent of new books would be purchased for the successive years, i.e., at a cost of They said that an extension of tho present arrangement for a period of fivo years (taking each year as being a successive year at £41,581) would involve parents in an outlay of £207,905. For purposes of comparison lie assumed their figures were correct. This disclosed that under the printers' proposal there would be a net saving to parents of £46,200, against a net saving of £46,780 under the Minister's arrangement.

Mr. Masters pointed to an additional saving to parents by the renewal of tho contract, based on tho cost of a complete change of books, as being £38,309, and the percentage of new books purchased being 22 per cent, or a saving of £IB,OOO over five years. No expense was incurred for manuscript. Parents were given an immediate reduction of £1939 in 1933, and there would be £18,860, less capital expenditure, in 1934.