A SENATE APPOINTMENT.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17853, 28 August 1923, Page 9

A SENATE APPOINTMENT.

CHAIRMAN RECOMMENDED. A MEMBER'S ADVERSE CRITICISM. The report of the College Committee, submitted to yesterday's meeting of tho Board of Governors of Canterbury College, contained the following recommendation:— , . That tho chairman of the Board (Mr H. D. Acland) be appointed the Board of Governors' representative on the Senate of the University of New Zealand, to fill tho vacancy caused by tho resignation of Professor R. J. Scott. Mr L. B. Wood said that he regretted that tho chairm-.m had given his consent to be nominated for this pesi- ■ tion. There hr.d been a time when Mr Ac-land's election to the Senate would' have- been approved without one word of criticism; but tho situation was greatly changed since then. At tho present juncture it was the obvious duty of the Board to elect a man who was a recognised authority on the subject of engineering. The Senate needed the counsel of such a man. and in the interest of Canterbury College there could be no doubt that such a man should be one of. their rep-esentatives on tho Senate. Otago University always "took care to be represented on the Senate by tho Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and by one other teacher in'the medical.faculty. An alternative was tho appointment of tho Rector of Canterbury College, under -whose direct supervision the School of Engineering h.-:d been recently placed: to elect him to the Senate would be in strict' accord, with the recognised custom of universities and university colleges throughout the Empire. He could not bring himself to brieve that it was in the best interests of the College that it should be represented on the Senate by the chairman and deputy-chairman (Mr J. C. Adams) when there were eminent men in the Board's service whose qualifications- for the position were outstanding. Rev. S. Lawry: l>o you move • anything? . .

. Mr Wood said that it was difficult to do so in view of the fact that the College Committee had made a recommendation in the matter. The appointment should be mad© by the Board.

The chairman (Mr H. D. Acland): This matter was referred to the Collogo Committee at the last meeting of the Board. »- Mr Wood said he doubted if such a method of appointment could be commended. Mr Adams said that it was more than possible that in a comparatively short time he might be unable to sit at tho Senate. From his experience on tho Senate he. knew, that it was absolutely necessary that the chairman of the Board should be there to watch the ini terests of the College. He 'felt certain thsit the interests of the School of Engineering would be as safe in the chairhands as in those of any other representative. ■ Mr A. E. Flower said that he had been responsible for suggesting, on tho College Committee, the chairman's name. Just at present they wanted « man to' represent; them on the Senate who could do a lot of good fighting. Dr. J. Hight said that the Dean of the Faculty of the School of Engineering had been appointed to the Board of Stndiea so-that the technical side would be looked-after. . ltev. S. L-awry said that he could not help thinking that, as no amendment had been moved, Mr. Wood's speech had been. very unfortunate. An amendment would have given members an opportunity of. recording their votes. Mr Wood's speech had been ungracious and unbecoming to their, chairman. He hoped that the chairman, when elected, V would feel that he had the confidence, and', support of the whole Board.

•■'■" Mr Wood, in explanation, said that ho had felt reluctant to move an amendment, and'he desireu it to be understood that lie had no personal objection-, to Mr Acland's fitness. He did not think tliat their representatives on the- should be the chairman and deputy-chairman. The chairman " said, that the matter was one of principle. He was "of opinion that the' Board's policy should bo that it should be represented on the Senate by members of. the Board and riot by members of the. staff, as it was veiy/desirable.that,on the Senate there should be representatives of the public. The -clause was adopted