9

E.—7 a

in any one college students who are taking the first year's work for the ordinary degree, the second year's work for the same, senior scholarship work and honours work; and at each stage the set authors, composition, and sight translation must at least be provided for, and several of the classes will meet two or three times a week. In mathematics the same divisions of the subject occur, with the addition of the mathematics of the second and third stages for the engineering—not to mention the fact that .the honours programme in mathematics contains a large number of different subjects for which room must be found. This fact also is not to be forgotten—that any alteration of the University programme may affect the staffing required in the teaching colleges. If we assume that we have the staffing necessary to secure efficiency with the present numbers in the arts and science courses, say, at the University of Otago and Victoria College (which now have the largest enrolment), then the question arises, What additional staff would be required for a larger number of students, and what would be its cost ? Could the latter be met by the fees of the additional students ? In the University of Otago the fees for any course in Latin, English, French, or mathematics are £3 3s. The present numbers taking those subjects are 99, 118, 44, and 58 respectively, while the number taking the arts course is 221. The staff suggested as the type is in the case of each of these subjects one professor and one teacher, and it is safe to say that the additional fees paid if the number of students were doubled would provide the salaries of the necessary additional lecturers in any of these subjects, and leave something. over for the slightly increased cost of administration and maintenance. The addition to the fees would not, however, provide the necessary addition to the buildings. In physics, chemistry, and biology the fees are the same as in the literary subjects, with the addition of laboratory fees of £3 35., £3 35., and £4 4s. respectively. These again would provide the salaries of the additional lecturers and junior demonstrators, and the additional cost of administration, maintenance, and material, but not the additional class-room and laboratory accommodation. In Victoria College the ordinary class fees for such subjects as those named above are only £1 lis. 6d. (half of those in Otago) ; the laboratory fees are £3 35., together with a fee for material in the case of biology of ss. On this scale, the additional fees would scarcely suffice to provide the salaries of the additional staff required. The remedy would be to raise the scale of fees in Victoria College to that in the University of Otago. The argument that the raising of fees would keep out deserving students could be met by providing bursaries (equal to the full cost of tuition) for all those who had proved beyond reasonable doubt their fitness for University education. It would be much better to give subsidies to the College in this form, which does not thus risk an injury to its efficiency by the admission of unsuitable students, than to give it an additional grant to enable it to charge fees low enough to encourage the entry of all and sundry. The suggestion made above that the cost of the additional staff required would be met by the additional fees would not, however, give as generous a staff in the arts and science faculties as we find in the Universities of Birmingham and Leeds. To reach that standard the fees should be £21 or £22 per annum for the arts and science course, which are probably too high to be considered. Day and Evening Classes. I have no intention of discussing the question of day or evening work. I merely assume that, as at present, the regulations of the University will permit the work to be done either in day or in evening classes. It is only fair to admit that the standard of work should be set by the day students ; and, if this be so, those who are occupied during the day and are thereby prevented from attending any other than evening classes should be allowed to take a smaller group of subjects at one time, and so consequently to spread their degree work over a greater number of years. This would not, however, do away with the whole or partial duplication of the staff that would be entailed by the carrying-on of both day and evening classes in the one college. I could hardly, therefore, make any other assumption for the purpose of the present inquiry than that the present arrangements as to day and evening classes are to be continued. Table F shows the total salaries of the teaching staffs in all faculties of the four University Colleges (omitting the amount paid by the Education Department for the lectures in education). Fees paid to professors are included in the salaries.

Table F.—Total Salaries At Rates paid, 1912. (Adjustment being made for changes on staff, &c.)

(a.) Includes salary for professorship in mining (vacant). (6.) The salary of the Professor of Geology is charged half to arts and half to mining. The salary of the Professor of Physiology is charged to medicine. The salaries of the Professors of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology—subjects taken by medic il students as well as by students in irts and science—are charged entirely to arts and science, as little I no increase of the staff has been made on account of the medical students. (c.) Does not include pensions paid to emeritus professors.

2—E. 7a.

Institution. Arts and Science. Commerce. Law, Home Engineering Medicine and Science, and Mining. Dentistry. Music. Total. Auckland Victoria College Canterbury College £ 6,400 6,700 7,100 £ 250 250 150 £ 200 1,500 450 £ £ 1,550(a) £ £ 150 £ 8,550 8,450 10,820 2,900 / 3,950 ) { 810* J 4,760 220 Dtago 7,040(6) 170 130 750 1,150 14,000 27,240 820 2,280 750 5,600 370 41.820(c) * i lentistry.