VICTORIA COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 19 May 1910, Page 8

VICTORIA COLLEGE.

SERIOUS STATE OF FINANCES. STUDENTS FALL OFF. NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED. Tho idea of straightened finances dominated the annual meeting of tho Victoria Collego Council, which was attended by all tho members last evening. Tho appointment of a chairman for tho ensuing year was the first regular business dealt with. Sir Robert Stout proposed that Mr. C. Watson should bo appointed. The nomination was seconded, but Mr. Watson asked to bo allowed to withdraw from nomination, on the ground that his health was unsatisfactory. Mr. E. D. Bell then moved that Mr. von Haast should be elected chairman. The finances of the oouncil would, he said, require very close attention during the coming year, and he thought that Mr. von Haast had a thorough grip of the details of the oollege and apparently he took a consuming interesting in its work and welfare. It was also an advantage that Mr. voe Haast was a resident of Wellington. Mr. Fleming, in seconding the motion, said that Mr. J. Graham, M.P., had been a very good chairman, but if the council was not quite on the wrong side of tho ledger there was a possibility of it unless there was somebody there to give tho matter great attention.

Dr. Knipht said that it had been the almost invariable custom for the chairman to hold office for two years, and he thought that a man of Mr. Graham's experience should give his servioes for another year. He moved that Mr. Graham be reappointed. Mr. C. Wilson seconded the motion.

Mr. Graham said that when he accepted the chairmanship ho intended it to be for one year only. He had declined the chairmanship 0 n previous occasions because he dia not live in Wellington, and he recognised that it was an advantage to have a local resident as chairman. Financially the position was/that tho council wero depending oil almost entirely to support them, and thoy did not know when the Government might think that it had helped them sufficicaitly, and tell them to support themselves. Though he would be constantly in Wellington during the session he would then be occupied with Parliamentary business, and he would therefore withdraw his name from nomination.

Mr. von Haast was then, unanimously elected and-took tho chair. Mr. Fleming moved a most hearty ■vote of thanks to tho retiring chairman (Mr. Graham) who he said had been' an excellent chairman, and had looked after the finances as well as it was possiblo to do in tho circumstances in which ho had been placed. Mr. R. M'Callum seconded the motlom' lras a S rceti unanimously. The registrar reported the election of Sir Robert Stout to a seat on tho council.

The chairman expressed the pleasure Si 'J lO , oouncril at seeing Sir Robert btout back among them in renewed health. (Applause.) Officers and Committees. Officers for the year were elected as follow:—Treasurer, Mr. C. Watson: Financo Committee, Rev. W. A. Evans Messrs. Bell, Quick, Fleming, Watson' Ostler, and tho chairman; Library Committee, re-elected, with the exoepr * takes tho place of Mr. Ostler. Financial Statement. The financial statement showed:— S?Mn C< s at banlc on S enera l account, nri™ ess P a .vments required nSSi l eav > n g a balance of £988 12s. sd. Subscriptions to tho building fund amounted to £795 19s. 6d., on which a Government subsidy of £1300 had been received, making a total of £2095 19s. 6d. Tho amount expended was £3046 16s. lid., and a further sum of £292 would be received as Government subsidy. The treasurer, Mr. C. /Watson, said that the balance had boon considerably reduced owing to tho expenditure of large sums on tho laboratory and extensions to tho buildings, subscriptions not having covered tho latter. Unsatisfactory Estimates. The principal items of tho estimates for the ensuing year were as follow:— Receipts: Statutory grant, £4000; grant for specialisation, £2000; grant for general purposes, £1500; foos, £1400; examination fees, £225; intorest, £90; total, £9299 75.; loss scholarships, £407; net receipts, £9691 2s. Expenditure: Salaries, £8647 10s.; library, £150; chemical apparatus, £150; total expenditure, £10,142 3s. 4d.; deficiency, £451 Is: 4d.

The treasurer, Mr. C. Watson, said be regretted that the estimates were not very satisfactory. A .deficiency of £451 was anticipated, owing to the fact that the council were face to face with an unexpected sudden drop in tho number of students. Up to now tbero had been a steady increase in the attendance of students, but this year there was a falling off from 466 to 413. That position might be improved or it might not. Thero was a falling off in interest of about £40, and altogether tho estimate of revenue was loss than last year by about £309. The expenditure on salaries had been increased by appointing an assistant to Profossor Laby at £156 a year. The council would have to reduce expenditure in some directions. During the year they had added to staff and spent a good deal on tho buildings.

11l answer to Dr. Knight, who asked whether tho classical or modorn classes showed most falling off of students, the chairman said that tho falling off was not duo to any decline in the popularity of tho cofiego, but, owing to tho raising of the matriculation standard, a large number of students had been unable to pass the examination, and this had hit the college, which drew from a larger district than any othoi. It would simply mean that these students would tako a year longer, and would be received afterwards. Professors' Assistants. Dr. Knight said that there was an obvious means by which tho council could curtail their expenditure, and live within their income. Assistants to professors had. been appointed at the following salaries: —Latin, £200; English, £100; mathematics, £80; modern languages, £50; anatomy, £50; making a total charge of, £480. If these assistants were not employed tho oouncil would be living within their income. Ho thought it was entirely foreign to the work of' tho university to provide teaching for people who were up to university standard, and the council should considor whether they should continue supplying tho professoi's with assistants "to teach 'these people.

Sir Robert Stout said ho was not in sympathy with making tho matriculation tost too difficult. Edinburgh Univorsity had turned out brilliant mou in days when there was no entrance test. The standard should not be made too high, or students would be excluded who might become the best scholars. It was impossible to force all tho students into secondary schools, when there was a scattered population. Since the work of the college professors was rot highly specialised it was probable that they needed tho assistants, and if tho assistants wero given them last year, he did not sec how tlioy could bo withdrawn this year. Towards tlw end of tho

year they might appoint a committco lo see what should be done for the following year

Mr. Aitken considered that the council should be ashamed to offer assistants £50 a year. Instead of trying to do without them, the council should see by what means they could get an increased income, so that they could pay the assistants an adequate wage. Mr. Aitken and Mr. Bell both agreed that the professors had not done less work since the assistants were appointed. It merely meant that they had been able to work to more advantage.

Mr. M'Callum thought that the council had not enough faith. They should exhaust the funds they had for proper causes, and the Government would lind the balance. The Government would not desert them, knowing the success that the collcge had been. A Test of Feeling, Mr. Aitken moved, to test the feeling of the council, that the amounts in the estimates for assistants should be increased to the following sums:— Mathematics £100, modern languages £75, anatomy £75. Mr. M'Callum, in seconding tho motion, said ho hated the "beggarly policy" of the council. When they had the money in hand they would not spend ■ it. The result was that the) 'iovernment would not help them, and he did not blame the Government. Dr. Knight urged that the assistants were otherwise employed during the day, and gained valuable experience at the college. The chairman pointed out that the council had already made contracts for tho year with the assistants, and the question of their work and salaries had been carefully gone into when they were appointed. If the question was to.be considered again, it-should be> referred to the Finance Committee. Mr. Aitken withdrew his motion, Mr. M'Callura expressing disappointment. Proposed Extra Courses, The Finance Committee recommended that the matter of a courso of work for pharmacy students be left till next) meeting, so that tho Finance Committee might obtain further information, and that the question of the Training College biology students be also held over for further inquiry.

The chairman, in moving the recommendation, stated that the suggestion to form a class in biology, which -would be below the ordinary university standard, would require much consideration. There was the question of principle to consider, though at tho same time they wanted to make the college as widely useful as possible. Tho question of finance would also need to be taken! into account.

Sir Robert Stout did not see why it should cost the college a' halfpenny more to havo an additional class of lower grade. Dr. Knight said that it was being done all the time in classics. ' -

Sir Robert Stout said it had been, done in Dunedin, and was done in other colleges. He did not know why it could not be done here, unless it was that the professors were already working too many hours. Mt. Ostler stated that in Professor Salmond's time classes were held in commercial law which 1 cost the oouncil nothing. The chairman said that the position was different in this case, ■ since the work of the laboratory staff would need to be increased. , In the course of further discussion on the committee's recommendation, Sir Robert Stout suggested that an arrangement might be made with tho Pharmaceutical Board to secure tho council against loss. The recommendation of the committee was adooted. Jacob Joseph Scholarship. The Financo Committee also reported that tho late Mr. A. P. Buller had loft tho college £50 to bo devoted to tho purchase of books on biology. Mr. R. Kennedy had accepted the Jacob Joseph scholarship offered to him, but Miss E. Johnstone, to whom a scholarship was offered was unable to comply with the conditions, and the scholarship was therefore transferred to Miss E. E. Law. The committee recommended' that insurances bo increased by £2500 on buildings and £1500 on furniture and fittings, as a result of the erection of tho now buildings. Tho report was adopted. Library Equipment. Professor Laby wrote in regard to deficiencies existing in respect of the books and journals available for the study of physics. Without improved library provision original scientific investigation would hardly bo possible at the college. He suggested that back numbers of scientific journals should be purchased while they could be procured at a reasonable rate. Professor Kirk also wrote drawing attention to the need of back numbers of English and Continental periodicals. Both professors recognised that the state of tho council's finances must influence the position. Mr. C. Wilson moved that the letters should be referred to the Library Committee ■ Mr. Quick seconded tho motion which was adopted on the understanding that the funds «t the committee's disiiosal would not be augmented. It was suggested in the. course ol the discussion that if students wished to have recourse to tho library of the New Zealand Institute the privilege would no doubt be granted.