SCHOOLS' OF MINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21774, 13 October 1932, Page 14

SCHOOLS' OF MINES

NOT TO BE CLOSED STATEMENT BY MINISTER (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 12. During the current financial year at least the Government has no intention of adopting the National Expenditure Commission’s recommendations for the closing of two of the schools of mines in New Zealand. The expenditure for the year for all schools is set out in the estimates and no reduction is shown beyond that effected by the Arbitration Court’s general order. This information was given to the House this afternoon by the Minister of Mines (Mr C. .E. MacMillan) in replying to a question by Mr G. C. Black (Motueka) who urged that the Reefton School of Mines should be kept open.

The Minister said that the Cabinet had not even considered the advisability of closing the existing schools, but that if the matter were brought up Mr Black’s representations woiild receive attention. “ I thipk these schools arc extremely useful and have performed a very valuable service to the community,” said Mr MacMillan in a subsequent interview. Mining is here to stay, and it would be absurd to expect young New' Zealanders to have to go outside their own country to pick up a sufficient knowledge of mining to qualify them as mine managers and battery managers and secure a knowledge of the ramifications of the industry requiring certificates. Furthermore, it is necessary to have several, of these schools in New Zealand in order to save parents the expense that would be involved if their children laid to be educated at considerable distances from home. .“These schools also have to be attached to districts where mining is operating,” continued the Minister. “ The expenditure is quite a reasonable item. It provides for post-primary education which is extremely valuable and as a result of the training we have turned out any amount of men who have obtained appointments in New Zealand and outside.”