THE UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 8

THE UNIVERSITY.

INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S REPORT. NOT IN FAVOUR HERE. VICTORIA COLLEGE INTERESTS. At last night's meeting of the Victoria. College Council, the chairman (Mr. H. 11. Ostler) brought under the notice of members correspondence that had passed between him and tho chairman of tlio Education Committee (Mr. G. M. Thomson) in reference to tho financial requirinients of tho college. In tho first instance, Mr. Thomson had written to l the oouncil stating that tlio committee was considering the Inspector(jcnd'al's report, and would like to know the financial requirements of tlio college. In reply to this, Mr. Ostler had forwarded (1) a statement "summary of additions required to rcvenuo"; (2) a memorandum drawn up for submission to tlio Macarthy Trustees; and (.1) an estimate of receipts nnd expenditure for the year ending March 31, 11114. In explanation of this last mentioned document, Mr. Ostler wrote: "As at present staffed tho estimate shows a deficiency of -£019 os. lOd. It has bccomo absolutely necessary to provide the Registrar witii a cleric. Tno Registrar has had a yearly increasing burden of work laid on liini. He gets no greater salary , than when tho college started with fivo professors anil 115 "students, and he still does, unaided, all the increased work ciliised by the growth of tho college to a teaching staff of nearly 30, and nearly 500 students. Tho caretaker also requires assistance. The clerk and assistant would entail a sum of about .£3OO a year. To meet tho deficiency; of .£919 Os. lOd. and this expenditure of -,£3OO, taere is a sum of ,£SOO deposited, and a Ixilanco at tho bank of .C 715 17s. Ud., together making' .£1215 17s. 9d. There are no other moneys on deposit, and next year, unless increased revenue is obtained, there wall again be a deficiency of some .WOO, plus tho JC3OU for clcrfc and assistant carotauer, or .£I2OO. "T'ne council cannot of course carry,on their work under such conditions." Mr. Thomson hud. rince written to say that tho information would ho duily considered by tho committee.

Speaking in reference to the whole matter last night, the chairman of the .council confessed that 'when he read tlio report of the Inspector-General (Mr. Hogb?n) in tire first instance ho thought the colloge .was going to benefit by the recount of more funds. However, lrom what was said at a matting of tho Professorial Hoard, which ho had since attended (at till? request of the board), ho began to sco that if tho report wcr.o adopted it would bo a lad tiling for this college. The seriousness of the matter lay in th) fact that, if tho proposals were inimical to the best interests of the college, tho adoption of the report wouild stereotype the position for pcirhaps ten or twenty years. He went en to show that in regard to "specialising" Victoria College would r.ot receive thlc grant it was entitled to'. Not only tliat, but 011 the basis of population its proportion grant was altogether inadequate. While .£1 was to be 6pent for every !!3 persons ill tho north, a similar sum ivas to bo spent for every nine persons in the South Island. ;

Mr. A.. R. Atkinson: And it will ba getting worse every year. ■ The chair .uaji: Of cou/rso-tho tendency is for the population to drift to tho north. Dr, Prendcrgast Knight remarked' that the tendency was not only to drift, but actually to run. Tho chairman pointed out that although tho coiuioil and tho professors had in conference agreed that it was advisable to institute in the college day classes as well as night classes, Mr. ■liogben's report did not touch on this matter, but ratW proposed to stereotype tlio present position. In his further remarks,tho chairman objected to uuy reduction in the yearly grant as proposed, to'the principle of pay, by average attendances— ' n vicious principle—and • to 'tho system by which the council would have to go, cap in hand, to tho Senate before it could obtain any portion of J52500 allotted from the National Endowment Fund. Why should the Council go cap in band to the Senate? • Mr. R. M'Callum: Because Mr. Hogben is 011 it. Mr. A. T. Mftßinnity considered that they had just about readied their maximum in revenue, and if there grant was going to bo cut down, they could not go 011. What seemed to him the more vital question, however, was the suggested centralising of authority. The matter was of such importance that tho . council ought to have n strong committee to go fully into the questions in the report and' frame something thereon. Mr. C. Wilson did not think the council - should tnlco up an attitude antagonistic to the wholo report. He pointed out that Mr. Hoghen in his report was speaking for tile 'Education Department, and that there were other interests to •bo considered besides those of Wellington. After ionic further discussion a resolution was carried' as follows: "That tho council at dice take steps to protest before tho Education Committee of tho ITouso against the adoption of the proposals for tho future finance of the college contained in the report, of Mr. Hogben by setting up n committee to consist of the chairman, the treasurer (Mr. C. Watson), nnd Mr. T. R, Fleming,