EDUCATION CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17607, 24 October 1931, Page 4

EDUCATION CONTROL

LOWER HOUSE PROTEST DEFENCE BY PREMIER VALUE OF CALM ATMOSPHERE (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Strong opposition to the transfer of the portfolio ot Education to the Legislative Council, where it is held by the Hon. K. Masters, Was raised in the House yesterday, when, by way of protest, the Opposition submitted an amendment to the estimates. An outspoken supporter of the amendment was the former Minister of Education, Mr. H. Atmore (United, Nelson); who vigorously criticised the Prime Minister’s explanation of the change. The matter was raised by the Rev. C. Carr (Labor, Timaruj, who moved that the legislative estimates be reduced by ±l6 as a protest against the appointment of a member of the Upper House as Minister of Education. Describing the appointment as a mistake, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Kgmont) said the Minister Should be a representative of the people and responsible to the electors for his actions. >; In the opinion of the Prime Minister, the House would not suffer by the transference of the portfolio to the Legislative Council. He was the representative of the Minister in the Lower House, and would be .prepared to meet any criticism of economies that might he effected in education. The economies had to be cdrefully : thought out, and the calmer and more serene atmosphere of the Legislative Council would be very helpful in that respect. (Laughter*.) “A COWARD’S CASTLE” . A Labor member: Why not transfer tho Prime Ministership to the Legislative Council? The Prime Minister said there were a number of instances of portfolios being held in the Upper House. At present there was an * advantage in having the Education portfolio held by a gentleman who could devote the whole of his time to its administration. Mr. P. "Fraser (Labor, Wellington C.): You don’t suggest it is a coward’s castle for a Minister? The Prime Minister said that under the arrangement. the work could be thoroughly studied and full and proper consideration given to it. In any case, everything done had received the approval of Cabinet. „ Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Ind., Grey Lynn) said the present Minister of Educatioii had been defeated at the 1925 general election, and had been too busy to stand in 1928. According to Mr. F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino), to compare Mr. Masters with Mr. Atmore was akin to comparing a peanut with the sun.

Mr. Atmore contended that the principle of holding the Education portfolio in the Upper house was wrong. He be: lieved it would be . bitterly relented throughout Now Zealand. He considered that the reply of the Prune Minister waS most inadequate. His , statement ' ’that the portfolio would benefit by being removed from the direct representatives of the people constituted a slur on the ability of the people to choose their representatives. He evidently thought a representative Chosen by the Government and not answerable to the people* would be better able 'to manage the affairs of the people. ’Mr. J. McCombs (Labor, Lyttelton): A political reject. WISHES OF THE PEOPLE Mr. Atmore repeated that the Prime Minister’s reply was totally inadequate; and declared that Mr. Forbes had played with the question and not treated it fairly. “The Prime Minister/’ he added, "is unworthy of his position ill playing with this ihattef. Next, to providing bread and butter for the boVs and girls of New Zealand; their education easily comes first iii importance. If this House is to be a party to agree to sacrifice the interests ot the children to the claims of party we cannot have an election at too early a date. (Labor Hear, Hears.). This. House has not Interpreted the wishes of the people correctly if it interferes with the facilities for education of boys and girls.” Some time afterwards, as no Minister had come into the debate, Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labor, Avon) commented oh this fact. He would like to- hear an answer to the ex-Minister of Educatidh. Ministers should not thiik they cbuld get *away with things of that kind by-,a dull sort of silence, because the whole Dominion was interested in the Education portfolio being held by a person who had not been elected. The whold country was seething under a belief that the education vote was to be drastically cut and that the free place system was to bo stopped. Education was one of the things the country could not afford to scrap, no matter how serious the economic position of the country. The amendment for the reduction of the vote was lost’by 39 votes to 27, supporters of the protest being the Labor Opposition assisted by five Independents, Messrs. ■&.' C. Black, C. A. Wilkinson; H. M. Rushworth, J, 8, Fletcher, and J. T. Hogan, and by Messrs. H. Atmore and T. W. McDonald, United members.