COLLEGE GRANTS

Grey River Argus, 18 April 1929, Page 6

COLLEGE GRANTS

From Carnegie Institute WELLINGTON, APJiIL 15. Referring to the university grams from, the Carnegie Trust, Professor T. A. Hunter, Vice-Chancellor of the New Zealand University, said it 'would seem that Mr Studholm;who Was not connected officially with, the Mniverity colleges, had visited New York and that at his suggestion the Carnegie Corporation has made the grants, but it was Prof, ssor Hunter’s ■ ueWef that Vhe .governing board of ►ho two eollegcs had no part in the transaction at all. f AUCKLAND, Anril 15.

A circumstantial report, current in Wellington University circles and supported by rec hit statements in South Island newspapers, is to the effect that grants of ,£l5OO and £5OO u year respectively for five y. ars have been made by thc Carnegie trustees to Otagoj University and Canterbury College for university extent ion work in country districts. It is stated that thc information came through Air John Q tudholme, through whose generosity the School of Domcstis Sehence at Otago University was founded, and who is 1M dieved to have interviewed the trustees while in New York.

Tho view that if the report was true, tho two South Lslan,d Colleges had gone b hind the backs of the -North Island colleges while a joint application for grants was pending, was expressed by Sir George Fowlds, president of Auckland University College last evening. Sir George described that action as a smart move, but scarcely an honourable one. To him it furnished a convincing argument for dividing the present New Zealand University, and setting up a separate university for the North Island. ' “It is difficult to believe that the report is true,” said Sir George, .speaking' "dth feeling, ' ‘ although the evidence is so s rong that it cannot •be easily set aside. If the report is true, then it reveals the most flagrant breach of faith between public institutions, or rather between several branches of one institution, that I have ever known.

After summarising the facts as h ' knows them, starting with Dean Russell’s visit to the Dominion sixteen months ago, Sir George goes on to say: “Representatives of the North Island college agreed, despite the fact that two-thirds of the population is within the northern boundaries that the £20,000 from the Carnegite Trust should be apportioned on the basis of £4OOO to each of the four colleges, and. £2OOO to the Massey Agriculture Coll .go and £2OOO to Lincoln Agricultural College. It was also agreed that each of th c four colleges should formulate a scheme for university extention work in i‘is district, to cover a five y Jars’ programme of work, costing about £lOOO. a year for each district. It was further agreed ‘hat schemes of work were to be sent in to tne University office in Wellington, wh;*re the executive committee of the University was to examine the schemes and if found in order, and in harmony with the resolution o ft he conference, application w.as to g|o forward from the University as a whole for the money required for the work. Within a reasonable time, the proposal.? of Auckland and Victoria Colleges were sent to the University office and hav e been held 'up there waiting for the proposals f-.iom Otago and Canterbury. It now appears from the report that Otago and Canterbuary have gone behind the backs of the two North Island University colleges and of the University itself, and have secured. grant of £2OOO a year for five years for their colleges, leaving the two North Island colleges, waiting for tho reports from the South Island.”