COLONEL RHODES'S GIFT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2874, 12 September 1916, Page 6

COLONEL RHODES'S GIFT

. A SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR CHILDREN AND SOLDIERS TO KITCHENER'S MEMORY ,

When the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was serving in Gallipoli there wero many complaints about the postal services, non-delivery of parcels, and matters of this kind, and the New Zealand Government dispatched Lieut.Colonel R. Heaton Rhodes, "ALP., who had just then resigned tho portfolio of Postmaster-General, to make investigations' on the spot. Colonel Rhodes was to receive no salary, but his expenses were to bo paid, and a vote of £1000 was passed for this purpose. On his return Colonel Rhodes announced that ho would bear his own expenses, and he suggested to tho Government that tho £1000 should be made tho nucleus of a fund to provide scholarships for tho children of fallen soldiers of the Now Zealand army. This suggestion was- readily adopted by tho Government, and tfic Council of Education was asked to submit a scheme. These scholarships are to be called "Kitchener Memorial Scholarships." ' The 'Council of Education yesterday decided to submit to the Minister the following recommendations: — 1. That tho Government be requested to establish scholarships to be called "Kitchener Memorial Scholarships," open to competition to the sons of fallen officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, for the purpose of assisting such sons to enter a naval college to qualify for the navy; that tho donation of Colonel R. Heaton Rhodes, M.P., be applied to the fund for the establishment of such scholarships, and that public subscriptions bo invited to augment such fund, which the Government be requested to subsidise. ■•' 2. That after the sons of fallen officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces need no longer be provided for, the scholarship bo available to sons of returned members of the said Forces, and when these need no longer bo provided for that tho scholarships be available for the sons of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of tho New Zealand Navy-,- Army, and Air Services, for the purpose already indicated. 3. That the scholarships be governed by regulations approximating as nearly as possible those governing the admission of naval cadets to naval colleges in England by special entry; that tho standard of examination bo not less than that of the matriculation examination, and that cadets up to tho ago of 19 years bo qualified to compete for such scholarships if otherwise qualified to enter a naval college. 4. That the Education Boards throughout New Zealand be requested to invite tho public bodies within their districts to invite public subscriptions to tho fund, and to give the same as wide publicity and hearty support as possible. 5. That the words "officers, noncommissioned officers, and men of tho Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces" be deemed ho include officers, non-com-missioned officers, and men serving with any British Force, naval or military, if at tho time of enlisting the dnmicilo of such persons is New Zealand.

The committee who drafted these recommendations consulted tho Ministers of Defence and Education, and obtained their approval of them. Tho Minister of Defence pointed: out, however, that tho matter of a Government subsidy would have to be decided by Cabinet.