CAUSE OF EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 59, 10 March 1921, Page 8

CAUSE OF EDUCATION.

MR. BEN. FULLER'S GIFT. HI ; KIMVATIM.NAI. >CUKMK. \ trust, of which his KN.-fllen.-y the liovernor (Sir Walter Davidson, is president, has been formed to administer- .1 fund'given b\ Mr. ISenjainir. -I. Fuller to I rnvide -cholar-hips for children whose parents li.iw in.' ti" l means of alVurding higher education' for their children is'tate- the Sidney "Morning Herald"). When Mr. l-'iiller made ni- intentions in this matter known to the'liovernor a few week-ago. :i;s l.\cellency was deeply inipie-.el. nnd the offer also received the cnrdiiil endorsement of the Uoveniment. \ftcr due .-..n.-idcratlon it was decided to form n tru-i. hi- lCxcelleucy consenting to net n- president, an,l lh.' other member- are u r. T, I). Milt !i i Miii -icr of l-'.ln-•:':.•l'.', -ir Kd.c a ..rth D.nil. s'r.l. r.'e II n.'.Juie. 'TI ckii v. c 1 Mr. 1 onset! Mcplien. mi,l Mr. lien -U Fuller Tun-el;'. The initial meeting of Ill's iru-l iva- held hi (lovernmenl House under the presidency ol >ir| Waller Davidson when i.irio.i- proposals j for tne allocation of the fun I were con--idered. nnd it wa- decided to appoint a -lib-cuiiunil tec to inquire into and report upon t.'ieui. Mr. Kuller intends a year or two hence to relinquish hi- extensl>e theatrical interests, and devote the rest <>f| Lis life entirely lo tiic p'vm. tion "1 education. "To do -ometiiiiig in ihe i-aiii-e of education has been ui.\ ambition f" r \ curs, lor -nine time now it bus been my iiitcntii.il w icn 1 reach the age if -.(i it wants about four years yet to improving the facilities for higher education." -aid .Mr. Killer. "Amongst other things. I intend lo establish an institution an.l surround myself with young eiitlius'n-ts of both sexes, who will not work fur mulling, for 1 propose to tike lite whole burden uf this on mv own shoulders. Tiev will cnlbvt information from nil pun- of the world appertaining i luciUon. nnd make it available here: engage in propaganda aiming at dire ■tin, the efforts of those charged with t ie e-.lucat >n of the young in this country along the right line-; and generally constitute n body which will be an auxiliary to the existing educational bodies, acting as a watch-dog and assistant to thorn. The need to-day is not only education for the uneducated, bitf for the educated, too. The organising capacity and 'force' that one is bound to develop in a business like this. can. I believe, be of much use. 1 don't -ay that egotistically. All I want is to do the best tliiin can be done. And that, backed by tiic money that 1 have had the happy faculty to lie able to make, may accomplish something. Kor, although I have mud:.' money, 1 don't consider that it belongs I . mc excllii s'vely. 1 don't mean to let anybody take it away from mc forcibly, but 1 regard myself a- the trustee of it. charged with the duty of doing what I can with it for the nood of the world. Education is about the best outlet lhat I know of." Discussing the scholarship trust, which has just been established, Mr. Fuller said that the object was to assist children to higher education whose parents had not •the necessary means. This did not necessarily mean the children of manual labourers. "I know men getting a thousand a year." he remarked, "who have less to spare than others with only two hundred and fifty or three hundred. -Many professional men have difficulty in keeping up appearances, as they have to do, and possibly supporting needy relations, and are unible to give their children the education that they could wish. The circumstances of cases will be taken into consideration. "1 look forward to the fui vc" ad.led Mr. Fuller, "with the hope than 1 shall be able to carry out at least some of my ideas and help to make Australians better Australians, while preserving mv lov,» for the Old < ountrv and its ruling head."