EDUCATION BOARD FOR POVERTY BAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2716, 22 January 1910, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD FOR POVERTY BAY.

[Correspondence on public -matters In welcomed at all times, but it must bo distinctly understood tliat tins journal i.s in no way associated with the opin ions of its correspondents. All let Lorn must be legibly written and inscribed on one side of the paper only, otherwise they will not he published. *Au asterisk at the foot of a letter indicates that some portion has been excised.J

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l have refrained l from answering Mr. W. Morgan’s letter in your issue of the 18th December last, because before doing so 1 desired to obtain further particulars upon the matter under discussion. Some of these particulars I have now obtained, though they are not as complete in regard to detail as I could have wished. * Mr. Morgan stated in his short and somewhat unsatisfactory reply to my first letter that the formation of a separate Education Board for Poverty Bay .lias already been discussed at length and a conclusion arrived at that separation from Hawke’s Bay was not advisable. But he does not tell your readers that this discussion and decision occurred four years agov Many schemes were under consideration four years ago that, at that tune, were deemed impossible, lmt have since become assured facts—nay, absolute necessities. Progress is the order of the hour, and by progress- alone can a town or district keen —pc© with its fellows, for stagnancy is death. Now, sir, I and others had been better satisfied had Mr. Morgan put forward some of his arguments against this scheme- of separation, instead of merely referring to the fact that the question has been already discussed. Can it- he that lie realises 'the change that is taking nlace in public opinion, that his arguments are out of date, and if expressed too freely are likely to be proved so? In regard to educational endowments in this district, on, which question Mr. Morgan seeks information, I have not been able to obtain the exact particulars asked for by him. the exact position and extent of those endowments can surely lie obtained by him, as lie is, or should be, in closer touch with such matters than I. Mv informant, who previously told me of the existence of these endowments in Poverty Bay, still asserts tliat the proceeds are collected by the Auckland School Commissioners, and this appears to he-true, as the Blue Book, “Primary Education for 1908,’' states that the Auckland Commissioners paid to Hawke’s Bay £312 for Primary and £337 9s for secondary education. These amounts are presumably the pro. coeds of endowments in the district of Hawke’s Bay Education Board, but 1 have, so iar, been unable to ascertain whether these amounts are the total proceeds from the endowments in this district or not. Further information on -this question 1 must leave to Mr. Morgan to obtain. “Primary Education for 1908” states that “payments made to education boards for primary education out of the proceeds from education reserves in 1908 amounted to £52,616 9s 6d, as compared wit-lr £'47,385 4s 8d for the previous year. Hie revenues of the hoards are / not. however, increased thereby, as equal amounts are deducted irom the grants otherwise payable by the Government.” The foregoing extract -points out .therefore, that endowments are of no direct benefit to primary education, and only lift the financial load from the shoulders of the Government to place it upon the shoulders of the district itself. The question of endowments, whether the district contains any or not. cannot, therefore, enter into any argument in regard to separation, as no direct advantage is -obtained by their possession.—l am, etc.. J. C. E. TURNER.