The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1901. THE VICTORIA. COLLEGE COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 192, 26 August 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1901. THE VICTORIA. COLLEGE COUNCIL.

The Council of the Victoria College is not by any means a contented body. Instead of settling down to steady work in the cause of education the members are always looking round for a grievance and wanting something they have no right to. The commandment seems to have no meaning in their oyes. From the time of their cobs'itution they set themselves to seizn the Mount Cook Eeserve as a sito for the college which everyone looks forward to eventually being erected, and the revenues of a reserve set apart Bolely f jr the benefit of the children of Taranaki. So far they have been unsuccessful in both these acts of piracy, but it makes one sad to think how much good might have been done had the energy speot over these matters been used in furthering the best interests of the important institution under their charge. Unfortunately since the lamented death of the late Mr. E. G. Bauchope Taranaki, although largely interested in the doings of this body, has not; bad a representative en the Council. This is a great misfortune and something should b° done if possible to remedy this state of things. At the last mestiog of the Council eight members were present out of sixteen, and some most important resolutions were carried suggesting certain amendments in the Victoria College Act of 1897. Tncse resolutions may be divided in two sections first, regarding the election of ths chairman or president of the Council, and secordly regarding the Queen's scholarships. With regard to the firtt there seems to be no very serious objection to or any strong reason for the change, but with regard to the second series of re solutions a very important question is opened up, which r.ei ds thn most careful consideration, Ab two of the holders of these scholarships reside in Taranaki any alierations proposed must be can fully examined. Spice will not permit us to go into several objections which occur to us in thin issue, because we deem it important to place before our readers the full text of the resolutions passed by the Council; but we have little doubt but that those who have hitherto interested themselves in these matters will not allow the educational interests of Taranaki to be injured. With the proposal to divide the scholarships into two series, we are inclined to see some good, pirticularly with the suggestion to localise them so that the interests of all the districts may be secured. The following is the full text of the proposals which the Council has decided to submit te Parliament for its consideration : " Be amendments of the Victoria College Act, 1897,—Olause 15, section I—Xo strike out the word " chairman " at the end of the j clause, and insert the word " president" in j lieu thereof. Clause 15, section 2—To strike out the words " each such " in tho j first line, and insert the words '• (he first" in lieu thereof. Olause 16—To stiike out the I word " chairman's," and insert the word' " president's " in lieu thereof. Clause 17—! To strike out the words "at least once ft; month" in the first line, i liuae 18—To i strike out the word " chairman " in the first' line, at.d insertthe word "president" in lieu I thereof. Clause 19—To strike out the word j " chairman " wherever it occurs in c^nnec-1 tion with the Council, and insert the word j '• president" in lieu thereof. Clause 20—To strike out the proviso at the end of thn' clause. Olause 28 -To strike out all the i words after the word " re-election " in the second line. , As to the Quwn's Seholaisbip\—, That the Government be requested to i relieve the Council of all responsibility! in connection with them by excising clause 36 from the Victoria College

(Act on tho following amjog o v li?.r grounds —(a) That a University college j should not have the control of scholar- i ships tenable at a sec;md*wy school; > (b) that tho annual grant of ,£4OOO i 8 1 not sufficient to provide the funds ' jnecosswy 10 waoeo the retpiie dents of I 'such scholarships. Bub ii ; clause 36 boi [ deemed B?sßntia', that scholarships be j idivided into two r<nies—(l) Tho fir.t 'series to be terr.bb nt ;\ fiicoudary school; (2) the second senes to Ui tenable st ths Victoria College. Firjt Sjries.-(a) That v. he scholarships >'B open to boys arc! girls not over fouitesa years of b«9 resident in the Middle District; (b) that the tenure of t l >e scho'arship shall be four years at le'S', conditional upon the holders passing a test examination at the ead of | the second year; (c) that the scholarships be localised, so as to secure the interest of the districts connected with the college; (d) the scholarships to be awarded on one and the same examination. The Second Series.—S cond series to to oe tenable at the Victoria College and shouli be fewer than the firs'! series - (a) That not less tban one ha f of the original number of each year be be offered for competition among the holders of the first saries ; (b) that the scholarships be awarded on tho results of the University junior scholarship examination, such examination to be passed wi'h credit; (c) that the tenure of tlie second s?ries be three ye.irs. That the poverty clause in subsection 6a of soctien 36 be exercised ; that the first series of scholarships be put under the of the Education Depirtment, and that the funds necessary to provide for these be supplied by Parliament; that tbe scholarships of the second series be under the control of the Victoria College Council, and that a sum equal to the charges of the scholarships be added annually to the college grant.