E.—7

20

Salaries of.Staff. —During the year an effort was made to improve the salaries and organization of the staffs of the University colleges, as recommended by the Commission. The need for improvement here is urgent, and it is to be hoped that an early attempt will be made to bring a better system into being. University Hostel.—lt is very gratifying to be able to report that on account of the munificent gift of the late Mr. William Weir, steps are being taken for the erection of a hostel. Progress will, however, be slow owing to the fact that the money will not be available for about three years. The Council has been fortunate in securing, after long negotiations, a splendid hostel-site from, the Wellington Hospital Board. It is about a quarter of a mile from the College, and adjoins Kelburn Park and the Kelburn tram. It is planted with many fine trees, and commands a magnificent view of the harbour. It is hoped to build thereon a building which will be in every way a -worthy memorial of the munificence of the late Mr. William Weir. Bequests and Donations.—By the will of the late Mr. William Weir the bulk of his estate was left in trust for the purpose of providing a men's hostel for students of the College. The Public Trustee estimates that the value of the bequest is between £60,000 and £70,000. According to the terms of the will one-half of the capital fund is to be expended on the purchase of land and erecting and equipping a building, the balance is to be funded and the income applied for the upkeep of the hostel and generally for College purposes. This very valuable bequest will soon provide a hostel for men which has been so urgently required for the College. In commemoration of his golden wedding (1876-1926) the Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout. K.C.M.G., P.C., has given £200 to found a scholarship to be awarded to the student who shall be adjudged by the Professorial Board to be the best student who has completed a pass degree in the previous academic year. In commemoration of her golden wedding (1876-1926) Lady Stout has given £50 to found a bursary to be awarded to the woman undergraduate who is most outstanding m (1) qualities of leadership, (2) debating-powers, (3) moral force of character, (4) fondness for and success in outdoor sports, (5) literary and scholastic attainment. School of Agriculture.—During the course of the year under review there have been several very important developments. Following on the decisions of Auckland University College and this College to pool their staffs and finances in order to establish one strong School of Agriculture, a site for the new institution was selected at Palmerston North. This work was carried out in conjunction with the senior officers of the Departments of Education, Lands, and Agriculture. The Government, having approved of the selection, purchased the site. Later in the year legislation was passed constituting the new institution under the title of " The New Zealand College of Agriculture," and with a Council composed of representatives of Auckland University College, this University College, and of the Goverment. It is sincerely to be hoped that the new College will be in a position to accept students for the academic year of 1928, as the improved facilities will be of inestimable value to the two schools concerned, and, generally, to agricultural education in New Zealand. Workers' Educational Association.—During the year the work of the W.E.A. was carried on successfully. The statistics show that there were thirty-two classes in this University district, in which 1,996 students were enrolled. On these 1,707 were " effective," and 1,433 of them attended not less than 50 per cent, of the lectures of the classes of which they were members. Former Students.—Miss H. G. Heine has been awarded the Ph.D. degree in economics at Berlin University. J. G. Myers, M.Sc., Ph.D., holder of the 1851 Research Scholarship for 1924, after leaving the Bussey Institute, Harvard University, spent some time in entomological work in the United States and other parts of America and then went to England. He has received an appointment in the Imperial Bureau of Entomology, and has recently visited Australia in connection with his duties. Miss Airini Pope, M.Sc., has completed a very valuable and comprehensive report on the culinary and dietary arrangements in the hospitals of New Zealand. She has also been appointed to the staff of the Home Science Faculty, Otago University. Dr. H. L. Richardson has been appointed research assistant to the Chief Chemist at Rothamstead. T. Rigg, M.Sc., Chemist to the Cawthron Institute, has been appointed a member of the Advisory Board to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. H. Vickerman, M.Sc., D.5.0., has been appointed a member of the Advisory Board to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Publications.—D. M. Y. Sommerville : " Peaucellier's Cell and other Linkages in Noneuclidean Geometry." Edinburgh. Proc. Math. Soc., Yol. 44, pp. 26-31 (1926). " The Development of the Ideas of Space and Time." Presidential address, Section A. Australasian Assoc. Adv. Sci. Rep., Vol. 17, pp. 140-154 (1926). " Homogeneity applied to Angles." Math. Gaz., Vol. 13, pp. 281-283 (1927). (With L. Shotlander:) " Some Approximate Circle Squarings." Mat. Gaz., Vol. 13, pp. 250-251 (1926).