VICTORIA COLLEGE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 49, 21 November 1907, Page 8

VICTORIA COLLEGE COUNCIL.

GIFT TO THE LIBRARY.

CONDITIONS OF RESEARCH. WORK. The Victoria Collego Council met last evening, when there were present:—Mr. T. R. Fleming (chairman), Sir Robert Stout, the Rev. W. A. Evans, Dr. P. Knight, Messrs. A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., R. M'Callum, H. F. Von Haast, C. Watson, A. R. Meek, H. D. 8011, F. P. Wilson, and C. Wilson. SCHOLARSHIPS AND FEES. , Professor Mackenzie ,chairman of tho Professorial Board, reported that tho Board had found it as good as impossible to discriminate between the two best candidates eligible for tho Grey Scholarship. The Board, therefore, had unanimously decided to bracket Miss M. R. Berkas and Mr. M. H. Oram "equal." ■ . ' The decision was approved. The Assistant Inspector-General of Schools (Dr. Anderson) wrote asking whether' the Dopartment was to accept the entry of Mary 'Ethel Gore, of the Waipukurau school, for a Junior Queen's Scholarship. It was explained that tho Waipukurau applications came to hand late owing to tho sudden and continued illness of the headmaster.. The Department would not in such a case accept entries for the Junior National Scholarships.

Some discussion took place on this matter, and the opinion was expressed that it would unjust'for young people to be barred owing to-the sickness of a headmaster. On the motion' of Dr. Knight, seconded by Mr. .C. Wilson, it was resolved, that, according ' to tho view of the Council, tho Department should accept the application. The rector of the Waitaki Boys' High' School, Oamaru, wrote that about half-a-dozen matriculated pupils, who were boarders at the school, proposed to take first year terms for the L.L.B. degree at the ( school . next year. Their parents intended to send (them later on to.the University, but wished them to havo the advantages of boardingschool training for a year or so.yet. He ..would like to attach tho Oamaru undergrad- ! nates to Victoria. College, as it was specially catering for law students, whereas Otago University mado barely\ any provision for them. ~ - ; / Dr. Knight said that it was very, gratifying to find an Otago master giving preference to a Wellington college, but as they had laid down the principle ,of not poaching upon other, university colleges' preserves they should reply that the request could not to complied with. , It was ■ decided to answer to this effect. Queen Scholarships belonging to Hilda B. Harding, Arthur P. Castle, and Gibbes Watson " were extended for another year. Amended regulations in connection - with the Jacob Joseph, Scholarships, two of which are given every year of a value of £60, were submitted by the' committee. Some discussion took place' upon a clause' providing that the. holder of . the scholarship shall do "at Victoria College" substantial and original work in the subjects' in wh'nh he gained honours, or in some cognate subject, to the satisfaction of tho Professorial A motion-having ,been proposed for the adoption of the report, Mr. Bell moved an amendment for deletion of the words "at Victoria College," on the ground that this provision ; placed too much restriction on the student.

Sir Robert Stout urged that everything possible should bo done to encourage individual research work at our New Zealand University Colleges. . 1 ■ • . The Rev. W. A. Evans thought that, in vjewof the facilities that were being provided, the research work should be confined to the college., , . A Member: Then you will lose the most .valuable research. • ■ Mr. Evans stated that the college had to. legislate for tho future, not merely for the present,- 1 and they " should lay down a proper principle. Mr. C. Wilson did not think that they should grant facilities for studies to be carried on elsewhere. Mr. Bell's amendment was negatived by eight votes to three, and the report adopted. ', GIFT TO THE LIBRARY. : A letter was. received from Professor Maclaurin, stating.:—As you are well aware, those who took N an interest in the welfare of the Victoria Collego from its inception realised that for some time its chief defect as an efficient instrument of university education was its lack of. a library.'' A's soon as a suitable building was obtained, the Collego Council showed that it was alive to the needs of the institution by adopting what, with its straitened finance, was a liberal policy of library administration. . . . Before severing my connection with the college, I should like to make a modest donation to its library. For this purpose I have selected from my library rather more than a hundred books that are not already in the college library. They are nearly all mathematical, with the exception of some recent' volumes of the transactions of the New Zealand Institute and the Journals of the Polynesian Society." ' ' lOn tho motion of Sir Robert Stout, seconded by the Rev. W. A. Evans, it-was, decided to accept the offer, and that the' thanks of the Council be. formally presented to Professor Maclaurin. STAFF CHANGES. , A report of the Finance Committee, and a letter from Professor Maclaurin on the subject of his resignation, were considered in camera, after a somewhat warm discussion as to the propriety of pursuing this course. When, the Conucil camo out of committee, it was reported that the following resolutions had been adopted:— "That the Council.do,hot require Professor Maclaurin to remain" in tho Dominion during the vacation. That he be paid, his salary until March 18, but such salary from November 1 will be at the rate of £700, instead of £800 per annum. "That the salary of Mr. T. A. Hunter, lecturer on mental science and psychology, be increased from £400 to £500, .and that he receive the title of Professor of Mental Science and Economics."