The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1886.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3739, 25 September 1886, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1886.

On the 19tb of May last a circular from the Education Department intimated to the various Education Boards that " money granted by vote for Public "Works " (m other words what is generally known as the vote for school buildings) could only be used for the acquisition of school-sites, the erection of new Bcbool-buildiugß, tbe extension of old Bcbool-buildings, for any fencing, outbuildings, and furniture required for new school-buildings and extensions, and for such expenses as those of conveyancing, plans, supervision of works, etc. This circular was very generally condemned by the Education Boards as an arbitrary and ill-advised interference on tbe part of tbo department wifch tbe discretion of tbe boards. Numerous remonstrances on tbe subject were forwarded to tbe Minister. They drew forlh from tbe department on tbo 24th of last month another circular which stated that tbe Minister bad considered tbe arguments advanced m opposition to tbe principle enunciated, and that be was quite unable to consent to any expenditure on repairs and painting out of money granted from tbe proceeds of Public Works Loans. It was added that the Minister would deem it necessary to deduct from amounts due by way of capitation allowance an equivalent for any sum taken from a building grant for any other purpose than one of those recognised m the first circular. At the last meeting of tbo North Canterbury Education Board the second circular was taken into consideration and stroDgly condemned. After some discussion a resolution was adopted which declared that if the repairs and painting of Echool buildings were suspended even for a single year there would be a great waste of public property; tbat funds for such purposes could' not be taken without notice from the funds now paid to teachers, and could not be taken at all without seriously impairing the present system of education, nud driving from tbe service tbe most valuable teachers ; tbat repairs could not be paid for ont of the smull sums now allotted to the School Committees, and that, if it could be done, tbe arrangement would be unequal, ani would press most severely upon the districts least able to bear it ; that the more populated, and consrquently richer school districts have, m many cases, been supplied with stone or brick buildings that will deaiand little painting or repair, but tbat the thinly populated echool districts, whose contingent fund barely suffices to keep their premises m sanitary condition, bave almost invariably the care of buildings constructed of tbe most perishable materials, only preserved by paint and tbe most careful attention to the exclusion of water. The resolution concluded with an expression of opinion that any such reduction as that contemplated by tbe Minister for Education should, if necessary at all, be accompanied by an entire alteration of tbe present provisions for education, and only to be made by tbe legislature after duo notice to tbe public, and those charged with tbe administration of tbe act. In the course of the discussion which ensued on the motion Mr Montgomery pointed out that, if the circular were to be adhered to, there was no alternative but tbe reduction of tbe teachers' salaries, and the Government would have to bear the opprobrium of damaging tbe educational system. It appears to us that tho Minister could not have contemplated the lowering of the teachers' salaries, and he must bave known tbat there was no source whence repairs could be paid for except the building vote. The question raised by the circular is one of great importance, and concerns every Education Board m the colony. If tbe Minister has the knowledge with which we have credited him (and it would be absurd to suppose him ignorant of the facts), and if he recognises that the salaries cannot be reduced withont serious damage to the educational system, what was bis intention m issuing the circular? The moat probable answer is that he desired to put tbe screw on tbe boards m order to bring them and the country generally into a fitting frame of mind to accept legislation for specially rating tbe districts for school repairs, and eventually for providing interest for sums expended m building schools. The latter object may not be very clearly visible, for, if tbe circular were adhered to, the immediate effect would be an enlarged power of expenditure on new buildings out of tbe Public Worts rote. But the ultimate withdrawal of all Government assistance either for repairs or building is m the background, and what the Premier desires to do is to educato the districts into bearing the new burdens. The " dodge " is very far from being creditable to its author. The threat to deduct from capitation money any Bums spent on repairs out of the building vote is worse still. Such stoppages could be effected only by an arbitrary aud tborongbly unconstitutional exercise of power. The Minister would bave no authority to recoup tbe building vote out of the capitation money, and he does not appear to contemplate doing so. What he says m effect is : — " If you spend a portion of your income m a manner which is displeasing to me I will deprive you altogether of another part of your income." In the course of Mr Montgomery's remarks he pointed out that Parliament had voted tbe sum of £55,000 for school buildings, but that tbe vote made no mention of iieio buildings. That is so, and on turning to the Public Works Appropriation Act we find School Buildings figuring m the second schedule under the head of Public Buildings, and side by side with Parliamentary Buildings, General Departmental Offices, Judicial, Post and Telegraph, Customs, Lunatic Asylums, Hospitals and Charitable Institutions, and Quarantine Stations. If repairs or painting were wanted to any of the buildings under those headings, neither tbe Premier nor any one of bis colleagues would make the least difficulty m drawing tbe necessary funds from that source. We are sure tkat a good deal of money under those headings will be devoted to repairs, and we can see no objection to such expenditure as long as tbe vote is granted m its present form. Indeed thero is no other source from

which money for repairs can be drawn. But if that be bo, it is obviously unjust that an arbitrary exception should be made m the case of school buildings. If the Minister for Education thinks it illegal to repair school buildings out of the vote, he should apply the same rule to all Government buildings ; and it is quite clear that he should not interfere with the action of the boards m tbe matter, except by testing the question m a conrt of law. He has no constitutional right to force his own personal interpretation on tbe boards. To do co is to place both himself and them m an entirely false position. Unfortunately the Minister for Education has but little regard for constitutional principles and practice when they stand m the way of any object which he has m view. We see no reason for thinking that the usual expenditure on repairs is not strictly legal and m accordance with the intention of the legislature ; but Sir Robert Stout's Ministry has certain ends to compass, and m presence of that fact all other considerations must give way. Possibly the system will have to be altered, but let the changes be brought about, by proper means and lawful authority, and not by the arbitrary personal ukase of the Minister for Education. There is far too much of that sort of thing under the present Government.