The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1887. HIGH EDUCATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1576, 3 May 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1887. HIGH EDUCATION.

A short time tgo we drew attention to the fact that in the South Island alone nearly three quarters of a million acres of land had been reserved for secondary education. The matter has attracted pome attention ; it was made the subject of some sharp questioning when Mr Kolleston addressed his constituents recently in Ternuka, and consequently we think further reference to it will be found interesting to our readers. Persons desirous of obtaining full information on the subject of reserves for High education can find it on referring to the Parliamentary Blue Books, Ell, 1883, in a return presented to both Houses of Parliament, on the motion of Mr Tole. From this return we gather that the reserves for University education are as follow :

It is an enormous estate set aside for University education alone, and yet in addition to it the University of Otago obtains annually a grant of £SOO. 581,826 acres are reserved for the Universities of Canterbury and Otago alone, of which 360,796 acres go to the Canterbury College. Is there any possibility of any poor man's child ever going to Canterbury College ? Let the poor man answer, and then ask himself Is it fair to have the pick of the country reserved for the benefit of the rich ? This is about the most outrageous protection we have evdr heard of. It is edifying to listen to Mr Rolleston denouncing the evils of Protection, and urging that it " taxes the many tor the benefit of the few." Can be deny that the whole of Canterbury has been taxed tor the benefit of the few who attend Canterbury College, inasmuch as that tbey'are deprived of the use of the 360,796 acres of land, which yields a revenue of ±11,751 5s per annum. It is Protection with a vengeance, yet, though Mr Eollestoa has deprived the poor man of the use of this land and handed it ever to educate the children of the rich, he begrudges the industrial classes protection for their labor. In addition to th« above the reservep for High Schools are as follow :

One would think this would be sufficient to satisfy the wants of the High School people, but apparently tbby are as desirous of getting more as Mr Bumble's paupers. In addition to the above.there was paid out of the taxes imposed upon poor mortgage-crushed farmers and working men last year the following sums :

Let it be remembered that this does Dot include the reserves set aside for high education in the North Island. We can find no record of these reserves, but we have no'doubt they are equelly as liberal as those in the South, because the salaries paid to North Island High School teachers are more liberal than those paid in this Island, and the fees charged are lees. It is evident therefore that something must be supporting these institutions, and that that something must be reserves. If we put the North Island reserves down at about £15,000 a year, we sbsll, we believe, be within the mark, and this will give us the total sum of £50,000 a year expended on high education. According to the last report of the Minister of Education the number of students attending the Universities is 437, of whioh 70 attended special lectures for artisans, and 52 special lectures for teachers. The High Schools are attended by 1669 boys and 969 girls, making a total of 2578. In the High Schools there are 74 children under 10 years of age, 1395 between ]0 and 15 years, 1020 from 15 to 18 years, and 89 over 18 years. Thus on giving high education to about 3000 scholars, whose parents can well afford to pay for them, there is spent annually about £50,000, or about £l6 per head. In reply to Mr Brown recently in Temuka, Mr Bolleston stated that be would not make any change as regards high education, and

that be was ready to fight the question at the next election. If there were nothing to determine the result ot the election but this question, Mr Rolleston would find that nine out of every ten of the electorß would vote against being taxed for high education. So far as we are concerned we should be quite willing to give the most, if not the whole, of this money for high education on the scholarship principle. At present the Boards of Governors have the administration of it, and no man who cannot afford to pay £6O or £7O « year for his child derives any benefit from it, The result is that it is alto gether a tich man's education, and that the poor cannot participate in it. If the money which is spent on high education were divided into scholarships of the value of, say, £SO each, th?n the clever son of the poor man would hav as good a chance as the clever son ol the rich man, for the scholarship would be sufficient to maintain him at the school. The State may lawfully pay for the education ot clever men ; they are required in many positions, but we do not think it right nor proper that the State sbould pay for the education of noddles whose parents happen to be rich.

Province. Canterbury Otago ... WeBtland Unsold. a. r. p. .. 306,426 1 15 .. 218,850 0 0 30 0 0 Sold. a. 54,370 2150 Total . .. 525,306 1 15 56,520

Unsold. Sold. Province. a. r. p. a. Nelson 5013 1 0 —' Marlborough , 1064 3 22 — Westland .. 5339 2 28 — Canterbury .. 17,948 1 2 3583 Otago ,. 107,725 2 6 18,178 Total .. . .137,091 1 18 10,750 This shows that there hare been reserved for Revenue. A ores. £ s. d. Universities , 581,826 11,751 5 0 High Schools „ ,. 155,849 11,682 0 6 Total ., „ 738,775 £23,433 5 6

Auckland Girls' High School £ 1000 8. 0 d. 0 New Plymouth Girls' High School .;. ... ,,, 200 0 0 Wellington College ... ... 150 0 0 Wellington Q-irls' High School ... ... 350 0 0 Nelson Girls'High School .., 500 0 0 Ohristchurch Girls' Bigh School m ... ... 200 0 0 Timaru High School... ... 400 0 0 Waitaki High School ... 500 0 0 Hokitika High School ... 250 0 0 Southland High School .- 500 0 0 Total... .„ £4050 0 0 Auosland University.,. ... 4000 0 0 N.Z. University ... ... : 3000 0 0 Dunedin University ... ... 500 0 0 Total ... (•• £11,550 0 0 Revenue from reserves ... 23,433 5 6 Grand total ... £34,983 5 6