The London School Board have made a reply to the
attack of the Education Department on their premature contracts,. which appears to place the Department rather than the School Board in the wrong. In brief, this answer is that the Depart- ment, by a letter dated 27th January, 1875, entered into a special arrangement With the School Board in relation to authorising temporary loans for contracts, which has always hitherto been adhered to, and which was adhered to by the Board in the cases complained of. This arrange. ment was that when a rough estimate, verified by the surveyor and architect of the School Board, and including the cost of the site, the buildings and the fittings, the archi- tect's commission, and the law charges had been submitted to. the Board and approved, the Department would be prepared "to recommend the Public Works Loan Commission to make a loan to the School Board to the extent of three-fourths of the estimated cost, provided that such recommendation does not exceed 210 per child, to be accommodated in the school build- ings ;" and the School Board maintain that in the cases com- plained of, the Department had departed from this arrange. ment, and, having approved the rough estimates and tenders,. delayed making the recommendations needful to supply the Board with ready money for going to work. If this be an accurate account of the matter, the censure passed by the
Department on the London School Board will fall back on themselves.
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