COLLEGE HISTORY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 8

COLLEGE HISTORY.

: ■ ITS PIFTtTPNtH Witt 110 rlrlclSmn it All. FIRST REGISTRAR RETIRING. At their meeting next week the Victoria Collego Coiinc.il will consider applications for the position of Registrar at A r ictoria College, in succession to Mr. C. P. Powles. With the appointment an interesting link with tho university will bo broken, for Mr. Fowles lias been Registrar since the college opened in . 1899. Speaking to a reporter yesterday, Mr. Powles outlined the reasons which had actuated him in sending in his resignation, and gave a'brief summary of the rise of Victoria College. The work had increased, he said, to such an extent that he felt that it was now necessary to have a younger man devoting the whole- of his , time to the position, and therefore ho had decided, on the step which ho had taken. When the college opened there were 115 students, and a teaching staff of six. Now there were 430 students, and the teaching staff had mounted to thirty. This was evidonce of the increased work falling on the Registrar. Mr. Powles has seen many changes in the university, and has always been associated witli progressive movements. Perhaps no one is more conversant with the detail work of the college than ho is, and his retirement will be a great loss. Cenesls of the College. Tho growth of the college makes interesting reading. It was on December 23, 1878, that a Royal Commission war, appointed to inquire into and report upon the operations 6f the University of New Zealand and its relations to tho secondary schools of the colony, and upon tho best means of bringing secondary and higher education within the reach of the youth of both sexes. In its report the commission recommended that the inequality in the educational institutions of tho two islands should be removed by establishing, at the most important centres of population in the North Island, colleges capable of sup-. plying an education of tho sattie standard as that provided by tho University of Otago and Canterbury College, and proposed that tho Government should invite the Legislature to make immediate provision for the establkhaiont of two colleges, one at Auckland and one at Wellington. An interesting extract from the report of the Commissioners ran as follows :— "They were further of opinion that it will be necessary for ,the Government either, to select out of lands at its disposal suitabfe sites for college' buildings at. Auckland and Wellington or to acquire suchi sites, ' and that two grants of £12,500 each should bo made for the building of .the two colleges, and" for fittings and apparatus. Although those sums are not equal to those expended for like purposes in Dunedin'and Christchurch, Wβ think that they will be found' sufficient for present requirements." The Commissioners also suggested that each of the two colleges should be endowed with Crown lands sufficient to provide an immediate incteaso to each) amounting to £4000 per annum; that if this were not practicable, tho deficit in each case should bz made- good by a pecuniary grant. 'I'lio Government was Hot quick to act on tho suggestions put before them, hut by 1882 α-college Was established; in Auckland by tho Auckland. University College Act, 1882." Wellington was not so' fortunate, and nothing further was done towards carrying out the proposals till 1894, when'tho Middle. District of New Zealand University College Act was passed, which said:' "There shall bo established in tho City of' Wellington a collego to bo connected with the University of New Zealand." Provision was made for ii governing body, to bo called the .council but a, very important point was omitted; no provision was made for any pecuniary grant or endowment, so, although "certain members of the 'council were appointed, nothing could be done for want of funds. Getting Ready Jo- Open, In 1597, however, tho Premier e-f the colony introduced into Parliament the \ lctona College Act, "to promote," „ as stated in the preamble, ''higher education by the establishment of a college at Wellington in commemoration oi" the sixtieth -year of tho reign of her Majesty Queen Victoria." Tiie collnge was intended to meet the requirements of the Provincial Districts of Wellington, Taranaki, Hav.kts's Bay, Nelson, Marlboroujrh, and Westland'.' The Act was passed on December 22, 1897, the council was formed, and the work of organisation was begun. It was provided in tho Act that a giant of £4000 a year ehould bo made from the Consolidated Fund, and out of this fund tho council was required to give sis scholarships each year, to be called "Queen's. Scholarships," to persons of either ses under the age of 14 years, upon the results of an examination under such conditions as the council might prescribe. In 1903 an .amending Act was passed, providing for six junior and four senior Queen's Scholarships, bat in 19D7, by the Education Act .Anlendment Act. these- scholarships Were- abolished, and since 1905 the college lias received from Parliament an annual grant- of £2000 for specialisation in law and ecioivce, while an endowment of 4000 acres has been set aside in the Nuktimarii Survey District. > It was in 1899 .that, Mr. Powles was appointed Registrar, and the college war, admitted as an institution affiliated to the University of New Zealand on February' 23, of the same year. Tho following j-car an Act was passed whereby the Collego Council was empowered to acquire a site for, the college -buildings, and six acres were secured, being part oi tho town reserve, ■ situated on Salamanca Road. Tho Government provided £31,000 towards thecos-t- of buildings, and in 1904 Lord Phmket, the then Governor, laid the foundation, stone of a portion of the buildings, which he opened on March 30, 1906. In 1910 a further portion of the buildings was completed, forming a whig at tho rear of .the Arts Building. How the Students increased. Figures yesterday supplied by Mr. Powks show tiho remarkable .growth year by j-ear in the number of students attending lectures. Commencing with -115 in 1899, tho number increased to 136 in 1900, 254 in 1905, 376 in 1807, 466 in 1909, 474 in 1911, and 547 in 1912. There was' a drop last, year and this year, but the magnitude of tho work may easily be comprehended by tho figures presented. Tho first chairman of tho council was Mr. J. R. Blair, and since then Mr. Powles has acted under nine 6iiccessivo chairmen. Bequests to the College, / During his lengthy term -of office as Registrar of the Collego, Mr. Powles has noted many benefactions loft' to the college. In 1903 a sum of £3000 was left by the lato Mr. Jacob Joseph, for tho foundation of two scholarships, and tho next year tho late Mr. C. Pharazyn left £1000 for buildings. Other large sums handed over wero £300 for the library from the late Mr. D. Maiisoii; £100 for physical apparatus, by an anonymous donor; £825 for Tniildtiujs, raised by public subscription in 1959\l!)10. An offer has also been made by tho'f. G. 'Macnrthy Trustees of £2000 for some suitable purpose, connesting with it the name of tiro' late Mr. T. G. Macarthy. Tho Finance Committee of the council is at present considering a scheme for endowing it Lectureship of Economies, and they will probably report to the council at their nest iueet-