SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1934, Page 5

SCHOOL OF FORESTRY

CONTINUANCE NOT JUSTIFIED

Tho closing of the School of Foiestry at Canteibury College was lefeired to by the Ministei of Education (the Hon. R. Masters), in: a statement made last evening.

It the school weie continued, said the Ministei, it would mean that tho cost per student to the taxpayer -nould be about £120 pei annum over and abovo the foes paid. He pointed out that it had been neccssaiy foi the Government to pi o vide considerable additional financial assistance to Canterbury Collego to enable it to continuo the oidinary functions of tho college.

"Tho Canterbuiy College," said Mi Masteis, "has suffered a loss ot neaily £0000 pei annum from the fall in lents trom endowments due to the dcpiession, and, as a lesult, it has been necessaiy to inciease the Government giant for aits and geneial purposes. The Government giant of £1000 per annum to the School of Foiestiy was withdrawn fiom April 1, 1932 The loss to the college on the school in 1932 was £653 and tho loss last year uas £766. Tho estimated loss m 1934.is £959, and-by tho end of this year the estimated cash deficit in tho School of Forcstiy account will bo over £3000.

"In 1931 thcie wcie 26 foiestry students, in 1932 the number had fallen to 15, in 1933 to 9, and foi the fiist teim this year only 8 students aie in attendance, two of whom aie fiist-year students If the school weie'continued it v ould mean that the cost per stndent to the taxpayer would be about £120 per annum over and above fees paid by the student. It has to be remembeied also that theie is a suiplus of tiained foicsteis m New Zealand, and a number of ex-students of the School of Foiestiy cannot obtain piofcssional woik, and are employed m a numbei of cases as forest labouiers Theie is, therefoie, no justification for the continuance of the school at the picsent time."