REPORT TO SENATE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 97, 20 January 1944, Page 3

REPORT TO SENATE

Dr. Harrop’s Resignation

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 19. A report prepared by a committee of which Mr. H. F. O’Leary, K.C., Wellington, was convener, with reference to the resignation of A. J. Harrop, as agent for the University of New Zealand in London, was adopted by the senate iu Christchurch today. The reason for the delay in its presentation, said Mr. O’Leary, was that members had to await the arrival of the official file from Mol' lington. Mr. A. H. Johnstone, K.C., Auckland, had been unable to take part in the deliberations of the committee, he added, aud for that' reason he could not ask him to be associated with the report. It was" his hope that the report would be adopted without, discussion as be did not consider any further discussion desirable. The report was adopted on Ins motion, Colonel G. J. Smith seconding. The committee, it was stated, accepted Dr. Harrop’s statement that during bis years of office he had performed work and made contacts of value to the university and to New Zealand, but much of Dr. Harrop’s report contained assertions and comment, in the opinion of the committee, which if made while still an oflieer of the university would have called for action. In the circumstances, however, they might be ignored, except that as bis reference to another university official might lead to an inference that the agent’s sole employment was with the New Zealand University, it was pointed out that Dr. Harrop had other well-paid work to which he had been able to give much attention and time. As Dr. Harrop had, in effect, tendered his resignation, the university was not strictly called on to justify any action that had been taken by/ its executive committee prior to that resignatiou being accepted, but as Dr. Harrop had seen fit to discuss the matter iu the Press it was considered that the following facts should be made known: —By last year the work of the London office, as a' result mainly of the cessation of examining for the university in England, had so diminished that in the opinion of members of the executive, the salary then paid (£3oO) was not justified aud should be reduced. Details supplied by the registrar of comparative quantities of recorded work made that abundantly clear even though prispner-of-war and soldier work had to some extent taken the place of the ordinary peacetime work and the work entailed by overseas examinations.