Education Endowments.

Southland Times, Issue 12022, 13 May 1892, Page 3

Education Endowments.

+. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Mr Andrew Kinross, the Myross Bush poet, has favoured you with a letter (which appeared in your issue of the 3rd inst.), wherein he criticises the administration of our education endowments. I shall deal with Mr Kinross' charges and objections as concisely as possible in the order of his letter ; avoiding reference to his favourite theme of Conservativism, Libsralism, &c, as I always conclude when these hackneyed phrases are used that there is either " political imbecility " or'innate fatuity. Mr Kinross fails to distinguish between the statutes which confer powers on School Commissioners and those which affect the Land Boards. The lands vested in the Commissioners may be let for a period not exceeding twenty-one years, with conditions of improvements, provided such letting be by public auction or tender. Mr Kinross takes • a case against the School Commissioners, their letting of about 10,000 acres of .land in Wendon district in areas suitable for sheep farming, as a telling indictment against their administration. He states " that the leases of sections for 14 years, without conditions of residence or improvement, were put up to auction at Gore." This is not the case, as conditions of improvements are in those leases. But the School Commissioners have no power to limit or restrict the areas which any man may hold, or to enforce residence on the land. After his schedule of the purchasers of the Wendon block Mr Kinross goes on to say — " The administration of this block was very successful in producing revenue, but if you call it promoting settlement I beg to differ." The drst object of the Education endowments is revenue ; and that revenue is to be applied to education purposes ; and settlement must be a secondary end. I pass over Mr X.'s remarks in regard to runs, as he admits that he is not conversant with their letting ; but he errs in saying they were let in large blocks. Linwood run was offered in two blocks, although one man got them both, in the same manner as the Government let the runs on the 30th March last — with this difference that the runs let by the Government through the Land Board were let infinitely cheaper than any of the Education endownment runs. — I am, &c, Not Convinced. 10th May.