OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 197, 22 July 1931, Page 9

OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

EDUCATION PROFESSOR. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, July 21. At a meeting of the Otago University Council this afternoon, a letter was received from the Minister of Education stating that the Government was unable to reconsider its decision to withdraw the grant for the salary of the Professor of Education. Mr Stephens said he thought that the council should express strong indignation at the Government having done what no private person would dream of doing—broken a definite pledge. He would move in this direction. Mr Rennie seconded the motion. The council had recently raised the salary of the Professor of Education, he said, as it did not consider that he was in the same position as the other professors. It would not have committed itself to this expenditure if it had known that_ the Government would take the action it had done. Mr G. R. Ritchie: I think we are pretty well over-educated as it is. It would not do any great harm if we did without the Professor of Education. _ I commend the Government for its action. Mr Thomson opposed the motion. Grants to hospitals load been lowered, and he thought it would be unbecoming on the part of the council to pass the motion. Mr Stephens said that the appointment of the Professor of Education was made in pursuance of a direct promise made by the Government. It would not have been made otherwise. The motion, on being put to the meeting, was carried with four dissentients.