It is curious to observe that Education appears to be
what one may call the residuary legatee of all the unattached resources of the State. If the Government does not know what
to do with any aura of money, such as, for instance, the pro- duce of the extra spirit-duty which it had intended to devote to the purchase of licences, it is pretty sure to allot it to Education. On Monday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained what he intended to do with that portion of the new spirit-duties which would have been devoted to the extinction of licences, had Parliament approved the Government plan. In England, the sum set free will go to the County Councils, but with an intimation that possibly new charges may by-and-by be put upon them with reference to intermediate, technical, or agri- cultural education. In other words, the County Councils are to have the disposal of it, with a broad hint that they could not do better than devote it to local education. In Wales, County Councils may already supply funds to the Joint Com- mittee for Intermediate Education, under the Act of last year, but only to the extent of the produce of a halfpenny of the local rates; now they may, if they please, increase this allowance by that portion of the sum for extinguishing licences to which the Welsh County Councils would have been entitled had the Licensing Bill passed as was intended. In Scotland, the County Councils are also to have the additional resources, and to be free to do with them as they please. In Ireland, the £40,000 which will accrue is to be devoted to the purposes of intermediate education.
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