SUBSIDIES TO SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1927, Page 9

SUBSIDIES TO SCHOOLS

DANGERS OF THEIR ABUSE. Replying to the Taranaki Education Board’s letter endorsing the protest of the Otago board against the practice of requiring school committees to pay to the board the sums contributed on which subsidies were claimed, the Director of Education said that the sums paid by the department by way of subsidy now amounted to over 150.000 per annum, and that the expenditure was steadily increasing. It therefore became more necessary to scrutinise ail applications carefully to see that the contributions were all bona fide, and to guard as far as possible against abuse of the concessions.

Instances had occurred where a contractor or a merchant over-charged a committee and gave the committee a donation by way of rebate or discount. Although such occurrences were very rare, it was desirable to provide against such practices, and it was for that reason that boards were asked to receive the actual payment of the contribution and to see that both contribution and subsidy were actually expended and full value obtained.

If the Otago board’s suggestion were carried out, it would be necessary to insure that the contribution had been received by tho committee, that all the money, both contribution and subsidy, was actually expended on the purpose for which it was granted, and that the work carried out was adequate for the expenditure. In view of tho importance of the matter it had been suggested that the proposal should be discussed at a boards’ conference at no distant date.