ENGINEERING SCHOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1935, Page 12

ENGINEERING SCHOOL.

CONSIDERATION BY CABINET.

MINISTER'S PROMISE. A promise to bring up the matter of the Auckland University College School of Engineering at the first full meeting of Cabinet after the return to the Dominion of Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates was made yesterday by the Minister of Education, Mr." Smith, following a discussion with the members of the Auckland College Council. Mr. S. I. Crookee, who wai the speaker for the council, reviewed the position of the School of Engineering at considerable length, and pointed out that university education in Auckland lacked the large public endowments which the South Island colleges possessed. It had been given out that the policy of the Education Department was to recognise only one echool of engineering, but two were recognised in the South Island —one at Canterbury College and the other at the Otago University. If any department of a university college had to subsist on the fees of studente it was difficult not to nhow a loss, and the Auckland echool had to subsist on such income, together with the small amount it received in fees for testing materials. Canterbury College, on the other hand, had substantial endowments ant , about £4000 a year in Government grants. If the income from these sources were deducted the Canterbury school would, like the Auckland echoot, show a considerable loss.

Mr. Crookes said it was considered not unreasonable to ask for an annual Government grant for the Auckland school, equal to half that paid to the Canterbury school. If that were done, Auckland would not Iβ accused of running at a loss. If the Government could see its way to grant a £2 for £1 subsidy on the amount that had lately been given or promised to the school, the latt' would have £20,j00 with which to endow a chair.