ENDOWMENTS FOR EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26186, 9 August 1950, Page 3

ENDOWMENTS FOR EDUCATION

SUBRENDER TO CROWN OPPOSED LINCOLN COLLEGE BOARD The Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, is opposed to surrendering its land endowments to the Crown in line with a recommendation of the Royal Commission into the Sheep-farming In'Ehe commission recommended: ‘That all land subject to endowment leases should be resumed as Crown land and should be leased and controlled accordingly by the Lands Department in the interests of the land and the farmer . . . the bodies concerned should be compensated or their revenues provided in other ways.” At its meeting yesterday the board received a request from the Dominion Council of Federated Farmers for certain information about endowment leases in order that it might be able to reach a decision as to whether it should support the commission’s recommendation. “It appears to me that the council could hardly make any recommendation without first hearing the opinion of both lessors and lessees Oi" endowment leases,” said Mr J. C. Adams, who signed the letter for the general secretary. “Both of these may be happy with the existing type of lease in spite of the commission’s recommendation, and if this is the case Federated Farmers would not want to interfere with the existing system.” Mr C. Hilgendorf said that the commission had recommended that all of the high country should be brought under the one lease to facilitate the regrouping of the area. When there were both Crown and endowment leases regrouping was made difficult. Mr Hilgendorf added that not all tenants of Canterbury College werje completely satisfied. Most Seek Renewal The chairman (Mr C. T. Aschman): You say some of the lessees are not satisfied. Out of 150 only three or four did not want the right of renewal. Mr Hilgendorf: The fact remains that endowment lessees pay a very much higher rental than Crown. When the chairman asked the board whether it was prepared to express an opinion on the commission’s recommendation, Mr Hilgendorf moved and Mr W.. C. Colee seconded a resolution opposing the proposal. Mr Clyde Carr, M.P., said he had noticed that grants made to Canterbury College had compared unfavourably with those made to other colleges, and when, he had inquired the reason it had been said that Canterbury had so many endowments. “I wonder whether Canterbury College has suffered on this pretext. We have got to balance one against the other to see whether we don’t lose on the swings or roundabouts,” said Mr Carr. The chairman said that income from endowments had always been considered against grants. One had been balanced against the other. Mr Carr asked if there was not a growing tendency for reserves to be handed over to the Crown. He referred to the action of the New Plymouth High School and other postprimary schools in Taranaki. Mr Hilgendorf: I think there is. Mr Carr: I am against it. ~ The board then affirmed its opposition to the recommendation and agreed to supply the information sought by Federated Farmers.