CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 6

CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

The address of the chairman of the Canterbury College Board of Governors, at yesterday's meeting of the Board, may be described as a Budget and policy speech combined. It deal* at length with the.financial position of the various institutions controlled by the Board, showing that they are in a very satisfactory condition, aad also fContaaned a large nuanbor of proposals mostly in the direction of popularising the College and the various schools and of adding to tiheir educational value. None of 3dx Russell's suggestions can bo disregarded as unimportant, and 6omo of them have a very dLose hearing upon the welfare and development of the College. Among these are the proposals for the creation of a. Chair of Physics, the establifih'monifc of a eoheino of College sohoLirships costing £800 a year, the erection of a College library, at a cost of £2000, and that a. further effort should bo made to secure aesistajice from the public towards tho erection of tho long-desired and much-aieeded chemical laboratory. The point that will strike most people in regard to those and most of the other progressive proposals is that progress means the expenditure of a good deal of money. A Chair of Pttrysics, for instance, wiß Uindoubtedly be a step in the right direction if the College funds cam afford the extra expense. Mr Russell is satisfied that they can. Apparently some of tho additional cost is to be met

by savings at the expense of -the School of Engineering, which, it is suggested, shall receivo an annual grant of £300 from the College funds, instead of £550 as at. present. It is extremely gratifying to learn that the School of Engineering is such a successful department of tho College that it shows a credit of £943 for tho year, and if tho Board are satisfied that this happy state of things will continue, they will no doubt be justified in applying a portion of tho grant to tho Chair of Physics. But tho must remember that the school has attained its present success by the help of the grant, and that it would be very bad policy to so reduce its revenue as to injure in the slightest its great usefulness. An investigation into the various scholarships for the College and the schools leads Mr Russell to tho conclusion that the College has not dono its duty in providing scholarships, "either as re- " wards for industry and ability or as " a means of assisting deserving youths "to gain higher education." The latter is certainly a policy which must command the support of ovcryono who appreciates the valuo of education. The scheme by which Mr Russell would supply the existing deficiency includes scholarships to the College from the Boys' and Girls' High Schools, and any other schools, public or private, within the province, while others, to tho School of Engineering, should bo open to any youth resident in New Zealand. Ho would also add to tho value of the scholarships to tho School of and tho further suggestion is made that legislation should bo passed enabling local bodies to devoto part of their funds to scholarships at the various Colleges. Tho schorne

is undoubtedly * an attractive one, and if, on consideration, it is found that tho various funds which will bo called upon to provide the cost, can afford to do so, we have no doubt that tho Board will agree to its adoption. We 6hall be heartily glad if the proposal proves safe and feasible. At tho same time, Mr Russell himself, in his reference to the chemical laboratory, supplies an excellent reason, why tho Board should proceed cautiously in sanctioning additional expenditure. The laboratory is estimated to cost in all' Borne £8000. Of this the Board ' have 60 far £3200 in hand, including £81 representing , public subscriptions. Nearly £5000 has, therefore, to bo raised by some means. We cordially agree that a renewed! effort should bo made to induce the publio to give liberally towards the laboratory fond. If £110 can bo collected in Christchurch in a few days to 6end an athlete to the Olympic Games, enrely £81 does not represent the total amount that Canterbury is willing to subscribe to place upon an adequate footing a department of the College that is 'of firstclass importance. If a strong effort is made, we believe a good amount could bo collected, and we should prefer |x> see the Board find tho balance rather than- they should go cap in hand to the Government. The same remark applies to tho erection of a College library, which is no doubt a most desirable addition to the equipnKmit of th© anstatrrtron:. There aro aenoral other interesting featutres of Mr Russell's long list of proposals to "whioh wo may refer on another occasion. In the meantime they will afford the members of the Board matter for careful and sympathetic consideration.