OTAGO UNIVERSITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 5592, 9 February 1881, Page 2

OTAGO UNIVERSITY COUNCIL.

Tbe ordinary meeting of th» (Rigo U*ivarsity Council wan held in the University Building yesterday afternoon ; proaent— The Chancellor (»he Rer. Dr Stuart), tho Vice-ohanoollor (Mr Joatioo Williams), Messrs B B. Cargill, J, H. Harris, and J. BathgaU; and Mr Manaford, the registrar. CORRESPONDBNCB. Tho following letter was received from Mr Jamea Maoandraw, M.H.R. : Macandrevr'i) Riy, 24fch January, 18SI. My dear Sir,—l trust I nuy be pardoned tho Hbtify of addrtssing-, through you, tin Ot*;,'o University C' uticil upon asubject which has been lonjf in my rnind, and for taking practical action with respect to which tho time, in my opinion, ia now fully ripu 1 refer to the establishment of a School of Agriculture In connection with th« Oligo Uuivorfei'y. I am persuaded that aui-.U a school, if properly conducted, would to a Urgo extant, if not altogether, be selfsust&ining. But, even ware this not bo, I hold that It would have a just cl*irn to a share of the University { endowmmt. Such wag clearly contemplated wh*n 1 the University was founded. j There are fow thine* which would conduce more to tho material prosper!iy and wlToncemont of this country than the cstabiibLrnimt of model farms ; and ' I venture to submit that the Ot&c;o Univertiisy Council j should rt (.nee fwt npait soj f>oo fierce of snit.-iblo laud > for this purpose. j Our neighbor* in Canterbury liavo Inker, tho wind 1 out of our iv»i!s in thia tnattor, and their Agricultural College ia attnwtinir pupila not ouly from different i parte of Now Zealand, but, as I »sn told, from other ( c iii'ilries also. Our neighbors havo sot m in example which wo fliouid not be slow to follow. I 1 have not bad an opportunity of viMiinj; tho C*nttr-bu-y College, l>ut understand that, it exhibits in full operation a well-conducted establishment, in which the pupild have not only an opportunity cf acquiring a practical Knowledge of the most approved systems of r.'rrieultu-nl and dairy farming, anj the ment of all kinds* of live Htock, but aho of eintincoring, surveying, book-keepin;*, njrrieultural clioniistry, botany, e'e , etc As I undei-d>tt!id U, the of jaborii»u otwential fonU-ro ia tho curriculum, ana tho stu'teuta are rcvpi'.fwl to pciform much of the manml labor cf the f*im, whereby tho college f?«j r-ra very m(xl»rate. Altogether one cannot but feel tbii'. Otajjo ia much behind in th s matter. Let mo h'.jie that the U«iversity Council may fcee its WAy ai onc-J to confer what must undoubtedly prove a very ijreat boon upon tha people cf this psjt of New 7. ;ilaLd. ' An other matter in which 1 feel very much much interested ia the establishment of a freo rofoionco library in connection with tho Uuivoruity. If 1 njifllt bf: allowed to express an opinion, it would "us that not Ice 3 than LIO.OCO b))ouJJ tc devoted to this object. Such a Mini would Via quite within twcii of the University for aach an o>j^ct. It, may perhips savor homewh/it of undue offleiousness en' n.y part to address 3011 oh tiicc matters. Nothii'g, however, covt!tl be further from my desire, and I should no; have presumed to do so but for the Lelitf that my past rclatiotis with the University may tc 'loomed fiy yourself snd colleuguoe! as a eufli-.1-ent exi.u>o.—Youre fnithfully, j J. JUcapdksw. • The Chancellor Otago University. Tho ViCB CiiANCiiLLOJi thought that it would be a very good thing to erUrg") tho , reference library.—Mr Bathgate aharad tho 1 eentimonta of tho writ ir.—Mr Cabgill : ! j tha 1 . If they went into the tna'kei they uould not borrow thai amount.—Mr Ba-uqath: Ia It not vorfch while giving it serious consideration ?—The Chancel lob : Wo have no ■ means at iroaent, however de-irablo It ra«y j be to Bstablieh an Agrioulfeural C-jiiege. 1 Tho RfcGISTfIAB fciiid ti-ii'i t;hpy had no i%?vI euitnrai laad ses aaido.—The I We should probably havo to purebaue 4(X) or J EOO aoret, and we have no funds 6) do that. I think mysolf that wo should e»y that such an iaafciiution i« very desirable, »>ad that tins Couuoil will ty-and-byo aim at extahliahing one, but at present our fiaanoe* will not admit of it.—The Vicb-Chakcsllor : We mightget inforinfiiion from Canterbury as town at thoy have don«, and what it haa cost thoin. It may turn oat that the cost will be very little aiiier all, and the fees received from tho students would nearly pay curreiii expanses. —Mr Bathuavh waa aatisfi'id that they could not borrow, buk a joint a&ook company might be got up to carry out tho Idea rnnier f.«troii»g« of the Uaivoraity,—The Vice Chancellor : Wewouldnotbejeflpohaiblo for tho etatemonta of the prosptotua. I think it would be be*t to ficd out exaotly what they hsve dono in Canterbury. I know this : that the School of Agriculture there ia au enormously rich institution. There was a reserve that was sold a year or Wo ago which brought them in 150,000. Mr Cauoill : I should like to know, Mr Chanotllor, cxscMy in what position we ; tmd in regard to cur funds. 14 ia not very long Einoe we had some diffiiul'.y in b< rrowing LIO.OCO, After making strong repreaentationa aa to Judge Willi.ims and myself obtsintd the adva.nee. Have we ever paid back tl at advance?— The Chancellor: ' We are not reducing it much.—Mr Cakgjll Baid that it was absurd to t;.lk of launching into another department of education whilst thoy wore in adv»ne« of their income. They had had a good many slonea thrown at them regarding their nnar.cop, and they y:iuafc bo very careful that they did not g» i.ito anythiug without seeing their way, Tbo Chancellor : I think we ebould at occe Bay we caunwt agree to the suggestion of expending L 40.000 on a reference library.— Mr Cabcill : Is it not Hks throwicg non'onso at the heada cf the Council ?—The Chanckllor thought shut Ihey fehouid take htops to increase the library as the. fuuds permitted.—Mr Cmuull : VVe should seiid a letter to Mr Macsndrew thaakitig him for his Huggeatiocs, and say »aat tbo Council vvillnot'bo enabled to c.irm'dar them until they have more funds in hand, but thoy will take means to obtain information on tho Ku'jsot, I tcol a little reicnihil, Mr Chancellor, at a gentleman tojupvi.-ig prominent pod'icn Mr docs throwin/-/ at us exiravagant propoaala of that sort—propr+ala altogether outiiide cf our powere, Mr Macandrcw ought to know what our position is and what our powers arc, tnd it ia icircely a fair thing to make proposals iu a grave manner that aro (■utoidc v. hat ia p.msible.—Mr Bathcate : I do not think ii iy tulMide poseibility to oatihlish an agricultural eoheol. —Mr Carcill : I thiok at prtuent it ia.—Mr Batix<?ATJs: There aro ;* number of young men in England who would willingly pay L2OO a-year for three yeard for tuition, ■ — The ' Chancellor : Tho fcea iu the Canterbury Agricultural College aro very low, tnd the ' cheapest thing & man can do is to rend bis

aon to the Canterbury school. It is cheaper than the Dunedln High School—After some further discimion Mr Bathgate and Mr Cargill were appointed to mike inquiries and obtain what information they could regarding the Canterbury School of Agriculture, Is was further agreed that the library should be extended as funds would permit. LKCIUREPS. Dr Balau was appointed German lecturer to the University ai a B&lary of LSO fpsr annum. The Yick-Chancki.lor eaid he dekired to bring under the notice of the Council the salary of the law lecturer. LSO ha considered was a'togjlhcr iusufFuient, Mr Ho'rnis gave a great deal of attention to his work, and he (thespeakoi) should pixy something approaching the proper value for tho services rendered,—The Chancellor drew attention to the fact Dr Brown, the surgical lec'.uver, received L2OO a-year, and last session had not a student. Of course that wa* not the lecturer's Lulfc, but still the Council would have to look Hut matter in the face. —It was agreed, on the Vice-Chancellor's proposition, that the; salary of tho law kclurer should be raised to LI 50, and that the Couucil reservo the right of requiring that four lociures a week should bo given if necessary.