VARSITY LEADERS ROUSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 636, 12 April 1929, Page 1

VARSITY LEADERS ROUSED

Forestalled on Carnegie Grants

SHARP ACTION BY SOUTHERNERS

BY forestalling an application to the Carnegie Trust made on behalf of New Zealand universities as a whole, the Otago University and Canterbury College have secured for themselves grants amounting to £IO,OOO. Though it is not yet officially confirmed, this report, published in The Sun last evening, has caused surprise and concern among the authorities of the Auckland University College who are now taking steps to secure full details of the position.

the present showing it would appear that the Southern universities have beaten the pistol and secured a big financial advantage by going behind the back of the New Zealand University after arrangements had been made to make a combined application for amounts totalling £20,000. That was the position outlined to The Sun this morning by Auckland University College authorities who are taking no pains to conceal their annoyance at what they consider a moral breach of contract on the part of the South Island institutions. ‘‘lt is another straw to our burden of discontent with the New Zealand University system of control,” said a representative of the college council. “A smart move, but scarcely an honourable one,” is the summingup of Sir George Fowlds, president of the college. “It furnishes convincing argument for dividing the present New Zealand University and setting up a separate University for the North Island.” “IT WOULD BE BOORISH” The position is that among the various Carnegie trust funds is an endowment for education in the British Empire. “We accepted the invitation to participate because it would be boorish to turn aside such an offer,” said one of the college authorities. About 16 months ago Dean Russell, representing the Carnegie Trust, visited New Zealand and discussed educational requirements with university councils and officials. Up to that time Canadian institutions had been the principal beneficiaries. After Dean Russell’s tour a conference of representatives of the four centres was held in Wellington, and it was agreed that the University of New Zealand should forward an application for a grant of £20,000 for library additions at each university. “In spite of the fact that the North Island university districts have twothirds the population of New Zealand, we agreed to an apportioning on the basis of £4,000 to each of the foutcolleges and £4,000 to be divided equally between the Massey and the Lincoln Agricultural Colleges,” said Sir George Fowlds. COMBINED PROPOSALS Each college was to formulate a scheme for extension work to cover a five years’ programme at about £I,OOO _a year. Then the schemes were to be_

forwarded to Wellington and the combined application made. “Our proposal,, together with that of Victoria College, was forwarded and was held up pending the arrival of proposals from Otago and Canterbury. It now appears that the South Island centres have gone behind our backs and secured £2,000 a year for five .years for their colleges.” The action of the Southern universities has been broadcast by reports in South Island papers which state that grants of £1,500 and £SOO a year respectively for five years have been made to the Otago University and Canterbury College. The information is said to have come through Mr. John Studholme, who provided the School of Domestic Science for Otago and who is believed to have interviewed the Carnegie Trustees while in New York. “The position on the face of it is most surprising,” said another Auckland College authority this morning. “it simply goes back to the fact that students would have more consideration if the New Zealand University control system were abolished. -It is a worn-out scheme existing in no other part of the world except the University of Wales. “In the past the hug-bear of expense has been raised, but this is a fallacy. Individual control would result in a saving of several thousands of pounds.” He observed, finally, that the fact of the Southern universities having stepped in ahead of the North Island did not necessarily prejudice the latter institutions or preclude them from participating in the grants. UNOFFICIAL ACTION Press Association WELLINGTON, To-day-Referring to the University grants for the Carnegie Trust, Professor T. A. Hunter, Vice-Chancellor of the New Zealand University, said that it would seem that Mr. John Studholme, who was not connected officially with the university colleges, had visited New York, and that at his suggestion the Carnegie Corporation has made the grants, but it was Professor Hunter’s belief that the governing boards of the two colleges had had no |>art in the transaction at all. „ ———— J