New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4873, 3 November 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3.

.Ix i 3 reported, ; wlieiliev correctly .or not we cannot at present say, that in conse‘quenca of being unable<.to coraplyUvithone of iho regulations published by the 'New Zeal an 4. U nivenu ty on the 3rd Jiirie last, the Wellin"ton : College is likely to ■lose the subsidy of £3OO :from that bpdy, The regulation referred' to is as follows “It shall be shown to the satisfaction of the Senate that such institutions are competent to supply,through.their professors, lecturers, and teachers, a three years’ course of instruction in'' Latin, mathematics, and not less than three of the other subjects of study prescribed for the B.A. degree.” How a grainmap, school, such as the Wellington College is, could comply with the regulation, is a puzzle. Where, in the first place, are the students fit to receive such instruction ? Where, again, if the students were here, are the professors and lecturers with leisure time and unexhausted energies to impart the proper sort of instruction 1 There is, we believe, only one lecturer, Mr. Kirk, and of that gentleman and his work we cun only speak in terms of high praise. His work speaks for itself in the fact thal his pupils are, we believe, the only pupils of this school which have been distinguished in the University competitions. But one man,- however eminent in his special sphere, cannot- change a school into a college, or the, pupils of a school into young men fit for the work of College classes. If therefore it prove true that this subsidy is not to be continued, we are hot surprised at it. Bat our chief object in referring-to the matter now is to notice another part of the same rumor. -. This is to the efiect’ that the subsidy of £3OO which the University refuses has been, or is to be, recouped to the College, by a grant of -£SOO from the General Government; oh what grounds • given, or from what fund supplied, we are not able to say or to guess. ‘ It is also said that this money is to be appropriated to supplementing the salaries of the present masters of the. College, and upon this point, if true, we are able to say ■something; and to say it plainly too. If this particular part of on)' .information be correct,' it will not surprise us ; for ic is only ’a repetition of what was done 011 one previous occasion, with a sum of the same amount, which-was given by an-qxfi traordinary vote of' the-Provincial Council, and divided among ,the masters.

Now, what are the salaries of these masters, which it'is.-thus assumed' are so unreasonably low as to need this periodical refreshing? They are thus given by the head, master (Mr. Win-. son), in his report of the 19th Juue-. las.t, addressed to the Superintendent:— Principal, £7OO ; second master, £400;; mathematical do., £350; assistant do; 1 ,-- £250 ; modern languages do., £2OO ; natural science do., £450 ; and so on. We will take upon us to say that these salaries will compare not unfavorably with those of any similar institution either in this colony or Australia. We know of our own knowledge that in'Australia gentlemen of the very highest scholastic attainments can be procured, and will cheerfully do their duty, for 'a less salary than that of the second master of the Wellington College ; and the same remark applies- proportionately to the others. Now see how this system, or rather want of system, works. The former extraordinary grant of £SOO made by the Provincial Council, instead of being expended in procuring additional lecturers, so as to bring up the character of the College to : the requisite standard of an affiliated institution- (which it would have gone far to do), was shamefully frittered away in the manner we have described, leaving the College just where it was as to academic status. Now comes the Senate with its regulations, and asks what are you doing in the way of- lectures, &c. ? • Oh, we have no money, &c. Well, then, says the Senate, since you cannot fulfil our requirements, • we can’t allow you the £3OO. Then comes the College in forma pauperis to tho General Government, asking for another £SOO, to be flung away as before in division among men already handsomely paid. i i'-si-G- ; The whole thing is not creditable, to Wellington. If these-masters of the Wellington College are not able to-live upon the salaries allowed, or if they consider them inadequate to'their-abili-ties, then, we say, let them resign, and we say confidently there will, be no difficulty at all in procuring as good or better men to fill their places; and men, too, who will not be every now and then whining for more money. • We say distinctly that the way that former £SOO was spent, instead of rising .it to raise the academic status of the College, and make it to some extent at least worthy of its affiliated character, was nothing short of disgraceful. And if the same thing is now ‘again to be perpetrated, it is monstrous; and the people of Wellington if, with their, eyes open, they allow it, will be implicated in the discredit, and will deserve to sink down in the scale of educational rank in the colony.- These - things are done for, the simple reason that it is almost impossible to get people here to attend to anything which does not directly affect - their pocket. We -are tempted to believe of, our- fellow-colonists, as Mr. Butler said of the Erewhonians—“They were really a very difficult people to understand, Provided they did not actually see the money dropping out of their pockets, nor ‘suffer immediate physical pain, they would not listen to any arguments as to the waste of money and happiness which their folly caused them.” We prefer commenting on this matter now, i and perhaps being told, “ Oh, you. have found a mare’s nest,” to ; waitirtg until- tho thing becomes an accomplished fact. . This, is the case with another matter connected with this institution, which unfortunately is now an i accomplished' fact ;' but it is, of such a nature that. it will bear going back upon,,and wo .moan to show it up. Wo may say, however, that in the.: matter we refer to the. governors are so far blameless. ‘ ■ -■ : ; i ■— .

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