WORK OF CARNEGIE CORPORATION

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 111, 4 February 1935, Page 8

WORK OF CARNEGIE CORPORATION

A Remarkable Foundation PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO WELLINGTON Tim Cariwght Corporation t>f New York, whoso president, Dr. F. I*. Keppel, Is at present visiting Wellington, Is Hus largest and most important of all the Carnegie Trusts. These trusts are In some respects the most remarkable group of charitable foundations in the world. They are controlled separately both in Great Britain and in the United States of America. In Great Britain the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust with a capital of over £2,000,000 has been mainly responsible for the great advancement made in libraries and library services. In the United States the activities of the various trusts have been much wider. The most important are the Carnegie Institution of Washington, founded in 1902, with a present capital of 32,000,000 dollars. This is a great combination of scientific research departments all working in collaboration and publishing very valuable reports. The Carnegie Endownment for International Peace, founded in 1910 with a view to the speedy abolition of international war between the “so called civilised nations" is equally well known. It has undertaken numerous economic and social history studies such as the vast and authoritative economic and social history of the world war, the purpose of which was held to be the recording of the displacement caused by the war in the whole structure of civilised society. Sets of tills great work -have been deposited in over 700 libraries throughout the world for the study of future generations. / Diffusion of Knowledge. The Carnegie Corporation of New York has a capital of over 135,000,000 dollars. It exists for “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding among the people of the United States.” In 1917 its scope was extended to include the British dominions and colonies, 10,000,006 dollars of its capital being set aside for this purpose The policy of the Carnegie Corporation is an extremely fluid one. In the deed Andrew Carnegie stated that as “conditions upon the earth inevitably change ... I give my trustees full authority to change policy or causes hitherto aided when this, in their opinion, has become necessary or desirable.” Accordingly the corporation has helped to promote adult education in the widest sense of the term, to make accessible to the public the cultural resources of the community. At one time activities in this direction were largely in the way <>* erecting library buildings. This policy has been abandoned and been replaced by the generous financing of carefully devised pioneer experiments for which, without practical demonstration. State subsidies and private liberality cannot be expected. Dr. KeppeFs Career. Dr. Keppel lias been, presuifenfi of the corporation since' 19231. He had! Baal a most diisiiingjt&tail career in. both, academfe- and admiiiisteative' aflfa&s.. He wus actively associiited wltan Ctotombia Universi'ty after- life gxadifetfijn; Era 1898. hoMtng. finally tfiitt;. positfen: o£ Faculty Deu.tr from 19®)' until 19®Sk He resigned after Ammca”s' entry into the Great War, to become an Asststant Secretary of War under Newton LX Baker. Fwm 1919 to 1920 lie was director of foreign opexatierts of the American Red Cross. When this work i eeased he became for three years wm- ■ missioner for the United States International Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Kepj>el is visiting New Zealand to acquaint himself with Carnegieactivities at present being undertaken in New Zealand. These include various educational, art. museum and library interests. In recent years New Zealand has benefited very largely from Carnegie support. There are over thirty" Carnegie library buildings, and recently the four university college libraries were each offered 15.0(10 dollars to spend on books for undergraduate reading, and the librarians o the four colleges were given valuable fellowships to study library methods abroad. The latest work in the library field has been the commission of Inquiry into New Zealand present library facilities and needs. This survey was undertaken by Mr. Ralph Nunn, the director of the Pittsburgh Library, and Mr. John Barr, of the Auckland Public Library.

Other notable instances of Carnegie Corporation activities in Now Zealand are the newlv-establlshed Educational Research Council, for which over 75,000 dollars *lms been provided, the Home Science School in Dunedin, assistance to the W.E.A., gifts of art collections to colleges and schools. J?he new art room at Victoria College has thus been provided. .