Evening Post.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 149, 24 June 1904, Page 4

Evening Post.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2\, 1901. VICTORIA COLLEGE. * At the hist meeting of tho Victoria. College Council a report of tho financial position of the college whs presented by tho Chairman, showing that at tho end of 1906 there would be a deficiency amounting to over £4000. This indicates a serious position of affairs, which cannot be contemplated with complacency. Tho two nuiiii causes which contribute to this unsatisfactory result me the expenses connected with tho Queen's Scholarships, nnd tho extra ninount necessary to complete the bui'.dingß now under constiuction. In examining the fllntemcut, however, we find Ihut lli« ticpoMc ot AJ4OOO on cunvut i'ci omit is not included, while on tho other lnuul tho building account is ic-gnrdt-d in v legitimate charge on tho u-YMMio urooutit. Kafciring to back iilos which cover tha opeintionj* of the Coun-

oil we. find that at the U.jiimlng of 1903 tin) dejnwl. :h.loui''i w:vS bpl iisido in diilcr co lie i the o.tiii. liability iiiLiirred in ciiJiiijjiJitf tho tiatlung ht.iif of tho Collc^ . 'J'ho iip|Kiimmcn't of a Piofe.sMii- of Biology with a guarantied temiic of five jeai.", at a onhny of £700 a year, and a leUinor in Mcnt.ii i-'uieiicn and Pohtitnl I'lconomy ni v . v ii.«'iy of £'300 a je.iv, v, ill fi'.ivn-b *JC6OOO, th-j nnoiint ot the ilci'D 1 -!! iiccuunt'iit tiio beginning of 19Uo. Ovi ;• .ii;aiii.sL this th j (Juuen's Scholars-hip*, uYi'ctlier with Hie irjcci.i.'y u\petiie < -i connect ed with ilicin, Mich as the cokl of tfic c\aniiu ilion, etc., .ilisovbs from £'.000 to 000 i.iiiiuuliy. hJo that were the Victoiia. l'ol'c,ro placid in the Kiiino position as the Auoklanil University Cnjci;e — .which r.cjives its £1000 a venr iree of all cicumbiance.", while the Wellington i:is-ti-tution hufl to p.sy out of it« giant .six annual M'liolaihliips — the s-chemp adoptid 111 1003 v. oulcl leave the Collejjo on a f.niiiul financial b.iiiis. We have fiequenlly pointed out the anomalous position in which the Victoria Colicgo in placed .is cumpircd ■with the other collf^c.-i, v. ith no revenue-piodticum c,idowment Mich as those colleges enjoy, and with ils statutory grant saddled with a heavy burden for who arships. It v.ill he seen how hcavi'.y liandicapped the institution i 3, x as compaicd with other institutions of a similar character The fact to be emphasised is that the rc-oiyauisatiou scheme which was adopted lv.st year cairied with it the pledge that this special depont of £5000 which had accrued from revenue chirint; the first two years of the existence of the College should be &et apiul for fiiuiucirlg that scheme. ThLs arr.iiUj'ement having been made, it is clear that that deposit cannot be diverted fro'n itw original piuposc without indicting a gtavo injustico upon the- Profctruv jsud lecturer's than appointed, and without ciippliny the ust'fiuiiejss of tbo College. The ■lefirier.cy pointed out by tho Chairman in his memorandum arhes from the building accaunl, and not from tho revenue account, and to meet it by lnixiiifj up the two accounts is not calculated to cfctablich sound finance. Towards tho font C'f building the College the Government h.ta ])ledged the countiy to the amount of £J25.000. This leaves a deficiency on the building itself, apart from tho (uvtushiitg, of about £2500; and tho real quesLion wliich the Council has to face i», llow is that deficiency to bo met? In the meant imo the pressure need not be regarded as acute, because progress payments aro to be made by the Government; this meets nil immediate- demands. It cannot bo contended that sucn expenses j ufi architect's fees, the salary of the clerk of work.*, etc., aro not ,as legitimate chnrges ou tho building account as are tho expeiibCH of Iho cctuul construction! of tho building. But this only pot'tponeo and duos not tolvo the- ultimate problem; the only way out nf tho difficulty ia by nil ajipeal to tho genet osity of tlu> public. The il'niver.-sily i.s not- an institution that belongs to one district, or to one daws, It is iv Middle. District Institution — it concerns Tarnntiki and llnwkes Bay, Mnrlborough, Nelson, ana Wcstland, as much «» it conconirt Wollingtoii ; and it would b.i alibuid to contend that the existence, of the College, as. tho centre of higher education for tho most populous district in tho colony » to be left solely to the care of the. Central Government. The Mictrih) District is not wilhout men who know tho value of uuiverMty education, and who are prepared to contribulo towaida extending it 3 influence and increase its usefulncfs. Wo think that the time hiis conift when the- Council should devise means for bringing the claims of the College prominently before the public. H wiiß but right thai proposals for private subscriptions should have been deferred until it was known what tho Government would definitely contribute towards the cct>t of the building. Now that the amount has been fixed tha 'Council should take the load, and lay clearly before tho public the naeds of thu College, and wo feel Mire Unit uuch appeal will bo responded to.

Tho waiil-of-confidenco motion passed in tho Queensland House of Assembly was moved by Mr. Cribb, a member of Mr. Philp's Into Ministry, on tho Ad-(lress-in-lleply dobate. It is the first direct challenge tho new Morgan Ministry has had. Tho present Government is a Ltibour-Libenil coalition, and came into office at the and of the last session. Some of ita iidniinistrathe acts have been much criticised, and no explanation of them wns offered by the Promier on the Mouse- resuming. Tho aclioti of tho Oove.ninii')it» in lepiieviny; the Matdoimlds, sentenced to death for a brutal outrage on a Kirl, resulting in her death, caused a good deul <>f indignation. Somo of the reccsy appointments to the Legii-l.i-tive Council and the Public Service were al.sci adversely ciitici.sed. The Governor's Speech included promise of 11 Bill for abolition of the pluial and substitution of the iidult vote. With Mich amendment of the fninohiso tho pros>ont Government 1 would be certain to win on an appeal to