HELP NEEDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 17

HELP NEEDED

FREE KINDERGARTENS PLEA FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT WORK IN NEW DISTRICTS "There is little to report that is not satisfactory and much that is very pleasing," said Mr. H. G. Cousins, retiring president of the Auckland Kindergarten Association, in his report to members at the annual meeting yesterday. However, he noted that a decrease of £306 in the cash in hand deserved careful consideration, which appeared to indicate, lie said, increasing difficulty in collecting the public funds necessary to supplement Government grants. Mr. Cousins said the accumulated funds showed an increase of £645, due mainly to a successful, intensive effort by the Ponsonby Kindergarten Committee to raise funds for its new building. Now that regular generous subsidies were available, a rapid extension of the association's work into new districts would become possible if committees received help from the public, without which there could be nn ad vancement, nor could the programme be maintained. Since the first draft of the Education Bill contained no reference to free kindergartens, Mr. Cousins continued, it was evident that the work being done by controlling authorities was? giving satisfaction, and he did not think the Government would be pro pared to take over the control of kindergarten work for some years. Public support would decide the limit that could be placed upon future expansion. Ten free kindergartens, with the prospect of an eleventh being started soon, were in operation at the end of last yeaf, according to a statement by Miss C. M. Colgrove, principal of the association. The following olßcers were elected for the current year President, Mr. J. A. C. Allum; vice-president, Mrs. C. B. Plummer and Mr. Kenneth B Myers; council, Miss M. S. Newman, Mrs. Alfred Kidd, Messrs. F. N. Ambler, A. St. Clair Brown, A. G. Menzies, J. Stanton, C. J. Tunks, H. G Cousins, and two ladies from each free kindergarten committee; honorary secretary, Mr. G. O'Halloran.