UNIVERSITY CONTROL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19882, 28 February 1928, Page 12

UNIVERSITY CONTROL.

Sir, —On my return from the recent meeting of tne University Council my attention was called to your leading article ox February 21, in which you attack Professor T. A. Hunter, of Victoria University College, in respect of an "attempt to smash the federal system now obtaining in the Dominion." Professor Hunter, as it happened, made a gallant and ineffectual attempt to preserve the federal university and the association of the Hon. George Fowlds, with the fight might have warned you that any "smashing" or wrecking was on the other side. The actual position is this: The University Commission reported that, in its opinion, a federal university should be established. The Government accepted the recommendation and it would appear to be the duty of the university council, irrespective even of individual opinion, to give the new system a fair trial. This, at any rate, was the view taken by Professor Hunter. It will be remembered, however, that essential to the idea of the federal university as recommended, is the appointment of a principal, an officer with wide administrative and co-ordinating powers. It is, in my opinion, impossible to resist the inference thta those who "smash" the office of principal "smash" the federal university as conceived by the commission. The office of principal was in fact "smashed" by the opponents of Professor Hunter, and on them consequently lies the responsibility of wrecking the federal experiment. Professor Hunter's subsequent motion in favour of four universities was, as I viewed it, an attempt to impale the reactionary fofces on their own logic If the university colleges refuse to brook the very possibility of interference by an officer of the nature indicated it would seem reasonable to believe that complete local autonomy is the alternative. Tt is now perfectly clear, at any rate, that the federal university of the commissoin is not. to have a fair trial, and it is equnllv clear that no fault lies at the door of Professor Hunter. F. A. I>T: ta Make. Hamilton, February 25, 1928.