CARNEGIE'S GIFTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12532, 20 June 1901, Page 7

CARNEGIE'S GIFTS.

DIFFICULTIES OF ACCEPTANCE. THE MILLIONAIRE'S SCHEMES. [Per Press Association.] ■ (Per R.M.'S. Mariposa, at, Auckland).SAW FRANiOISCb, May 30. Mr Carnegie has given ■ £2,000,000 to es-. tablish free education in -four Scotch Uniyersitiee—Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Sit, Andrew. He stipulates that beneficiatea must be his " Scottish felf.ow countryonen only; no English, Irish, colonial nor foreigners." The gift will apply to medical, &3 well as commercial, education, and will be placed in the hands of trustees, who will, defray the expenses of Scottish students, benefited under the scheme. • Mr Carnegie's gift created a. sensation in Edinburgh: Sir William Muir, principal of tho University, said: " I regard the gift as one of extraordinary munificence, and there is no doubt that it will largely increase the, number Of students. I Mieve that another result, will bo' the freeing of secondary e.du-. cation. ' Possibly the Government would miaka a grant for this purpose." Mr Carnegie, declares that all Scotchmen and Sco'fcehw-ouii,en shall enter the .Universi-ties-on equal terms, hence the money is not going- to students;- to pay "their fees, but to the Universities themseiVes. The system is made perpetually free, and will prdbabCyba under Government auspices. According to educational authorities, ac-, ceptamoe oi the. gift is difficulty and for this, reason. The English and some Scotch, papers, are cavilling at the method, of pre-: sentatioo; to Edinburgh. says,, editorially, that the. offer is disconcert., ing, and acceptance might disorganise the. whola educational system. It is understood in Amerioa .that Mr Carnegie. makes a, point of making the gifts in. such way as will compeil an expenditure on the part of others for the same object, and in this instance he has simply agreed to pay down a lump, sum, on condition that highereducation should be made free to his countrymen, and, whatever more is required must -be got from somewhere else. Mr Carnegie's gifts here, foT instance, of 5,000,00,0d0l to New York, for the establishment of branch libraries involves the ex-, penditure of a much larger sum by the. city for sites, equipment and maintenance. In London a review, commenting* Vn the gift, says: "We trust in Scottish rise in wrath against the invasion- of the almighty dollar, and it indulges in satire against tho idea of good Scotch families

allowing tiheir sons' fees to ba paid by Mr Carnegie. . .