VICTORIA COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 958, 27 October 1910, Page 2

VICTORIA COLLEGE.

::;;'■,;,;

: T0 STRENGTHEN ITS FINANCES.

Ambngv the. Bills rejiortcd Spon.bj-'tli« Lands; Committee. in /the 7 House of<R«pre. sentativeli .'yesterday-: was 'the' Taranaki: Scholarships Endowment.;-Bill;in.'regard ■ to .which the committee recommended that it be allowed to 'proceed with one small; amendment: v ; ' ' • ■■■';• '!v : -'\\: -."■'";

Mr; Hcrdmari (Wellington North) point-' ed-.ont that the object 'of'the Bill waste enable, the. Taranaki.:'Land,' ! Board, l to: control lands which were granted jearii' ago -for- the purposes;.of., a.';university..:' When it iwts found,that'Taranaki did'not. require a .university,;' legislation .was' pass-v ed to enable the Publio Trustee tb'devoU' the revenues from the lands to providing" scholarships for Taranaki-,.boys.and .girls.: at .Wc}lingto).i ! . ; or..:elsc.w.here.:..Tke. land: was.apparently very valuable, and would .increase, in' value as time'.Went, on, ..Itseemed, that if the funds'were used simply for providing scholarships they would not become.exhausted. "■ '■, Ho might:'point, out .that:.in Wellington..there was Victoria .College,', which .was':certainly,'in anoni"pe'eunious position. The Taranaki peoplef had, of xourse,.' first: call .on '. the* funds'' from .the lands in question, : but if . th'a inolieys.wei'e not: fully, utiliscdv.tho Minister might'be able to make an.equitable arrangement between,;, the"■'• university authorities and the. Taranaki .peoplei whereby portion of the moneys might; bo devotee towards the!: upkeep of■;the 'college;' He understood, that the (accumulated funds'; in regard, to the property; totalled over ',£80()0. '.There could- be- -, no doubt' but - that the. college benefited ■Taranaki. ■.'■'■ '.:'■;''■■ "■_-::?■/'" "• .:

Mr. Pearce (Patea) 'said' that the'Bill did not interfere-with the revenues' from the lands. He believed it. ivas'true, that, over.XSooo had accumulated. He.understood that only one boy.' and. one girl had..been, assisted.,out,., of. ..the ,'revenue from the lands to attend the university. He felt that the fault ..that'the money was .not being used lay with the school committees-,in. the district.' The matter, should form'.'the subject of inquiry, ~ •.Mr. Guthrie (Oroua) said that, he could not agree that the education: boardjwas responsible';for ■ the moneys .not''haying been fully utilised. It was the Seriate of the .University that'had the awarding of the scholarships. The children of ail parts of Taranaki had■ not in the -past had the fullest opportunity of qualifying for scholarships. ■..':■•: ..'; ' •■'.' Mr. Hine (Stratford) thought- that the Senate might be makirtg the'oximinations, too stiff. ■, He trusted that 1 ' the Education. Board would! come to 'terms with the Senate With a. View to.hi'akihg the examination easier. '■ It was remarkable thati out of a population of- 50,000 only . two * children bad qualified, for scholarships.. ,

Mr. Okey: (Taranaki) said, that, in th« past this. rents -that had been• received had-been "very small, but -in" the: future they would 'be fairly substantial. Mr. Russell (Avon) said.that it was to be regretted thai tho moneys were not being fully, utilised for the purpose'for which, they were intended. The; moneys would enable at least eight students to get an advanced, education-every, year- in one or other of' the different centres. He hoped would bo !U4do to the Senate-on the subject.The Hon. D. Bwuio remarked that tho Bill was merely for the purpose of: .putting the tenants on a better footing with respect;to improycmont's.'V'T.ho lowering of the standard of exaiuiii&ticni bad been proved a failure in the past. It would be impossible also to put jsucha suggos. Hon into force. . . - : : .

The report of the committee was 'W proved. '