ADEQUATE OR NOT?

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 9

ADEQUATE OR NOT?

Incidental Grants Made to Technical Schools. ■ CONFLICT OF OPINION. The statement that the Stratford Technical High School Board was satisfied with its incidental grants, contained in a letter received, at a meeting of the Christchurch Technical College Board last night, was greeted with some merriment. A member suggested that the satisfaction was caused by the Minister residing in the district. The Christchurch board had forwarded a circular letter to all technical college boards in the Dominion, stating that it found that the incidental grants were . inadequate and asking the opinions of the other boards. The Feilding, Ashburton, Wellington and Westport boards replied that they were in agreement with the contention that the grants were inadequate. The Palmerston North board expressed the opinion that the emergency had not passed and urged that the matter should be deferred for a time. The Auckland board w r rote sympathising with the Christchurch board’s attitude, but stated that its accounts showed that the incidental allowances were not inadequate for meeting the ordinary running expenses of the Auckland Technical College.

The letter from the Stratford board stated that its school was differently affected from those in big centres, and so far the board had found very little inconvenience as a result of the cuts in the incidental grants. “My board,” the letter continued, “considered it would be foolish of them to join with you when it is evident from our bank balance that we have sufficient funds for all purposes.” As no replies had been received from the Dunedin and Invercargill boards, it was decided to defer action until the next meeting.