UNIVERSITY CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 233, 2 October 1928, Page 6

UNIVERSITY CONTROL.

As in duty bound, the Minister of Education attempted yesterday to make out a case for the New Zealand University Amending Bill. But as regards the principal points at issue we cannot congratulate M,r. Wright upon his success. The main features of the Bill to which the Professorial Boards here and in other centres have taken exception are the subordination of the University Council to the Education Department in regard to the establishment of new chair 3, and the substitution of an annual appropriation for the present statutory grant. Regarding the second point, the Minister told Parliament that the University "is in a strong financial position," as it has built up a reserve of £45,000. But Mr. Wright omitted to add that the interest on this sum is used as a fund to provide University scholarships and to enable our most promising graduates to proceed with their studies in Britain or elsewhere abroad. If Mr. Wright reduces the annual grant for University purposes on this plea he will be virtually cutting down the necessary expenditure on scholarships, and such a policy would react most injuriously on our academic system. As for the other point to which we have referred, Mr. Wright pleads that he is constantly beset with applications for more expenditure on University purposes, and therefore the Department ought to have the power to decide whether new chairs shall or shall not be established. The Minister seems here to be confusing two distinct questions. The Government certainly must decide for itself what amount of money it can afford to spend on the University. But the University Council alone should be competent to decide on what- lines of development our academic system shall evolve. This is a matter for expert academic judgment, on which the opinion of Departmental officials is quite valueless, and we hope that Mr. Wright will see the necessity for drawing this distinction immediately.