The fact of the matter is, that this measure was most probably keep of devised to raise a wall
the Public Schools "buck" in such French Mu But what about the children of parents, who live in the International Settlement, pay taxes here, fare members of the Volunteer Corps or the Special Police?" Are all such children admitted to the Stunicipal Is? According to information T have received, the answer to this question is also'in the negative.
fact, the accommodation available in the Municipal Schools is hope-essly inadequate and a very great number of children, who have a right to admission, ae turned away every year on the plea, that there room. This has been a chronic state of affairs for some fas a result, schools have een established by some Communities, such as the Russian, the German, the Jewish and the America which, absorb some of the supl for which the Municipal Council is unable to provide education, Assuming, for instance, that these' Community Schools. did not exist, the position would. te, that the children concerned would have be. placed in Municipal Schools fand the Gounell would be compelled incur very considerable expense, to provide tuition for" children Whose parents live in this. Settleent and pay taxes. or else. are Volunteers or Special Policemen. 'There are many cases, where the parent is not only a ratepayer, but ting. a. Volunteer or a Special liceman, "Incidentally, 1 ¢o not know what the ruling' isin the case of -a parent, who, has serv. ed the Council in either of the above" capacities for a reasonable eried, has paid taxes in the jeltlement, at" time perhaps when ihe was. still unmarried and now, when he has children to send Yo school, he lives, in the French Settlement andy although he ha done his duty by the Council at a Hime when he required nothing in return, he must now pay 25. per gent more, "or move back to the Eeitiement,' a thing that he cannot afford or elain the. Volunteers. or the Special Police, which for other reasons he cannot or does not care The whole thing simmers down to the fact, that the Council has no: for a nuffciency of schools to absorb the pupils who would. have every right to be in Municipal, Schools. Hit is argued, that the Council is not in the position of a State Government which can apportion, out of rates and taxes, "what Recossury for education, one might Personally, I have served in the Volunteers 10 years, T pay taxes to the Council, T'send my children to Jone of the Community. Schoolx which will, next year, probably receive the munificent sum of Tls. 2,- 500 per annum, Incidentally, though this has been in existence a number of years, it has never before rrecetved a cent from the public ids. The balance of some $40,000 costs to run the school, has to be found by the Community: out of school fees, which are in part rather high, of Community funds, Therefore, actually I benefit to a very infinitesimal degree, in the matter of the cost of educating my children, from the taxes which I pay the Council. But, what I and others lose in this respect should of be pocketed by the Council but ould, at Toast benefit those, who. Jalthough not ratepayers, volunteers have to school the modes means at their disposal.
1 consider. the 25 per cent. riminatory tax unfair and uni fled, ax T also conoider. the increase the school fees at the time most inappropriate. "1, therefore, reg: ter, through you valued columns, A protest against. these. measures si though fully realiz, that as long fas the present sanctified system electing nine holy men and true to the Counci ig Feained. auch "and protests merely serve produce a hearty "haw hat ithin The sacred precinets of our Tocal Star Chamber.
Possibly, i ever Judge Peetham's Report. ie" implemented, we. might see" changes, when even the Public will have something to say in the Tnatter of Public Affairs,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.