SCHOLARSHIPS ENDOWMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 80, 25 September 1911, Page 7

SCHOLARSHIPS ENDOWMENT

INTERESTING REPORT. At the monthly meeting of the High School. Board held on Wednesday the following report was presented by the sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. lfutcheii, MacDiarmid, and M. EyreKenny, appointed to go into the question of the Taranaki scholarships endowment: —

The committee. appointed to inquire into the above subject consider it advisable to record the origin and development of the endowment for the twofold purpose, of arriving at a proper understanding of the subject of facilitating references to it in the future.

By the University Endowment Act, 1868, certain hinds, including 10,000 acres of confiscated land t» be set apart in the province of Taranaki, were declared to be a reserve for the endowment of a Colonial University to be thereafter established, and the management thereof was vested in the Governor, with power to grant leases.

The New Zealand University Act, 1574, which reconstituted the New Zealand University, contained the very important provision, in section 30, that the proceeds derived from the above» mentioned 10,000 acres of land should be dealt with for promoting higher education within the province of Taranaki. The next step was the passing of the Taranaki Scholarships Act, 1905, I>> which, in fulfilment of the purposes before mentioned, certain specified lands in the Opakti and Carlyle Survey Districts, containing an ami of oftsfl acres, were set apart and vested in the Public Trustee ns an endowment for providing scholarships to be called "Taranaki Scholarships" for the purpose of bringing higher education within the reach of deserving scholars within the Taranaki Provincial District. i The terms and conditions annexed to the scholarships which your committpfc consider it necessary to be set forth are as follows: They are to be awarded an j nuallv on the results of the junior scholarship examination of the University ot, such other examination n« the Senate, with the approval of the Minister of Education, decides, but no scholarship is to be awarded unless: the candidate oil, tains credit in the examination:' n(it, more than one scholarhip can be- a warded in any year to any school;, the scholarships are of the annual value of £OO,, and are tenable for three years, but may be extended by the Senate for ope year more; and (.as amended bv the Education Act Amendment Act, 1007) they, are open to candidates who have : re-, sided and attended a school within the Taranaki Provincial District for not lejs than two years, <vho are; between the ages of 10 and 10 years; who have, n<H Biatrkulated «nd haVe not carried ion, their studies at any college. One 'of the conditions is that every scholar .shall at the end of the'second year one section of the degree «f Bachelor of SciepOe. unless excused by the. Chancellor of; the. University, but, in litem thereof, he maj% with ' the ■permission of. the Chancellor,, entfcr rfp'oii'« eonrtc ef-study-in abriuwh. of applied! science/ Yi . .«• .i The provisions- of thfl. ; ;l«st r nKHU9 n ?4 ; i statute and its . amendment ,iare.. noTVj,,ihcorporated'ini',the; Bilueqtioji A«t» section 7-8-and 85 inclusive.. , ~. L .'

■The .'final;istfcp->in -He <fmrf>e.,pf icgi»- : ilation was the pawing of'; the .TfirifiwikV ■Scholarships-i Endowment;t Which vested' the reserve .in (be Qrqwn,. to be administered by the d,. Board, with pwer to lease, at a 5 eont." rental for 'rencwalrle-.twrmj; -pf J3 j year*:' 'The roVennw W a.ljiwted ,l,iybe paid U».<lh« Public frii'leijH atjd- to.be ■invested bv him «#-.i>!pt,'.of,)Lhe ( ,fjomm()n fund 6f ■ the -Public fTr'iwt Olfiett/ and ,np- p plied for thc< pnrpwH, of the. ti'int. >t FA v , istinf;' le'iiws ttn ibc surrendered; fit time. beforei'the-nfli}: of-the to lie replaced'i by new leases.., granted. I Undel' ! tll« _\C,t. • ;i > •; I The reserve contains IS M-dions all, of which, H)H"'leasSfliJ' ivith*;l he exc.ept.i.ln' of a small section., of 23 acres on' life i Whenudkura'river us«<l i»s ;fi ljntljnp re-, serve; Th«<>own («' terms .oLJKM'Ws. ,with : i out riplit of: ,renewa!> h»t >vi,t|( right t<>' compensation for improvements up to •£3 !j)«r acre,'; .T,wo leases.,\vi;re. "ranted by the Public Trustee., dlirififj^his,-/lir.. ministration'for teruiv <l/ .fel• vt>ii,rn, ,without' right, of-renewal or, j The halauct-l-ilwi-.oj...tl!e..Pnldic Trust' Oft'iee, "presented to Parliament durinfe the present Wffion, v s)inws that tiic aj', cumulated reMj6<<'on4lar!*h .11 last vtqfi] £o4Sfi ISs M. the revenue for the paqt year bem} ""{nil??? and "tlic~~c\-penditui!e , X27li4s ..W'i Accordi/ij* to tlm presertt' regulations of (be Public 'J'rust. Office, the fund ei|in? interest the...rale wf' 4 per' cent, and js f>.uhjfct to a chnrjje of 1 jicr' ijlnjje' iiv' flic office ojv p'oss receipts. 'The current leases yieljl an anhaal rental .0/ .StWij i«'. the linlanejft ! 'of f)('ili« di'f'ouiiicd : by Wntcrest on' 'the •)V('"'n i iic I .' :, 'iw rental will not' ipcr(;H.siV' : 'ii , uli.l / 'ilie' tcajr 'TO2S,' Wfen 'the rto'nfervfc'*Va?;>'«• -wiU'-jtpjriJi 'to fall' ill'; t.fiey ah 1 ' 's-nrrefnTerffl 'for 'fresh leases fitiforc the" cm! ilf'tliiis yeaivb'ut'tlW' interest, on'tlie fiuKl sentinj; the' 'iiccn.inulatisl Vcyeiiue Vill continue to increase year by year, unless some means are devised for ni.ikintr tfiore use of the.'fund than is''possible at pve|-| sent- ' '' I '. : '

■The Xow Jflyiriont.h IHph Selino]- i«' the only spt-onilary' scliool in tlM'l'rovTncinr Dist riff-. Thwi» arc* iliHrict' Mgli k*ht)bfci' providing "wwiifUi-r.v : defHiriirieiit* of : Stratford. Tln'wera, anil'l'atea. in?* io the report of tlic Minister of Education for 'thp-yra-r-HHl!) i H. —I'. S), tlic course of instruction usnallv follow en ill secondary departments of dis'.ric, liifli *<!«)»•« nor v\<i-iiil licvoml Hid matriculation exainination. lint, in a few schools ii reaches' to ttii v "'jiiiiior L'ni sitv- scholar-hip niitt.ce uudcr-tand that, tln* Minist-i'i?' .sl'ltelncnt O.C I'oa appl.ies to tbo • ' <lf«l.rici ' liiyli. ,<'liiio!,< v a' pilj.il of .Stratford . vy.is'.'iiwanli'i!. a.. TjU:l f nalci Scholarship la-t. yrar. and' llit;rei»y showed that Hie lrirher st;nn!:>l'd'ii' lie reached--a! tb.tl sclioiiL , , . ' If each <if,■ t.h<.'.,.tlirr ; ii-t liiuli school} were at once ' inaile properly i|nalilic.) for supphif.;:-candidates ff.r the sclw.t-: ai-hips. ;a!.'('l ""'f.l'C; .villi 1.1,e N'ew IM' !l ' i-omu!et,e ' of, th'i l ;. <^ito«;n>ni. - i>v sendin: 1 ' iip a successful schoh'll; 'e.'icll vear. ill time vears'' tinii' t'licy vvou'u each Ji'.M i.cliol.^. c<nn-nrrcni.ly, 01' 1 went "■ fiMi:' ;n all. liy that tiro; t lie amount .of tluT lU'ciiiiiulai.cd .funds would lie -Mi'li that ,ihc 'animal rev.'eui! V(.uld lie .s'liljee'iif to maintain L.11:.I, 11IIni 1 f!" of -cliolars. ieavinj;, I lie aeiWii'i]hi lid fa ml inliet.. In jive veals'' '('i'lic Oil oil school nielli 'liold'nine scliolars''i!'|is loiiciiiTentlv if the 'revenue were jsillliic'liit to niaintain that rmniher. Xine is the niiiximnni niimher lhat'it is pos.uble for any school to hold. ' ' Your committee rec.nn-inse that no

irroal increase in tile liunilter of scholarsliij- holders can t»' expected under tln'| jnesent eondil inn of secondary education in Taranaki. Tlicy arc of I lie opinion (liat I lie terms of the endowment. Ktumhl in' i>:ui'nili'i! !•• In allow of more than one scholiarsl.ip licinsr awarded (o a m iigiil in at!" year. Tlicy arc at.; i of the opinion that this accumulated f'niu. ! or a portion of it at all events, should j lie applied for improving the Xew PlyI mouth Hidi 'School and the secondary departments of th.i .tistrict high ieJiools

and thereby providing for the ad-an.'c-ment. of higher education in Taiv.n.iki. To that end they advise that a conference of the members of the 110.i.-e of Representatives and Legislative Ciw.icillors for the Provincial District should be called early next year to and discuss the subject. 11, has been suggested in the lions.of K< prcsentatives that the stmniktot qualification for obtaining scholarships should be lowered. Your committee have considered that suggestion, am! cannot recommend its adoption. V iiur committee are furthi r of the opinion that, the condition rcquiridu' scholars to pass a section of the deg.ee of Bachelor of Science or to take up a c.iO'm; of study in a branch of applied scimcc is unnecessary and should, if pi ssilde. be amended. Mr. Hutchcn moved the adoption o! the report, and Inat the. proposed conference should take place during ihe fourth week in January next. .Mr. MacDiarmid seconded, and -.uVr a short discussion tin; motion was mined. Mnnbers spoke in eilcgi'tic termi of ta.; great deal of thoughr. liiat had beon given to the Air. llutcn'ii and to the excellence of his report.