UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17189, 17 June 1919, Page 9

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.

CASE:. : FOR CENTRAL SITE.

GRANT OF £100,000 CLAIMED.

NEW SCIENCE BUILDING.

I ' .The nsw. science building of the Aucki land i University College will be opened by I Sir -James Allen, Acting-Prime '-Minister, | this afternoon. Owing to the limited I accommodation, the invitations have been ! restricted to members of looal bodies and others holding official positions, but the wholo of the University College- building will be, thrown open for a social gathering [in the evening,, for ..which a large number of. invitations have been issued, and some ! interesting demonstrations will be given in the science laboratory. i In connection with this celebration, the chairman of the College Council, Mr. T. W. Leys, has prepared a brief history of the efforts of the governing body to secure a .central site and adequate buildings. This statement is being circulated in pamphlet form for the avowed object of "enlisting the interest and assistance of the people of Auckland in the effort of the College Council to secure lor the students of this part of New Zealand advantages equal to those which 'hove long been enjoyed by residents of Canterbury, Wellington and Dunedin."

The statement shows that "official documents prove conclusively that when the Act authorising the foundation of the collew was passed in 1882, the Whitaker Government, . which ' held office at that time intended to grant tho college seven ; acres of Government House grounds as a '' sits; The 'plan of a survey made in July, 1883, showing this reserve, is reprinted, and letters from Professors F. D. Brown and A. P. W. Thomas -state that Sir Francis Dillon Bell, Agent-General, when they were v appointed; actually showed them ia' London a photograph of Government House as the future University College.'; This land was, indicated as a suitable site when the college was opened in 1883, and legielation conveying it to the governing body for that purpose has been often promised, and was partly riven effect to by the purchase of the Choral Hall in 1907, and the introduction of a Bill in Parliament in 1911. A' plan of the land, comprising -3 acres 3 roods, which this Bill proposed to reserve, is inserted for public information.. It shows .that Government House would still retain 7£ acres. The chains*!? remarks that • " this is a very large area to set aside in the heart- of -a citv for the residence, on rare occasions, of t a public officer, however highly placed." It is farther stated ■ that there are 12 acres 1 rood' 11 perches in 'the'' area within the old fences of Government House, the grass paddock at the back of the residence and the Choral Hall site.. The site' upon which Government House f stood until recent years in the capital of the Dominion had only an area of * 5 acres "'. 2 roods. Without interfering with' Government House at all, a site embracing 4 acres could be secured for the Auckland University College. -. -1 '

Sir* and Suitability of Site. Mr. . Liys says: "Objection has been taken to tjjfc area of the site as being insufficient, but it is double the size of the land. on which Canterbury College sterds, and is equal in practically useful land for t college purposes to the sites J, of Victoria * College, Wellington, , and Otago University. It exceeds' the area occupied by the University of Edinburgh and Msvischal College, Aberdeen, and is very tiach greater than 'lie sites ; of university colleges in populous cities like Manchester (716,000). and Liverpool (746,000)." s '" Statistics are given " showing that out of 550 students attending the college in 1918 only 75 were devoting their full time tv» the work of the college; 116 came' in ' . body-from the Teachers' Training College in, Wellesley- Street; the others re-: sided in all parts of the city and suburbs, j including 45 from North Shore. The I classes showing the greatest progress in ' numbers are those associated with profes- ; sional students, e.g., teachers, law clerks, j accountants, _ architects, whose occupations keep them attached to the city s centre.,- A pitponderating number of students are unable to attend day classes by reason of' being engaged in earning a livelihood or learning ft profession during daylight ' hours. The rime-table has had to be arranged accordingly." i F•"-»• these reasons the chairman further remarks: "A central site is absolutely indispensable for carrying on the work of the college. The members cf the College Council and Professorial Board are unanimous on this subject. To those i who cling to the idea that a very large j area of land is essential for a university , college the governing body of the Auck- ! land College venture to point out that, if 1 such a view of a modern university to right, then not only were tho founders of the col!eg26 in Christchurch and Wellington and the University of Otago hopelessly wrong, but the founders cf the great -provincial universities which have been created in recent years in the United Kingdom, and the authorities responsible for the newer colleges of London University, are also quite ignorant of the needs of a modern university."

Claim to a Building Grant. j The chairman points out that the claim of Auckland University College to a substantial grant for .dings has been admitted by evury Government. While large grants have been made to c*hw university colleges, the only building grants received from the Governm<ni* sin-"!e the collage was founded in W.j \*ere £1000 in 1898 and £450 towards .' e erection of the School of Mines and Edgineering. In addition, £4000 w?i* granted for the purchase of the Choral Hall. The Auckland University College Council has now expended upon tha site of the Choral Hall, after consultation with t„e responsible heads of the Government, and with their sanction and approval, the following sums:—-Purchase of Choral Hall building, £4000; erection-of School of Mines and Engineering, £2000; erection and equipment of science building, £25,000. To these sums must be added the value of the site, which is not less, than £5000, making a total of £36,000. A large portion of this expenditure will have been wasted if a grant of adjacent land for the erection of buildings for the other faculties of the college is not secured. The sum of £100,000 promised by Sir Joseph Ward, as Prime Minister, in 1910, is not too large to meet the immediate requirements of the | college, including repayment of the ex- < penditure already incurred on the science I building."

Opinion of Sir Robert Stout.

Sir Robert Stout, chancellor of the New, Zealand University, in a statement pub- j lished in the pamphlet, says:—" Auckland j mu6t have its university where its peoplo live, and where its employees in industry can obtain instruction in the evening, as well as during the day. This is why I strongly urged that the university buildings should be erected on part of the land that is now reserved for Government House. I believe the western portion of that area would be sufficient for many years to come for university purposes. There is no site so suitable, in my opinior in the City of Auckland as that site, and I hope, now that some buildings have Been erected in and around tho Choral Hall, this idea of further buildings being put up on what is ca'led the Metropolitan area, will be carried out. Auckland has been placed at a great disadvantage compared with other colleger in New Zealand, and it is amazing to mo that her Univeri sity Collece has been so successful. This must be attributed to the work and energy i displayed by her teachers. They deserve every credit. When I consider the buildups that have been used hitherto for purposes, and their surroundings, it is wonderful that the Auckland students have done so well. They certainly have not been second to other students in the colony. Some of them have been most distinguished."