A BENEFACTOR'S CENTENARY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21639, 25 November 1935, Page 9

A BENEFACTOR'S CENTENARY

Work of Andrew Carnegie GREAT EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENTS The centenary of the birth of Andrew Carnegie, the famous philanthropist and public benefactor, who died in 1919, takes place today. To mark the occasion facsimiles of a portrait of Carnegie by F. Luis Mora have been sent by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to various institutions which have benefited by his gifts throughout the world. A copy of the portrait, which is framed and closely resembles an original oil painting, has been received in Christchurch by Mr C. W. Collins, librarian at Canterbury University College. Accompanying the portrait is a series of seven posters setting forth Carnegie's philanthropic aims. These have also been received by Mr E. J. Bell librarian of the public library. The amount of Carnegie's benefactions at the' time of his death was about £70,000,000. Born in Dunfermline in Scotland, he had gone with his parents to the United States at the age of 13, at a time when his father's trade of handweaving had suffered severely from the depression of the "hungry forties," and the introduction of power looms. After being employed in various occupations he made a fortunate investment in railroad stock which led ultimately to the steel interests which brought him his huge fortune. It was about the end of the century when ne decided to cease "the struggle for more wealth" and take up "the more serious task of wise distribution." He formulated his views on the duty of a wealthy man in the following statement:—"This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: to set an example of modest unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent on him: and after doing so to consider all surplus revenues which come to him merely as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which in his judgment, is best calculated to provide the most beneficial results for the community—the man of wealth thus becoming a mere trustee and agent for his poorer brethren."

The manner in which Carnegie lived up to his ideal is well known. Libraries in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, are the most famous of his endowments, but his philanthropy took many other forms. He built the Palace of Peace at the Hague, gave sreat assistance to university, technical, and school education, and inaugurated a "hero" fund for the recognition and compensation of those who lost their lives or were injured in efforts to save or serve their fellows.

Benefits to New Zealand

In order to assist him in carrying out his educational work and to secure its continuance after his death Carnegie established a number of corporations, including the Carnegie Corporation for Education, from which New Zealand has received much assistance in recent years. . Representatives of the corporation have visited the Dominion in recent years to ascertain how the grants have been used and where educational and cultural activities require further stimulation. It was early realised that university libraries were hopelessly inadequate, and already Victoria Universitv College has received a substantial grant. Canterbury College and the other university colleges have been promised similar - grants for books when they are able to comply with certain provisions for the erection of suitable buildings and the undertaking of other responsibilities. A report on the libraries in New Zealand was made last vear for the corporation, revealing what was considered a very unsatisfactory state of affairs. The corporation realised that adequately trained librarians were necessary if the libraries were to bp effective, and consequently travelling fellowships were gi anted to a number of librarians in order to enable them to take courses of training in the United States.

Apart from financial grants the libraries have benefited in other ways under the Carnegie endowments. Various publications are regularly received and gifts of fine collections of books on art and music and reproductions of famous works of art have been made to the university college libraries. Travelling fellowships are also awarded in other spheres of educational activity outside library work, and several New Zealanders holding key positions in the educational world have taken these fellowships.

Workers' Educational Association When, during the depression, the Government and many local bodies withdrew their grants to the Workers' Educational Association, the corporation came to its assistance with a substantial, but diminishing grant to enable it to survive till the return of normal times, when it is hoped that the country will again shoulder the responsibility. Several grants have been made to foster extension work in the teaching of home science at the Otago University, and a big scheme of rural home education is now operating in Otago and Canterbury. But it is to educational' research that the corporation seems to look for the most fundamental stimulus to educational effort. In 1934 it appointed a Council of Educational Research consisting of representative educationists from the four university districts. It made a grant to the council sufficient to cover its activities for a period of five years. The council is just completing its first year of activity. Already work of considerable importance has been accomplished by research workers throughout New Zealand, and the council expects .to begin publication of its researches in 1936. These researches deal with all branches of educational service and should pro-1 vide most valuable information. I