N.Z, UNIVERSITY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 221, 14 June 1930, Page 12

N.Z, UNIVERSITY

Reconstruction Proposals SOUTHERN CRITICISM Sir George Fowlds’s Proposal Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, June 13. Referring to the proposal of Sir George Fowlds for North and South Island universities, Dr. Hight, Rector of Canterbury College, said: “The proposal has been advocated for Wellington and Auckland university colleges for some time.

It is a fairly old one. I remember a discussion in Christchurch four or five years ago on the question whether the existing colleges should be made universities.

“It is an important Question, and I still remain strongly of the opinion that the sooner the movement comes to a head the better,” he continued. “In this I am supported by a great many, people here. The change would not Involve any additional expense, for the revenue of the present New Zealand University would be divided among the four universities constituted, and a great deal of its administrative expenditure cancelled.” Dr. High preferred the establishment of four universities at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin to the establishment of two in the North and South Islands. Divided Opinion. “The board of governors is very divided in its opinion whether a Separate university should be established in each centre,” said the deputy-chairman of the Canterbury College Board of Governors (Mr. C. T. Aschman). Some favoured the proposal, while others were opposed to it The suggestion thta there should be a North Island and a South Island university had never been considered, and was evidently a new idea of Sir George Fowlds. When Sir George said that the University of New Zealand was not doing well he was perhaps expressilng only his own opinion that Auckland University was not doing well because its frequent and heavy demands were rightly not satisfied, said another member of the board. Its demands included a medical school, an engineering school, and a school of forestry. These had not been satisfied and therefore in Sir George’s opinion the system was bad.

Discussing- the proposal for the establishment of universities, he said that the division between the North and the South Islands would probably have a worse effect in perpetuating the struggles and rivalries of the two islands than the setting up of universities in the four centres.