A QUESTION OF RENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 8

A QUESTION OF RENT

Last evening at the meeting of tho Wellington industrial Association discussion took phtco ovor tho trouble with the Technical Board regarding payment for tho us© of two rooms in the Victoria street building previously occupied by the Industrial Association, Tho difficulty has arisen owing to the opinion of the Auditor-General that tire Technical Board should not pay rent on the rooms to the Wellington industrial Association, seeing that the building belongs to the Wellington Education Board and was erected on , Education Board property largely out of Government funds. The Auditor-General also questions tho right of tho association to have an insurance policy on tho building. In view of this the secretary of tho Education Board wrote to the secretary of the Industrial Association stating that his board had intimated to the managers of the Technical School that the payment of rent should be discontinued. This action was not taken by the board, the letter stated, until it was assured that the law so required, for it recognised and appreciated the substantial and public-spirited assistance rendered by tho association in the past to the cause of technical education.

The association’s secretary replied to this communication stating that he was surprised to receive the letter and on July Ist ho again wrote informing Mr La Trobe, director and secretary of the Technical School, that as the Exhibition closes on July 29th tho Industrial Association would require tho use of its Industrial Hall and office for tho p.nrposo of storing chairs, etc., after JuncStfth. He therefore had to give the board the necessary one month's notice to vacate. So far no answer has been received to this communication. Tho chairman, Mr T. Ballinger, stated that the Education Board had obtained a legal opinion from Air A. de B. Brandon, on the matter, and the latter had said that, negotiations with the board had been made by the association. “ The association did nothing of tho sort.” remarked Mr Ballinger, “ the board negotiated with the association. Some time ago tho association had obtained an opinion from Mr Brandon, but as he was not satisfied with this he interviewed tho latter regarding tho question. What he understood was that tho board could not grant the association a lease. Tho speaker expressed surprise when he learned that Mr Dorset, late secretary of tho Education Board, had signed’ a declaration to tho effect that £ISOO had been paid by the association. to tho hoard entirely without conditions. The speaker said that an arrangement was made that in return for handing this sum of .£ISOO (profit on an exhibition held in 1898) to the board, accommodation would be given the association. “Wo may take legal steps,” said the speaker. “ I don’t know how wo are to get out of the difficulty unless we ask the Government to refund the £lsoo.’’

A statement prepared by Mr H. 11.I 1 . Alien., secretary of the association, showed that on the suggestion of Mr A. $). Kiley, who had approached the association with th© consent of tho Technical School committee, an agreement was adopted providing, inter alia, that tho sum of .£ISOO should be placed at the disposal of the Education Board for tho purpose of making additions to the Technical School, and that the board- should provide in the building certain accommodation to consist of an industrial hall and an office. It appeared that this agreement was acted upon, but the hail was given up to the Technical Board to provide further accommodation. Mr Ballinger considered that vL deputation should wait on the Minister of Education to see if tho Government would refund the .£ISOO. M* J. P. Luke did not agree with this, his opinion being that it would be better to take legal advice. Mr I). Robertson. moved that, with a view to arriving at an amicable settlement of tho difficulty, a conference should be held between joint committees from tlie Education Board, Technical Board and the Industrial Association, a . The motion sas adopted- „ !