CARNEGIE GRANTS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 225, 19 June 1929, Page 12

CARNEGIE GRANTS

OTAGO UNIVERSITY’S POSITION SIR JAMES ALLEN CHAIRMAN OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, June 18. Any doubt that may exist in the north regarding the position of Otago University and Canterbury College in relation to the grants recently made by the Carnegie Corporation should be dispelled by the correspondence which came before the University Council to-day and the statements which were made at the meeting. The subject was brought under discussion by a communication from Sir James Allen, chairman of the New Zealand committee representing the Carnegie Corporation, stating that at the request of Dr. F. P. Keppel, president of the Carnegie Corporation, he had accepted the chairmanship of a New Zealand Advisory Committee. This had been given entire responsibility for the disposition of the Carnegie corporation grant. The sum of £l5OO is allocated to Otago University for the extension of home science teaching and £5OO to Canterbury College for the extension of, W.E.A. work in country districts. Sir James Allen asked the council to submit proposals for carrying out this scheme. The grant is an annual one for five years.

The chancellor (Hon. T. K. Sidey, M.L.C.), said he would like to remind members of the council that the recommendations regarding the proposals for university extension work had been forwarded to the New Zealand University, and the registrar of that body had sent to the Carnegie Corporation proposals on behalf of the four colleges. So far no official communication had been received in reply. It seemed to him that it would be premature to consider the communication from Sir James Allen until they had received an official reply to the letter sent by the registrar of the New Zealand University to the Carnegie Corporation. Mr. J. Rennie said there was no complication about the £l5OO. Mr. Sidey: In our letter we suggested that the amount should be £2OOO for each of the four colleges. A motion congratulating Sir James Allen on his appointment as chairman of the advisory committee in New Zealand was carried unanimously. Sir James Allen stated that he had sent the following cablegram to Dr. Keppel on May 16: “Letter received; pleased to act. Does New Zealand University communication to you April 11 affect position? Telegraph reply.” Dr.' Keppel’s reply was as follows: — “Made definite grant to cover plan outlined in my letter April 11. New Zealand University-communication, April 11, will be considered on merits at autumn meeting of our board.” Mr. J. Rennie moved: “That the council accept the gift from the Carnegie Corporation with thanks.” He said he did not think there was the slightest danger of complications, especially in regard to the £l5OO They were not in competition with any of the other university colleges in the matter, which in the end would really be beneficial to the others. The idea was that they should extend, taking in Canterbury next and then Wellington, and that the extension should eventually cover the whole of New Zealand. He was sure they were grateful that such a gift should be offered to the university. The motion to accept the gift was carried, and the matter was referred to the Finance and Home Science Committee.