EIGHT FOR EXISTENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14259, 27 July 1910, Page 7

EIGHT FOR EXISTENCE.

DISCUSSION IS TIM All l\ "We are lighting for our very existence'' were the words used by a member of the South Canterbury Board of Education at yesterday's meeting, in expressing liia opinion of the scheme proposed by the Prime Minister, whereby Education Boards would be abolished, and their duties taken over by County Councils. The subject was brought up by the chairman Mr Hamilton, who suggested that the Board should puss a' resolution protesting against the adoption ot the scheme. Ho had noticed the opinions expressed on the .subject by ■some members in Monday's "Herald/' and fully endorsed them. The reasons put forward against the scheme wort: very eogejit reasons indeed. Unquestionably it was a move by the Government in the direction of centralising ('•antrol ill Wellington, as lor some time it .seemed to have been aiming at faking away the powers of the Hoards and Committees. The .Department had gone behind the .Hoard in various ways, and on numerous occasions. When they made a. proposal for the erection of a school they found that the Government had gone behind their hacks and made enquiries on its own account, having apparently no regard for the Board s recommendation as being of value at all. .further the .Department did not seem to have any laitu in the Board's recommendations in llio matter of grants. Otteu grants declined when asked lor by the board had been made later on when the Board was not applying Jur them. Why this was so, was a. matter for conjecture. The Prime Minister's proposal, in hLs opinion, would never work. Mr Tkos. Sherratt said .that he thought any such schemp as that proposed would he a retrograde step, and could only he induced by the Gnvernment's desire to concentrate matters m Wellington. If one large hoard were to take over the whole of local bodies' duties, then it must either he composed of meu almost superhuman, experts in everything, or of men who were handy at any tiling, and knew a little of each subject to he dealt with. The late Dr. Barclay had been an expert in educational matters, the equal of tiny one else in Sow Zealand, but his knowledge of roads and bridges was limited; and so in all probability men of his stamp would ho shut out of control in matters of education. Men were experts in one thing because they had devoted more timo to it than to anything else. It was suggested that under the new Board there would bo sub-committees to take up each, branch of the business; mid in that case the cost of administration would he no less, perhaps greater, than before. In fact, there would be the same number of branch committees as there wore local bodies at present. There was another point to bo Remembered. At present members of local bodies were giving their services free, and the Government were only ealled upon to pay actual expenses. With one Board it wa.s quite possible that this state of ali'airs would not continue. There would be numerous meetings and members would he called upon to give up more time. At present quite a fair viart of the money spent on school grounds was contributed voluntarily, but with one large. Hoard a great deal of the local interest, would bo lost, and the sympathy withdrawn. He disagreed with the proposal to concentrate the work of various Boards. It might

bo said that in speaking in this strain tliu Boards were merely lighting tor existence, but Jn.' <iii! uot think Hie attraction was quito enough to warrant any risk.

-Mr Armiiage moved that. Lhe Board strongly protest against the proposal to abuhsii Lducation Boards, as outlined in the Prime Minister's statement, He had 0110 ierious übjeetiun to the seheme. the system of education should be a. national one, and the oust should not he borne by the ratepayers.

Mr Lyall seconded ihe motion. _Mr Scaiey bathed up the remarks of Mr Sherratt. Ever since they had the inspector-general, he said, m the position he now oeeupied, there had been no end of trouble in iducatioual matters. It they eouid manage to remove him from the position, it would he a line thing for the whole educational system of N'ew Zealand. He had read Mr Howard's and Mr Lvall's remarks in the " Herald'' of" Monday hisl. ami thoroughly agreed with theni. Mr Ariuitage said that the inspectorgeneral was at the root ot the whole trouble.

-Air Lindsay: Tfc appears that lie i: trying to get rid of us.

Mr Sealoy characterised the inspec-tor-general as a faddi-1.

-Air Howard said that ho had nlreadv had his say. but he would like to savin regard 1o the remarks about the in-spector-general, that he believed there was no other man in New Zealand more experienced in matters of education ihan Mr Hnghoi. He would like to see him enniiiie himself to the work pertaining to his office, for when he went into finance it was too much of exeei-i----meiih'ng and too much of I'.-ichiisru. Mr Arinitage's motion of protest wic. then put and carried nunnimous.lv.