GERALDINE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 19093, 28 January 1932, Page 12

GERALDINE

THE WEATHER. Conditions were bright and fine yesterday, the heat of the sun being tempered by. a moderate wind. CONVEYANCE OF PUPILS. Considerable indignation was expressed by Canon J. F. Coursey, chairman of the Geraldine District High School Committee, yesterday afternoon, on receipt of information from the Canterbury Education Board that the arrangements for the conveyance of pupils to the school would now involve expense to the committee or the parents, as the Board had been unable to obtain tenders at a sufficiently low rate to be able to make an arrangement that would not involve payments above the capitation allowed for such services; viz., sixpence and eightpence, according to age and distance. In his letter, the secretary of the Education Board (Mr C. Kirk) continued that an endeavour was being made to get the Education Department to meet the excess cost, but the Board was not sanguine that this money would be forthcoming in the present state of the country’s finances. In the case of the ’bus from Geraldine Flat to Lewis’s corner, the contractor required approximately 16/- a day, against 10/10 payable by the Board, and for the ’bus up to Woodbury and back the contractor required approximately 16/against 13/- payable by the Board. If, therefore, the ’buses were to resume running on February Ist. when the school re-opens, the Committee or parents should make an arrangement with the contractors on the above basis. The Board’s capitation would be paid at the end of each term on actual attendances recorded, so that the more regular the attendance of the. pupils the less money the parents would have to find. In conclusion. Mr Kirk added that he would be glad to know what arrangements, if any, had been made. Canon Coursey added that the decision was a bombshell, and was intolerable as far as the Committee was con- | cerned. The increase meant that on the Woodbury ’bus the parents would have to pay 3/- a do' ,r , a total of 15/- a week, and for the Geraldine Flat ’bus 5/2 a day, which amounted to 25/10 a week. The Committee had no money at its disposal to meet this heavy expense, and the burden would fall on the parents. As a number of the breadwinners were unemployed or on relief work, while the majority of the farmers were ’ having a hard struggle to make both ends meet, the raising of this additional money would prove a severe burden. Moreover, the shortness of time between the receipt of this notice, and the opening of the school on Tuesday next, was a matter for indignation, as it was practically impossible to come to some practical arrangement in so limited a time. He proposed to seek the assistance of Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., in the matter. NOTES. A dance will be held in the Geraldine Municipal Theatre this evening.