AN EMPIRE APPEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1926, Page 4

AN EMPIRE APPEAL

MILNER MEMORIAL FUND

WELLINGTON, April 20

In memory of the late Lord Milner, who graduated through law and jotir,nali(sm to -a high Empire-building position in Egypt and South Africa, and who ultimlately became Secretary of State for the Colonies, it is proposed to create Empire-wide travel and research scholarships, for the furtherance of Imperial Development and social progress.

The Prime Minister (the Right Hon .J. G. Coates) has received a. communication from the High Commissioner with reference to cm appeal being made in connection with the Milner Memorial Fund. A small committee of which Lord Balfour has been chairman, and Air L. S. Atnery, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, vice-chairman, hits for some months been considering on behalf of a. large committee, comprising most men in public life in the United Kingdom, what would be the most appropriate way of honouring the late Lord Miljner’s melmoi'y. The conclusion arrived at was tint the system of travelling and research fellowships and prizes for the study of questions connected with Empire development and social amelioration would be most appropriate, not only because the Into Lord .Milner rogprded these two groups of questions as inseparably connected, and believed that their successful solution depended on the study and dissemination of more accurate knowledge, but also because lie was always greatly interested in helping forward younger men and giving them a chance. The scheme will he very elastic, including at one end of the scale travel-

ling fellowships costing up to £'soo a year for students visiting tho dominions. and devoting themselves to some special branch of economic study, and on the other hand comparatively small prizes to stimulate interest and sufficient just to help a lioor student through his course or to enable a. young author to get a hook published, which might not otherwise find its publisher.

The committee ijs hnxious to raise a really large fund and to secure support from every part of the Empire, and it is hoped that tho idea of the sc,heme will commend itself. The first few hundred pounds of the fund raised will he devoted to an appro* prite memorial tablet in Westminster A bliev.

It Was further stated that at a meeting of the executive committee the question of eligibility to tho prizes and fellowships was raised, and that all agreed that there would he no limitation to residents of the United Kingdom, but that the idea would ho to encourage the study of these Empire and social questions as far as the money available would permit, by students from every part of the Empire

The Prime Minister feels that the object for which the money is being raised will appeal to many New Zealanders, and he has, therefore, given instructions that facilities should ho given for those who wish to contribute to the fund to forward their amounts to the Department of Internal Affairs for remission to the High Commissioner, who will pay over the amounts donated to the trustees of •he fund in Great Britain.