A WINDFALL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18421, 30 June 1925, Page 9

A WINDFALL.

£6OOO IN BEQUESTS. CANTERBURY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. Something hi the nature of a windfall has come to Canterbury College, the Board of Governors yesterday being called on to accept two gifts of £3OOO each for the establishment of scholarships. The first was from the trustees of the estate of the late Lissie Bathbone, and the other from Mrs Gabbatt, wife of Professor ,T. P. Gabbatt, lato of the professorial staff of Canterbury College. Lissie Eathbone Bequest. The trustees of the late Lissie Bathbone wrote as follows: As the trustees in the above estate, we desire, with your concurrence, to establish scholarships in connexion with tho four New Zealand University Colleges. We enclose the form settled by us. We shall be pleased to hear whether your College would be agreeable to accept the trust as a perpetual endowment to be applied to your present University district. The sum of £3OOO is to be the amount of tho foundation for each of tho four University districts, being in all £12,000.* We would wish to hand over the capital sums as soon after the end of the present, month as the four University Colleges (whom we are now- addressing in identical terms) shall have intimated their willingness to accept tho scheme. It is hoped that the proposed sehemo will be acceptable to the several Colleges, and we shall be obliged if we may "have a reply at your earliest convenience, and also if you will indicate to whom any remittance should be made payable. Particulars of Bequest. Particulars concerning the bequest were set out as follows: — The Lissie Eathbone Scholarships were established in 1925 by tho trustees of her will, she having bequeathed one-half of her residuary estate for such charitable, educational, or religious objects as the trustees should select. 3. Thcro shall bo offered in each year in each of tho four University districts in New Zealand ono or moro scholarships, as the funds will admit, to candidates qualified as herein set out. 2. Election to tho scholarship shall bo made by tho governing body of each University College. 3. The annual value of each scholarship shall bo hot less than £SO. 4. Tho tenuro of each scholarship shall be for three years, terminable, however, at any time if tho governing body, having received from tho Professorial Board an unfavourable report on tho conduct or progress of tho scholar, shall so determine. 5. Candidates for each scholarship (i.) must be under nineteen years or K,go at the time of the award of the scholarship; (ii.) may be of either sex; (iii.) must bo resident for one year preceding th-3 award in the University district in whiclh tho scholarship is offered; (iv.) must state their willingness to pursue as internal students or tho college of the University district a course for a degree within the'award of the New Zealand University from time to time (subject to such regulations as may be consistent with the object of tho'scholarship) which may be selected by such scholar, his parent, or- guardians. G. Each m hoi ar ship shall be awarded upon examination for excellence in the subjects of English and History. Provided that the governing body shall not bo bound to award the scholarship to the candidate obtaining the highest number of marks.in such subjects, but may in their discretion iako into account tho financial circumstances of tho scholar, his or her parents, or guardians. 7. Tho examination in which the award shall bo made shall be the examination presented by the University of New Zealand for the award of its entrance scholarships, the examination papers used being those set in English and History for that examination. If, however,- there shall at any time ceaso to be an entrance scholarship examination, or if there shall cease to _be examination papers set in either English or History for the entrance scholarship, the examination in which such award shall be made shall be such other examination in English and History as tho governing body of each district University College may from time to time appoint. 8. No candidate who has qualified for an entrance or other scholarship to tho University shall be eligible for tho award of a Lissie ItaEhbono Scholarship. No candidate shall be awarded a scholarship whose aggregate marks do not reach 50 per cent, of the possible total. <J. Candidates for the Lissie .Uathbono Scholarships need not be candidates for the entrance scholarship to tho University. 10. In the event of the accumulated earnings of the gift being in excels of the amount required for scholarships awarded under Clause 1, the governing body of each University College may eitner grant boarding allowance to any scholar needing it or make a grant to any student who, though he or she has not qualified in the entrance examination in the subjects prescribed for tho scholarship, has obtained at tho college examinations of his first year a- high-class in tho two subjects. English and History. In the event of the accumulated earnings of the gift proving afc any time insufficient for all or any of tflie pur-, poses above set forth the governing body of the University College affected mry adjust the annual value of any scholarship or the tenure thereof as such governing body shall see fit from time to time. 11. The governing bodies of each University College shall be empowered to arrange with each other for the transfer of any Lissie Pathbone scholar from one such University College to another, and to make such financial adjustments upon any such transfer as such governing body shall consider proper.

12. Every candidate for the scholarship shall send notice of his or her candidature on the prescribed form within such time or times and subject to such pencltv for late entrance an the governing body may from time to time appoint. 13. The governing body of cadi University College shall hive power to vary these regulations should necessity arise, provided, however, that the purpose of the founders of the scholarships shall not be violated. Gabbatt Bequest. Professor J. P. Gabbatt wrote as follows from, Dnrford Edge, Petersfield, Hants, England: Ever since we left Hew Zealand, my wife has been anxious to give some ppinia::ent token of our continued interest in tlif; College; and to perpetuate the memory cf her father,, the late Sir William hartley, who was keenly interested in the higher education of woman.

She therefore proposes to offer to tho College the sum of £3CCO towards the founding of a scholarship to take the plf.ee of the former Holloway College .Scholarship, which has, of course, proved inadequate since the war. It is clear that the sum mentioned would not in itself provide sufficient endowment for such a scholarshin; but my wife has already been privately informed that there is no doubt that a £ for £ subsidy can be obtained from the >"ew Zealand Government. I clearly remember, however, that during my

last term of ofiico as chairman of the Professorial Hoard tho Government could not be induced to subsidise tho Macniillan Brown bursaries until it was convinced that they would be open to all New Zealand, and not merely to persons who had previously studied at Canterbury College. Under these circumstances my wife thinks it right, before transferring tho sum in question, to ask for an official assurance that a £ for £ subsidy will be forthcoming. She would also wish to be assured that there is not likely to be a lack of candidates for the scholarship who aro sufficiently highly qualified. Assuming that it is possible to found the scholarship, we think that it should be awarded on terms generally tho same as those which governed the Holloway Scholarship; but suggest the following variations for the consideration of the College: (a) The scholarship shall be called the Sir William Hartley Scholarship of Canterbury College. (b) It shall be offered every third year, and failing a suitable candidate in a given year, then in the nest year and so on. It shall ordinarily be tenable (given satisfactory certificates of progress, etc.) for three years, and shall be of tho annual value of about £3OO. (c) It shall be tenable, at. the choice of the scholar, at either of the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge or London,, or, by special recommendation) of the Professorial JJoard in each case, at any other European University. (d) The scholar shall be a woman student of Canterbury College who has obtained the Bachelor's or some higher degree in the University of New Zealand, and has acquitted herself with such distinction that, in tho opinion of the Professorial Board, she is capable of obtaining the Ph.D. or an equivalent degree of the University to which she elects to proceed. (We think that, now that the English Universities offer this degree, it is hardly proper to award so valuable a scholarship to a student who proposes to obtain an English degree by examination only, the words in the Holloway College regulations were "with a view to proceeding to an Honours or higher degree ... in due course," of which we suggest tho omission of tho former alternative.) (e) Unexpended income shall, at the discretion of the Board of Governors, be added to the capital; or used to defray incidental expenses (on apparatus, travelling in Europe for the purposes of her research, etc.) of the scholar, should the ordinary incomo of the scholarship prove insufficient-; or to extend the terms of the scholarship for not more than a fourth, year (but rot to the prejudice of tho offering of the scholarship every three years at least). It is expected that tho Board of Governors will be willing, as in the cases of the Trinity and Holloway Scholarships to defray tho scholar's fare to Europe. Failinsr the endowment of a similar scholarship at the other Now Zealand University Colleges, wo should be glad to hear whether, in default of a suitable candidate from Canterbury College in a given year, it would bo advisable, in the opinion of the Boards, to throw the scholarship open to any woman graduate of the University of New Zealand, provjded that she should transfer to Canterbury College as a condition of tho award of the scholarship. In addition to the methods of disposal of unexpended income mentioned under (e) there is another which my wife and I consider to be of great importance: viz., the makinrr of grants in aid of the publication of the results of research by the scholar, provided that these are regarded by competent authority as being of sufficient importance. Gifts Accepted. Dr. Chilton said that the offers were exceedingly gratifying in view of the encouragement they would give, and they wer© the more pleasing in that such gifts were few and far between. He moved that they be referred to the Professorial Board for consideration as to the matter of regulations and other details. This was seconded by Dr. Hjght, who said that ho hoped tho example given by the donors would bo followed by others. Most of those who made bequests to the College did so by way of scholarships. Without in any way depreciating such gifts, h© would like to state that there wero other directions in which the College could be assisted, such as funds for the erection of a students' union building, and the establishment of a lectureship in certain subjects, including rural economics. lii expressing appreciation at tho gifts, the ohairman (Mr H. D. Acland) said that that of Mrs Gabbatt was particularly gratifying, as it was made in that lady's lifetime. If the scholarships were able to carry a. Government subsidy, their value would be considerably enhanced.

After further expressions of appreciation at the gifts, it was decided to accept them with thanks and to refor them to tho Professorial Board who will report to tho College Committee con cerning them.