UNDEMOCRATIC.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16567, 3 June 1914, Page 7

UNDEMOCRATIC.

CONTROL OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE. CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNING BODY. CONDEMNED BY BISHOP JULIUS. The constitution of the governing body of Christ's College is freely discussed just now by those who are interested in the institution's career. It is felt by many that tho system of appointing tho controlling authority is undemocratic, and that it should bo brought more into lino with modern ideas. The governing body is what is known as a close corporation. It was set up wheu tho College was established by an ordinance of the Canterbury Provincial Council in 1855, five years after ' tho arrival of the first four ships. It consists of a warden, who is Bishop i of tho dioceso, a sub-warden and a number of Fellows of the College. Fellows who are not members of the Anglican Church cannot be appointed to the body. Tho first body of Fellows war, nominated by the Church Property Trustees, tho founders of the College. The Fellows are appointed members of the board for life, and when a vacancy occurs it is filled by the board itself, not by election from i outside. • In drawing up the constitution, it is understood, the founders of tho Collego followed tho lines set down for most of the public schools in England. Later on tho constitutions of the English schools were changed, but the constitution of Christ's College has remained unchanged ever since, the board itself electing Fellows to vacancies when they occurred. It is interesting to note that amongst the first members of the body there were men who took an acive part in the public affairs of Canterbury in tho early days. Tho sub-warden was Dean Jacobs, and the Fellows on the board were:—Rev R. B. Paul, Rev 0. Mathias, Rev W. W. Willock. Rev J. Wilson, Rev G. Cotterill. and Messrs .T. E. Fitz Gerald, John Bealev, C. R: Blakiston, W. J W. Hamilton and H B. Gresson, afterwards Judge Gresson. The agitation for an alteration in tho constitution, apparently, has arisen from some of the old boys and from parents of children at present attending tho College. An old boy who is specially interested in tho question stated yesterday that no definite scheme of amendment had been drawn up, but many other old boys whom ho had consulted had expressed an opinion that the time had como for a change of some kind, in the direction of making tho body more democratic in character. He said that there was no complaint, in regard to the methods of the body, but only in regard to its constitution, which was quite out of touch with modern thought. When Bishop Julius, the, Warden, was seen yesterday, he kindly consented to discuss tho position. He said that there was no doubt in hit* mind whatever that tho constitution was defective. He had held that opinion for many years. As a matter of fact, in 3ns address to the Synod seven years ago lie had drawn attention to tho need for changes. Tho College was founded on tho lines of the public schools of England before the appointment of the Schools inquiry Commission in 1805, and the passing of tho Endowed Schools Act, as a result of the Commission's report. Dr Temple and Matthew Arnold were members of the Commission. It inquired into the condition of many of the ancient endowed schools, and found that almost without exception it was lamentably weak and ineffective. It reported that one of the principal causes of the decay of those schools was tho defective constitution of their governing bodies, which consisted for the most part of p,mall groups of person.*., reviewing their trusts by choice or selection. That was the condition of the governing body of Christ's College. In other words, a man was elected to tho body by the body, and he held the position for life. The constitution of nearly all the public schools of England had been remodelled, and the institutions had more than regained their former prosperity. But the governing body of Christ's College remained as it was, a relic of the past, representing nothing but itself and a form of government universally condemned. , In reply to a. question Bishop Julius said that he thought the change should take a form which would ensure the i retirement of members of the body in l turn. Certain bodies should elect a certain number of members. It must not bo forgotten that the College was strictly a Church institution. No person who was not a inember of the Anglican Church could be a member of the governing body, and the bodies who elected members should not be | outside of the Church.