UNIVERSITY COLLEGE SITE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4303, 12 March 1901, Page 4

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE SITE

a'| College Council, scant of funds, and anxious to secure ta site whereon to erect suitable buildings, is hardly in a position-to cast lightly aside.a.proffered gift of £1000;' but two “Job’s comforters” have 5 arisen to aggravate'.the. impecuuiosity idf the 1 Victoria College Council, by advising it to reject the hiunifioent offer just .made by .Mr Charles Pharazyn. if Councillor TolhuVst anfc the editor of our evening contemporary had, either of them, a more excellent plan to propose for realising the aspirations .of Wellington in the direction of having adequate College buildings, their opposition to the acceptance of Mr Pharazyn’s money might be explicable; but when it is. seen that their attitude is I that of the dog in the manger, it cannot be imagined! that they are acting in th'e best interests, of Wellington and its people. The objections stated are twofold. They take the form, firstly, of an unworthy questioning of. Mr Pharazyu’s motives, and, secondly, of a wilful misrepresentation of the condition which he attaches to Ids generous offer. It is insinuated that Mr Pharazyn. has what is vulgarly termed “an eye to the raa ■ri chance,” and that he expects his money back with compound interest, in the shape of the enhanced value that would bej given to bis lauds if the Victoria College buildings were erected on or near to the lvelburne Estate. Now, it is possible that mixed motives have entered into the matter. Most human actions, when resolved into their original elements, are found to have; their root in selfishness of some Mnd. Men, when reasonably free, generally act to please themselves; and the most benevolent person’s chief reward is not so much the sight of others’ happiness,. as the self-satisfaction contained in the thought that he is the source of it, The generous critic will,, however, always credit the giver with the highest motives; and the underlying philosophy is; sound, for, hy such means,, the higher sentiment.? of philanthropy are fostered. '

In the case under notice> no harm can be done by supposing Mr Pharazyn to have been actuated by sentimental rather than sordid motives. On the contrary, unworthy imputations may have a harmful result, by deterring; other wealthy men from making similar offers. We trust ho possible donors will be discouraged from assisting in the endowment of a seat of learning which, it is well to remember, will be* open to all classes of the community," Without social distinction or religious test of 'any kind. There are, several ■ wealthy- gentlemen who, j acting trom mingled: motives, might be disposed to assist in securing that the University College should be housed on a site so prominent, central

and salubrious as that suggested; but 1 if public-spirited citizens are liable to c have the lowest motives imputed ro I them, thej- will be apt to bestow their c wealth in other directions than one in- £ viting such ungracious criticism. It must c not be forgotten that, wherever the Col- < lege buildings may be placed, some pri- ( vate property-owners will be benefited. < As a site must be chosen somewhere, 1 There is nothing degrading or wrong if, 1 other things being equal, that site is selected where the College Council is of- 1 fered, in advance, a substantial slice ' of the “unearned increment” of value. It 1 is, indeed, claimed hy some economists ' that public bodies ought to insist upon ; having a share of the enhanced value conferred cn surrounding land by the 1 erection of desirable buildings. There is. 1 therefore, nothing in the objection based upon the argument that private, landowners would profit hy fixing the University College site somewhere near the Salamanca, road, on the heights behind the centre of the city. The objectors have a still weaker ease when they resort to misrepresentation of the condition imposed, and seek to make the public believe that Mr Pharazyn.is bent upon seizing a portion of the Town Belt for University purposes. His letter convoying the offer certainly mentions the Kelburne Park site, but in the same, sentence lie includes an alternative one, which might be altogether dis? tinct from the Town Belt. To our way of thinking, the reserve set apart fm public use could not be better used than by being devoted to a purpose of such high utility as the erection of College buildings. Thex-o would be no misappropriation, but rather a carrying out of the intention of the creators of those reserves. There is a. pox-timi of tho Belt lands, on the other side of the road from Kelburne Park, that is of no use as it stands, but which could, by levelling down, be converted into a College site, and the earth removed from it would, if thrown into the adjoining gully, add an area of several acres to Kelburne Park, and effect a great permanent improvement. The public would not lose, but gain, by such an arrangement. If, however, there is a rooted objection to further interference with tho Town Belt, its condition of unredeemed ugliness and uselessness may b© allowed to continue. A site could still ba found, suitable in every way-for the College, and enabling the governing body to accept Mr Pharazyn’s gift. A portion of the high -lands behind—perhaps within the Botanical Gardens—might be secured, and a noble pile erected there would be even more conspicuous than the best building that could he placed on the insignificant eminence dignified by the name of Mount Cook. It might have simplified matters if, instead, of the individual offer of money by Mr Pharazyn, the Kelburne Estate ' Company had donated a few acres as a College site. .This may kill be done, with advantage to those immediately concerned, and with great gain to the public. The advice; to Avail until the Mount Cook site can be got is a mere fanning of that “hope defmred’' which makes the .heart sick. In ten years or so it might.happen that, with another Government in power,.'the site and buildings would be given to the College Council. But “while the grass grows, the steed starves.” Is the higher .education of our youth to be neglected, or made dependent upon the see-saw of party poli- ■ ties? We think.the people of Wellington have more good sense than follow counsels that would lead to that impotent conclusion. A way has been opened up for escaping from the “impasse’’ ere. ated by the conflict of two obstinate bodies—the Government on the" one hand, and on the other those whose cry is “Mount Cook or nothing.” It will be) a severe disappointment to the friends of higher education if tho College Council does. not promptly accept Mr Pharazyn’s offer, and thus encourage the Government and men of public spirit to aid in the erection of an educational seat worthy of the Middle University district.