The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1913. UNIVERSITY FINANCE AND EFFICIENCY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1766, 3 June 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1913. UNIVERSITY FINANCE AND EFFICIENCY.

4 Evekyone who has given any attention to the matter is fully convinced that it is urgently accessary to strengthen tlie financial position of Victoria College. With this object in view the College Council has decided to seek the assistance of the Jlacarthv Trust, and a memorandum has been drawn up making application for funds to enable the College to undertake day-teaching in science as a beginning of a general system of day-teaching, or, as an alternative, to establish a Chair of Economics. To give effect to the former proposal a sum of about £3000 per annum would be necessary, and this capitalised at 5 per cent, would be equivalent to a gift of £60,000. A Chair of Economics would coat £1250 per annum. In

view of the fact that the total amount available from the Macahtiiy Trust this year is not expccted to exceed £0000, it will bo at once seen that a very strong case will have to be placed before those in charge of the Trust to justify them in fully financing either of the above suggestions. Although the Council's memorandum appears to regard the day-teaching proposal as the most urgent of its needs, the endowment of a, Chair of Economics or tho provision _ of scholarships is probably more in keeping with the spirit of the Trust. It must be remembered that Victoria College is a public institution less fortunately situated \ than some of its sister colleges in the way of endowments, and dependent largely on tho State for financial support, and the obligation rests on the Government to sec that its finances arc sufficient to maintain the general efficiency of its ordinary work. If to secure such efficiency certain changcs in the methods of conducting the classes aro essential, tho Council has a right to ask the Government to provide the necessary funds. There is, however, plenty of scope for private generosity in the way of extending the usefulness of the ©jlicgc by establishing chairs, lectureships, and scholarships, and perhaps the Macarthy Trust may see its way to help the day-teaching scheme by endowing one or more of the now lectureships, which will be necessary if it is to bo carried out.

It is satisfactory to find that the memorandum of the Committee of tho Professorial Board has made the position quite clear regarding day and evening teaching. It is now generally admitted that the case for reform in this matter is exceedingly strong. When the proposed change was first made public many people felt that the benefits of University education at present enjoyed by young people who have to earn their living during the day were in danger oi being Ecriously curtailed, This feeling has been almost entirely removed by the definite statement that although the primary need of tho College is day-teaching Jor all students who can give their full time to University work, yet the proposals for meeting this need do not involve the discontinuance or curtailment of the evening classes. The memorandum goes further than this, and points out that "the introduction of day-teaching would benefit the evening students 'possibly more than anyone else by leaving the College free to make a more suitable distribution of their courses of training over a longer period of years." There can bo no doubt that if efficiency is to be secured in certain branches of science the student must be prepared to give his whole timo to his work, and unless some provision can be made to secure this our University must be content with a lower standard than that attained in other parts of the world. The problem is to do full justice to the day student without inflicting 1 any injustice on those who can only attend evening lectures. The Professors' memorandum claims that this can be done by making it possible for regular University work to be taken either by day or evening clashes. To do this additional lectureships would have to be established; but it would not be by any means a satisfactory state of affairs if tho Professors were to devote their whole timo to the day students, and hand over the others to the lecturers. That this is not the intention may fairly be gathered from the statement that "both types of students would be provided for, and neither would be subordinated to tho requirements of the other." This cannot be done without a considerable increase in expenditure. The Macahthy Trust may bo expected to give the. Council's application very sympathetic consideration in viow of the urgency of the need, but in any case further State aid is an absolute necessity.