GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 12

GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES.

CARNEGIE TRUST FUND.

NO BREACH OF FAITH."

I OTAGO COUNCIL'S POSITION. DECISION A COMPLETE SURPRISE. J[nv TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] DUNEDIN, Friday. Replying to statements mado in tho north respecting grants by tho Carnegie trustees, tho vice-chancellor of Otago University, Mr. W. J. Morrell, said the suggestion of any underhand action or breach of faith by the Otago University ,\vas entirely baseless. It was true, ho said, that tho Otago University, through its representatives at n conference of tho four colleges last year agreed to mate a request to tho Carnegie Corporation, following upon a visit of Dean Russell, for a grant of £20,000 for libraries, and £IOOO a year to each district for extension work among men and women in rural districts. A committee was set up and tho requests wero to ha sent forward through tho New Zealand .University. The request for tho libraries grant was forwarded to America soon after the conference. Negotiations With Canterbury. With regard to the extension work ieach co/lego was to prepare and send forward to Wellington a detailed scheme showing tho proposed method of expenditure of tlie giant asked for. As far as •the Otago University district was' concerned a scheme was agreed to by tho council somo timo beforo the end of last year, but its despatch to Wellington was delayed, owing to negotiations between itho Otago and Canterbury Councils for a joint administration of tho grants for tho two districts, it being, of course, assumed that the two grants would bo of jrqual amounts. The' Otago Council also sanctioned *. proposal that tho amount asked for in each district should bo £2OOO a, year, l instead of £IOOO, and instructed its representatives at any committee meoting . that might bo held that the concurrence of Canterbury College 5n tho suggested schomo had not yet. been received. Information Entirely Unofficial. Within the last few weeks tho Otago Council received information from a private source that tho Carnegie Corporation was making, or contemplated making, a grant of £ISOO a year to the Otago University district for rural extension vork, and £SOO year to the Canterbury district for the Workers Educational lAsiociation work. That information came as a complete surprise to the council. On receiving notice of a further meeting of representatives in Wellington the Otago Council thought it only right lo communicate to tho committee confidentially the information which had reached it.

It was at the same time stated that Shat information was entirely unofficial, and that the reported decision of the Carnegie Corporation was in no way due to any action of the Otago Council. It *vas further stated that the council was strongly in favour of the proposal to ask for £2OOO for each university district. Apparently the information confidentially given to the committee had in some way got abroad and the position of tho Otago University in the matter had been entirely misunderstood, and no doubt unintentionally misrepresented. "The council's action in the matter has teen entirely straightforward and honourable," said Mr. Morrell, "and I cannot understand any suggestion to the contrary being made by anyone who has seen or has knoweldce of the Otago University Council's letter to the Wellington committee." PROFESSOR-HUNTER'S VIEWS. 'ACTION BY MR. J. STUDHOLME. [by telegraph.—press association.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Referring to reports to the effect that grants of £ISOO and £SOO a year respectively for five years have been made hv the Carnegie Trustees to Otago University' and Canterbury College for university extension work iri country districts, Professor T._ A. Hunter, vicechancellor of the New Zealand University, said it would seem that Mr. John Studholme, who was not connecter! officially with tho University colleges, had visited "New York and that at his suggestion the Carnegie Corporation had jnade the grants, but it was his (Professor Hunter's) belief that the governing boards of the two colleges had had no part in/the transaction at all. Tho professor also stated that in response to an invitation received some timo ago from the Carnegie trustees, the New Zealand University Council had very recently sent in an application, on behalf of the affiliated colleges, for a substantial grant to purchase books for tho collegn libraries, and annual sums to assist university extension work in each of tho four collego districts. It was too early yet to expect a reply. ANOTHER REPLY TO CRITICISM. KO APPLICATION BY CANTERBURY. [BY TELEGH.U'H. —OWN COnp.F,St"ONDENT. ] CIIKISTCHURCH, Friday. Canterbury College, in company with the Otago University, has boon subjected to some bitter—and, according to local univc/rsitv authori!!°s, unjust—criticism from SJr George Fowld* and filler North Island university representatives. Dr. Hight, rector of Canterbury College, in replying to this criticism to-day, said that late last year the four university colleges made application through the University Council to the Carnegie Corporation for a grant, in. aid of the college libraries. A few weeks ago a similar application had been ipade by the four university colleges for grants iri aid of certain extension work. So l'nr there had been no official reply from the, Carnegie Corporation to these applications Sir 'George Fowlds had accused the South Island of going behind ihe backs of flic other colleges, but the onlv application made bv Canterbury College had been made with (he four other colleges through the University Council. There was no foundation for the statement that Canterbury College had acted on its own in the matter. The college council had received no official intimation nt all. If, as was asserted, Mr. John Studholme had interviewed the trustees of the corporation while in New York, he had clone so with no authority from Canterbury College. He was not even on the Board of Governors of the college. The. college itself had had no communication from the Carnegie. Corporation.