UNIVERSITY CHANGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15823, 21 January 1915, Page 6

UNIVERSITY CHANGES.

REVIEW OF NEW ACT.

CHANCELLOR'S CRITICISMS

FINANCES OF COLLEGES

[BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT

CiraiSTCHTitcn, Wednesday. The University Amendment Act, which was passed by the New Zealand Parliament last year, wm referred to by the ohancellor of the University of New Zealand, Sir Robert Stout-, in his address at the opening of the annual session of the University Senate to-dty.

In the Act-, which would come into force on April 1 next, said the chancellor, provision i.i made for a third chamber, or court in the admistration of the university matters. This tricameral system was approved by the senate last year. Ho did not anticipate any adequate return for the additional expense that such a new court must necessarily entail. This was a time when in the face of the European trouble the most stem economy in the management of their resources was required. Several other amendments, he proceeded, besides the creation of a board of studies, had been mads in the statute. The right of a graduate enrolled on the registry of one district court of convocation to transfer to another district had been taken away. Tlit provision that no examiner should be eligible for reappointment for moro than four consecutive years had been repealed. Another limitation had aUo been removed, viz., that no part of the statutory grant of £3000 could bo granted to affiliated institutions. The senate had now pow« apparently to give part of its funds to the colleges. The senior national scholarships were henceforth to bo designated national university scholarships. The Taranaki scholarships also came directly under the university. Provisions as to university bursaries and for the establishment of national research scholarships also appealed in the statute. The expenditure for the national university scholarships, the bursfiries and the national research scholarships vtas to be met out of annual votes by Parliament. Provisions RegwMng Finance. The new statute provides as to finance that, firstly, instead ol annual grants permanent fuither aid should be given to the Auckland, Victoria, and Otago University Colleges, ».:i additional to the extent of an annual luin of £5000 each; secondly, to the Canterbury College £2000 annually. In 1907 provision was made for setting asido large arc no of Crown land as national endowments! for education and old age pensions. Tic new statute provides that one-tenth or this income was to be set apart for Ligher education, of winch one-sixth was to go to each of the fou» affiliated institutions. The remaining third was to be vested in the New Zealand University upon trust, "to be distributed to the four colleges or ulaliated institutions as occasion may arise and as the senate shall decide, for the support of libraries for the establishment of new chairs, schools, or faculties, an I in other ways for extending the work or usefulness of such colleges or institution. " National Endowment Fund. In the National Endowment Fund on March 31, 1914, the chancellor went on to say there was a balance in hand of £80,486. The annual rental of t he endowments let, viz., 6,525,034 acres if £99,600. About two million acres were unlet. The total receipts were £303,271. but from this £15,007 had to bo p*M to local authorities and £4281 odd wis expended for roads to open up th* lands. At least £84,000 annually ought to bo available for higher education, which will giro £1400 to each affiliate! institution and leave £2800 for the uniWiiity to distribute. The committee appointed in regard to thp question of o university press, he added, seemed to have assumed that some part of these funds niiijht bo utilised for tho purposo of a university press. The expenditure of the fund was left .to the affiliated institutions and he doubted if Jbhe purposes mentioned in the statute would include the founding or the maintenance of a, university press.