THE CAWTHRON TRUST

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 167, 16 July 1919, Page 2

THE CAWTHRON TRUST

PROPOSED INSTITUTE,

TRUSTEES' COURSE OF ACTION CHALLENGED.

JUDGMENT OF SUPREME COURT AWAITED.

A statement of the present position of the Cawthron Trust was made on Monday by its chairman (Bishop Sadlier) to a Nelson Colonist reporter. The chairman said the Trustees were aware that they had been criticised for not making progress, particularly in the establishment of the proposed institute for scientific research. The delays that had occurred, howejver, were due to circumstances over which they had no control.' Legal difficulties had arisen, and there were also obstacles that had been caused by the war. The question of the plan of the Institute had be'en raised by Mr J. S. Evans, Registrar of the Supreme Court at Nelson, to whom certain matters were referred by Mr Justice Chapman for report, Mr Evans, as a Registrar, had challenged the whole course of action so far decided upon by the Trustees. The question had been raised whether the Trustees had the power to create an Institute such as they proposed, and that question, of course, included subsidiary mat- [ tors, such as the appointment of a director and staff and the offering of scholarships. The matter was argued before Mr Justice Chapman at [ Wellington some time ago, and judg- ; nient had not yet been given. So fai* as the development of the Institute is concerned, the position is that the Trustees can.do nothing until' they' receive the judgment of_ the Supreme Court.; Until that, decision is given the Trustees are not able to make any progress at all. Should the judgment be in favor of the Trustees, they intend to submit to Parliament a Bill to guide their future actions.

Apart from this enforced suspension of action, the Trustees have met with difficulties on account of the v/ar. Men who would have been eligible for appointment to positions in the Institute were- engaged by the various Governments on war work. For example, when the New Zealand Government was approached with regard to obtaining two bacteriologists, the Government replied that, on account of the war, it could not get j them. This difficulty was the subject of a report made by ,the chairman of the Trustees on his return from England recently. .y % The Trustees have had tinder consideration the definite appointment of a Director of the Institute that it is intended to establish at Annesbrook, but that appointment is also held up urtil the Court's decision is known.

It may be mentioned that even the payment in accordance with Mr Cawthron's wishes of a .sum towards the acquisition of Maitai lands by the City Council has been challenged.

A renort of the work of the' Trustees will be presented at the public meeting on the 23rd inst., on the occasion of the delivery of the annual Cawthron Lecture.