SCHOOL INCIDENTALS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 828, 5 October 1916, Page 8

SCHOOL INCIDENTALS.

ALLOWANCES TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

Prior to the Education Board's meeting this morning a conference was held between members of the board and the executive of the School Committees' Association on the matter of the proposed decrease in the amount of incidentals. There were present:—Mr J. Jamieson (chairman of - the meeting), and Messrs Opie, Pevcrill, Banks, Armitagc, Grimmond and Mazey (members of the board), and Messrs Down (Addington), Harvey (Waltham), Joyce (Somerfield), and Thompson (Shirley), representing the association.

The association representatives made it clear that the proposed scale would not permit of their schools carrying on the caretaking, sanitation, and supply of requisites, especially in view of war prices, which demanded an increase rathpr than a decrease of funds. All the representatives strongly objected to the scheme they understood to have been in vogue in other districts, whereby money was raised locally and subsidised, and the subsidy so gained devoted to eking out the incidental funds. The opinion was expressed that no North Canterbury Committees would adopt this illegitiicate and questionable procedure. It was admitted that the board could not make a juster allocation of the money apparently at i!s command for this purpose than that proposed in the scale submitted. It was ultimately resolved, on the motion of Mr Prverill, as the only way out of the difficulty:—"That the Government be approached to restore the old capitation grant of 12/6 per head, such being absolutely necessary in view of the increased cost of living, and of the prices of all school requisites." Failing this being obtained, it was suggested that the board should scale the allowance to committees strictly in accordance with the schedule of the Act, as underthisthe allowances payable to small schools were so ridiculously inadequate that an increase would be absolutely forced upon the authorities at an early date. Schools of attendances of 200 upward would be able to carry on under the grant made in the schedule, and would not ask for more, but for schools with a smaller attendance the schedule was quite unworkable. rmd the board found it absolutely necessary to assist them at the cost of the larger schools. The new policy of the board in undertaking all repairs was criticised, members of the association and some of the board members contending that committees were in a far better position to attend to such matters cheaply and expeditiously.

AVONSIDE BURGESSES' ASSOCIATION.

Tli.' monthly meeting of the Avo: side Burgesses' Association was hold : (ho Linwood School i'n Monday eveuiii the picsidont (Mr \V. J. .Tonkin) pr, siding. Correspondence was received from tl Christ* hiirch Tramways Board regari mil' alteration o!' Iho time table on tl Pallington Extension lino. As tl lioar.l decided that further iufuritintin would lie re mired to warrant any alter: t ion a) pi e: ent, :iii<l the ivi -'.,. - of I i majority of the residents ascertah oil, it was decided to appoint a sul committee to consider the matter an gel the desired information. The i[!ie-;io;i of street lighting forth district was fully discns-Td. The a< don (>f the lleathi ote County ( otin in cancelling the contract with the Ga Company was approved, as the propoi od imrea-ed cost to the district by th (las C'o!ii[»: ny was crm-adored uinvarrant ed, the lamps in the district Loin worked automatically. Jt was report.'! that the Heath, ot Comity Council was considering scheme with the City Council for tli installing of elect i ir-iiy in the district. The petition presented t.> the Govei nor for the inclusion of the Avonsid district into Creator Christchurcli wa reported to have been now gazetted. Various matters of importance to tli health of the district were left in th hands of the chairman to be atteude