VICTORIA COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 251, 18 July 1921, Page 7

VICTORIA COLLEGE

REPORT FOR THE YEAR UNIVERSITY SHORT OF ENDOWMENTS In tho course of its annual report to tho Minister of Education, the Victoria College Council says: — "Tlio great increase in the number of students in 1920 compelled the council to approach the Government for a giant for the erection of a south wing to accommodate the departments of physics and geology. Tho grant was duly made, but was based on a first estimate of cost, which proved inadequate, and some of the work lad to be cut out, including tho internal finishing of tho top floor, which was to provide a large lecture room for physics and other subjects. Everything indicates that this lecture room will be urgently required next year, both for physics lectures, and for large classes on the arts side The contractors have made a good beginning with tho south wing. The construction of the north wing has been greatly delayed, but it is hoped te obtain possession of it in time for tho beginning of next session, and the congestion that has interfered with the work of tho college will be removed. These two wings will complete the main building, and any additional room , required must then bo provided on another sito in tho limited college grounds. Benefactions. "During the last year certain important benefactions have come into operation. The Macarthy trustees have begun to pay the grant they made te aid in tho foundation of the T. G. Macarthy Chair of Economics, and the council trusts that with the £ for £, subsidy from the Government the amount so obtained will provide the greater part of the fund necessary te endow the chair. By the will of the late Mrs. S. A. Rhodes the college has received a substantial bequest of .£lO,OOO for the education of women. After consultation with the council of this college tho trustees of the will decided to have the interest used for scholarships or fellowships in home science. These two bequests show that citizens in this district are beginning to take an interest in tho college, and its educational work and development. The late Mr. W. S. Reid left to the council a bequest of £lOO for the purchase of works of reference for the college library. This bequest, with tho Government subsidy thereon of £5O, has enabled the college to purchase a number of valuable and much-needed works of reference! Mr. Reid also bequeathed to tho council some valuable sets of books from his library. "The library now contains approximately 15,000 volumes, and has been very largely made use of by students during the year. The work of the library has been hampered by lack of space, there not being enough room either te house the volumes or to accommodate the readers. These hindrances will be removed when tho library is moved to .the new north wihg. Finjiice and Policy.

"Tho main sources of the college revenue are grants from tho Government and fees. Tho only endowment of the college is the Nukumaru Reserve, from which, tho revenue is about £BO per annum. The other reserve to which the college might reasonably have looked for an increasing source of revenue—the Opaku Reserve —was by the Taranaki Scholarship Act of 1905 diverted to providing scholarships for students of Taranaki. Under the circumstances, it seems reasonable that the Government should provide tho college with some endowment that will produce an increasing revenue as tho college develops. "On more than, one occasion during the year the council brought under tho notico of the Government the need for special schools in this University district. With the continued drift of the population towards tho north, it is becoming more and more uneconomical to centre all the special schools in the South Island. Each college should have at least one special school to keep it in touch with tho life of tho community in which it is situated, and to arouse interest in tho college among tire people of tho University district. These influences will react on the whole academic life of the institution. Tho council suggests that provision should be made to teach agriculture in this university college; first, because of tho great need for further scientific training in our primary pursuits; and second, because it believes that tho work could bo done in Wellington very efficiently and economically by tho co-operation between tho college, the expert staffs of tho Agricultural Department, and the experimental farms at Weraroa end Wallaceville.

"Tho need i« great for the extension of university work to provide teaching in tho day time for those who aro prepared to give their whole time to university work. It will also bo necessary to carry on tho classes as at present conducted. The council has under consideration a proposal to introduce day teaching in science, aud it is estimated that this could be done for about £9OO to £l2OO per annum. The finance to carry out these two important projects —agriculture and day classes —must come either from additional Government grants or increased fees. "Hostels.—Tho urgency of thia problem has been brought before the authorities interested again and again, but so far nothing has been done. Large numbers of young men and young women are being brought to this centre for educational purposes, and there ia a responsibility on all educational authorities to see that due provision ie made for housing these under conditions suitable for their work. It is mainly a problem of finance. "iffie work of the Workers’ Educational Association continues to flourish in thia centre, but the extension of tho work is 'hindered by lack of funds Tho Government grant of £5OO and tho university graitt of £3OO have bef?n added to by liberal grants from various local bodies. In this connection the council,would like to direct the attention of the Government to the unfairncss in distributing money for W.E.A. purposes without regard to the extent of the university district, the population fo bo served, and the work being clone During 1920 twenty-one classes were in operation in various centres of the Victoria University district.