EDINBURGH MERCHANT COMPANY ENDOWMENTS ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL [Lords.] (By Order.) (Hansard, 15 July 1909)

§ Mr. CHARLES PRICE

had given notice of his intention to move as an Amendment, "That the Bill be considered upon this day three months."

In this matter there is a new Board to be constituted, consisting of members of the Merchant Endowment Company and members of the town council. The Board deals with education both primary and secondary, and, in addition, receives grants from the public funds for carrying out of a somewhat similar nature from the school board. The question, therefore, arises why the Merchant Endowment Company did not provide in this Bill for some representative of the school board. One would have thought naturally that this was a body from which it would have co-opted members, and because they have failed to recognise the claim of the school board the school board asked me to oppose this Bill. I entirely approve of this, particularly as there is every probability of the Merchant Company getting portion of the money that has been allocated on the Scottish Education Bill, the effect of which we claim would be to reduce the amount allocated to the school board. I regret, therefore, that this company should not recognise the claim of the school board, but as a Committee of this House was appointed to inquire into the case, and re- 2412 ported that the school board had no locus standi, and as the school board failed to carry their opposition in the House of Lords when the Bill was before them, it was made more difficult for me to carry out their wishes in opposing the Bill in this House, and therefore, while exceedingly sorry in the interests of education in Edinburgh, and in the interests of peace and economy that the Merchant Endowment Company have not recognised the school board, yet at this stage I think it better to withdraw the Motion which stands in my name.