YESTERDAY’S SITTING

Evening Star, Issue 18998, 21 July 1925, Page 9

YESTERDAY’S SITTING

The Royal Commission inquiring into the university system of New Zealand continued its Dunedin session yesterday afternoon. The commissioners are Sir Harry Reiehcl (president of the University of Wales) and Mr I l ’. Tate (Director of Education, Victoria). THE FINANCIAL ROSITION. Mr L. Deans Ritchie, honorary treasurer of the University of Otago, submitted evidence dealing with the financial aspect of higher education, more part icularly in relation to the University. He gave an estimate of the normal income and expenditure for the current year. Normal income. Contributions; City Council, £200; New Zealand Society of Accountants, £100; Hospital Board (for Medical and 'Dental Schools), £1,300; Presbyterian Church Board, £2,5i)0. Rents: Otago runs, £6,000; Southland runs, £1,200; Castle street, £377; professors’ houses, £352; King street, £96. Poes: Students’ ices, £20,000; assay fees, etc., £100; dental lees, £2,000; clinical laboratories, £I,OOO. Government grants: Statutory, £8,200; salaries—medical professors £3OO, education professor £350, home science lecturer £-150; Mining School, £750; Homo Science School, £1,000; commerce classes, £20(1; national endowment, £2,(UK); subsidies, £100; W.E,A.,£500; clinical laboratories, £650. Miscellaneous: Interest on investments, £3,175; national endowments from University of New Zealand, £1,000; contributions from other accounts, £850; sundries, £SOO. Total, £55,750. Normal Expenditure. Salaries, £-10,900; students, fees paid out, £3,500; equipment, £2,300; material, £2,800; library, £900; repairs, etc., £600; water, light, and luel, 01,350; insurance, £330; interest on £7,000 debentures, £102; printing, advertising, and,,. stationery, £.1,000; miscellaneous -—departmental petty cash, laundry, (Telephones, travelling expenses, etc., etc. (last year, £2,801) £2,500. Total, £56,588. Prom these figures it was evident that for the period under review there would bo grave difficulty in making both ends meet, and there would be a definite increase in expenditure next year; for instance, the new medical and dental buildings'would mean extra upkeep and assistance, and certain now appointments wore in contemplation. Prom the statement of accounts lor tho last year handed in, it would be seen that an amount of £5,517 had to be transferred from the arts and general account to meet tho deficit for the year on the Dental, Medical, and Mining Schools and the Museum. While the figures varied somewhat, very heavy transfers in tho same direction were annually necessary. Even then, as would be seen from tho evidence of the deans of the Medical and Dental Schools, the income tor those schools was altogether inadequate to meet the urgent and necessary demands, while on the other hand the transfers that were made were hampering the just and proper provision that should bo made in tho arts and .science departments tor teaching and research. The council had the assurance of tho Government that it regarded the special .schools as national schools, and it trusted that the Commission would see its way to sot out fully the financial provision necessary to meet tho requirements as set out by those most capable to speak—viz., the deans and the staffs associated with them. He would like to stress the fact that the people of Otago had been very generous in the matter of these schools, a sum of over £34,000 having been provided from gifts and bequests, most of these being for tho Medical School. While the donors were glad to have the opportunity of supporting a national school, it was quite possible that some at least of these gifts would otherwise have gone to the support of the arts and science faculty. More revenue was necessary for (1) upkeep and assistance for the buildings now in course of erection—this assistance would bo required in the almost iin mediate future : (2) financial help in the direction indicated in the other reports referred to.

There was a falling off in the number of entrants to the Medical School, a decrease that might continue, and while this would mean no material saving in expenditure for that school it would moan a decrease in revenue, a decrease which was very marked, inasmuch as tho fees of the medical students were in excess of those payable in most of the other faculties. Tho Medical School was established as far back as 1874. and the Dental School in 1907. 'The founding of this latter school was a direct result of the Dental Act of 1904. At the request of the Government - a committee was set up to consider the establishment of such a .school, and this committee reported .that it should he established in Dunedin, and the council of that day assumed the heavy responsibility ontailed. It was also obvious that financial aid was required in respect of the Mining School, a school which was founded at the direct invitation of tho Government in tho year 1877, and which had won a world-wide reputation.

From the evidence furnished by the Professorial Hoard, it would be seen that - the matter of salaries, assistance, and provision for research Mas in .serious need of attention. If the sums transferred from the arts and general account to help the special schools were available for the arts and science faculty, it would probably xneet the position so far as they were concerned, but he wished to make it plain that merely extra, assistance for the growing needs of the special schools would not meet the point, but provision should be made to obviate the necessity of those transfers. To allow the arts and science faculties to starve for the sake of feeding the special schools was entirely contrary to common sense and the desire of the community. Tt would appear that in the arts bud science faculties the departments wero under-staffed. A number of the professors were without the aid of fulltime assistants. iS T ot only did this un-der-staffing place an unduly heavy burden upon the staffs in relation to their teaching, but research was practically out of the question. In addition to this there was necessity for further equipment and refitting in certain cf the science departments, and this in turn would help research. The salaries paid by Otago University and possibly others in New Zealand wore in many cases inadequate, and ho had reason to suppose that in some cases the salary paid in _ Otago was less than for the corresponding position in the other colleges in New land. In conclusion, Mr Ritchie said that the State had assumed the major responsibility for the financial support of education, and if the money contributed by the taxpayers was to be spent to the beat advantage and full value received, then there could be no halting by the way. Those extra suras necessary to make the system thoroughly efficient and in keeping with the ideals of the clay must bo available, otherwise their graduates would lack a perfect equipment. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. _ The figures he had quoted relating to i-evenuo and expenditure were only estimates. The college fee was increased some years ago when the financial portion was bad. Separate accounts were shown for the Medical School, but the home science department was the only one in which the finances were kept in a water-tight compartment. It was contended that the deficit on any of the special schools should be made Aood by. the Gqveimmerit,, an they,

national schools and were not run for Otago only. The people of Otago had contributed £34,000 to these schools, and the public here were proud to have them in their midst. Ho did not think that they could have much progress if they had to go cap-in-hand to the Government every time they wanted a little money. Next year, when tho new Medical School was in use, the sum of £SOO would he required for a janitor and other incidental expenses, apart from teaching. Last year only £l4 was spent on books for the Dental School. Questioned regarding the reason for the decrease in the number of medical students, Mr Ritchie said that one of the causes might he tho fact that the course had boon increased to six years, whilst there were probably enough doctors at tho present time adequate lor the country’s needs. However, with the population of the country mcieasing, they could expect more s'sidents in the future. If the University to bo run strictly within its revenue it would mean closing it up.