WORK OF UNIVERSITIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20516, 18 March 1930, Page 12

WORK OF UNIVERSITIES

CHANGES IN ENGLAND.

VALUE OF SEPARATION.

ASSISTANCE TO COMMERCE.

An argument in favour of the establishment of four separate universities in New Zealand was advanced at a meeting of the Auckland University College Council yesterday by Dr. H. Eanston, when giving some of the impressions he had gained duiing a visit to England. Dr. Eanston said he had paid particular attention to the northern universities, which had recently separated. He found that there had been a feeling that if the colleges were constituted soparate universities there would be a great ioss, represented in the lowering of the standard of degrees, and in the absence of connection between the former colleges. The separation had justified itself, however, and in every one of the universities there was a strong conviction that the right thing had been done. This was specially noticeable in Manchester. The standard of degreos, instead of being lowered, had been raised, and the existence of a properly constituted university in each of the main centres had encouraged local residents to give financial support in a manner which had not been possible under the older system.

Another thing which had attracted Dr. Ranston's notice was the development of the relationship between the universities and commerce. There was an increasing tendency on tho part of- business men to employ graduates, and it seemed, to be realised that the universities alono could provide in sufficient numbers men with the trained scientific intelligence necessary to grapple with the problems of modern commerce.

As a result of this feeling the . need of universities in the community received greater emphasis, and funds were more readily forthcoming to enable them to carry on. There was still, however, a tendency on the part of graduates starting in business to expect an inflated salary which they were not at the outset capable of earning. When this difficulty was overcome there was every prospect that the universities would play a large part in the future development of commerce.