TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10514, 23 July 1910, Page 6

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

EXPENDITURE NOT-ECONOMICAL. - _ By Telegraph.-' (Special to the Oamaru Mail.") Wellington, July 22. The tabling of the official report of the recent general education conference precipitated a discussion, led by the member for Chi'istchureh North, in connection with the expenditure on building for technical education. . Mr Taylor complained of the hint from the "Department that the Christelmrcli Technical College in future would'; have to look to subsidised local .contributions for further extensions, and went on to say that some of the money expended on primary education would have to be diverted to the technical side, which would have to be completed on a sound basis, as - the system of apprenticeship was practically dead. The Minister of Education, in reply, said that the most arrant humbug and nonseiifee was talked on the subject of > grants* and local contributions. The Christchufch College had had indirect grants«of £14,300 apart from subsidies. The Government had gone far enough to meet legitimate claims, and to go further trench.'."upon primary education. 'There must be somewhere vested the'riglit to say "No" to extravagant claims. Who was to say what were the proper local rcqiurements ? "The whole system of making grants in that way is rotten to the core," continued the Minister, "and the sooner the House puts the control of this matter into the Minds of the body which raises the whole of the money the better . for education." Mr T. E. Taylor: A Public Service Board:? The' Minister: What an idea! - A Public Service Board to spend public money? , 'A Member: It is done in England. -The Minister: The Cabinet is a. much more responsible body—a better body altogether, one which will be directly responsible to the ratepayers, who have to find some portion of the cost, and in that . respect this House should seriously'.consider that we are having a large expenditure that is not economically or efficiently expended at the present'time: It never will be until those; who have the spending of the .money have some responsibility in collecting it.