VICTORIA COLLEGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8129, 24 May 1912, Page 1

VICTORIA COLLEGE

ITS FINANCIAL POSITION AN APPEAR FOR FUNDS. The Minister of Education, Hon. J. A. Hanan, yesterday received a deputation from Victoria College on the -subject of the financial position of the . College. The deputation comprised Messrs C. Wilson (chairman), H. D. Bell, K.C., C. Watson, A, VV. Meek, W. Ferguson, J. G. W. Aitken, and the secretary, Mr C. P, Powles.. , .

In presenting the case for the, college, Mr Wilson pointed out that they were compelled to seek immediate assistance from the Government. The annual re-, venue had fallen below the expenditure through the rapid expansion in the niun-’ ber of students attending and the work of the staff. Their endowment' revenue; last year amounted to' only; .£74 7b. The’ present income. frojn all}sources '..was estimated at '.£9971 and the present annual expenditure at £11,134 10s. The council was thus faced with’ an annual deficiency of .£ll6O. The ' assistants to the picfeseors and the lecturers received wholly inadequate remuneration for their services. The expenditure on the library was estimated at only £250 per annum, including the annual cost oi scientific, legal, and -other periodicals. The college, . which was required to specialise in science and law, was so inadequately equipped with appliances and books that it was practically impossible to provide students with fair opportunities, while the continued increase Jin the number of students involved additional expense far in excess of the increase in income from their fees.. The

number of students now was nearly 540, and was mounting up year by year very rapidly. The staff numbered over twenty. A really substantial, increase of income was necessary, as to provide only a sum to meet the present deficit would be of little practical benefit. Unless the State came to the assistance of the college, the university institution in Wellington must go bankrupt. What the council asked for was an increase in the annual Government grants from the present total of .£7500 to a total of £11,150: In regard to capital expenditure the council asked for £2700, to be devoted to the following purposes:—To fit up, for use the top floor of the present building, £500; to fit up room as biological laboratory, £100; geological department, £300; imp.roving grounds, £2CO; library,- purchase of scientific publications and equipment in books of the various departments, £I6OO. Mr H. D. Bell urged - the need that existed for improving the scientific equipment of the science side and the law library. Classes had become too large and quite beyond the scope of universtiy tuition. Assistants were paid disgracefully inadequate remuneration. The Government should provide more funds if they wanted to make the college a home of learning and not merely a night school. Mr C. Watson said that if the increase

of students went bn at the same rats, in a. few years’ time they would have 1000 pupils at the college. Additional classes were being asked for, such as accountancy, which- had been established,' the Institute of Accountants subsidising it to the extent of .£l5O a year. The surveyors had also approached the council with a view to the inauguration of classes in their branch of work, and the Post and Telegraph Department had expressed a desire to have experts trained at the college. These requests had been refused. MINISTER’S VIEWS. . The Hon Mr Hanan said a strong case had certainly been put lor the college, and it was a matter for the serious consideration of the Government. Something had to be done and that sodn. The In-spector-General" of Schools bad, by the Education Committee of the House set up last year, already been instructed to prepare a report on the financial . position .and requirements of all the University Colleges. They would consider the position of each on its merits. Mr ilogben’s report would be laid before the Education Committee next session.. Until then he could not commit the Government with respect to any- one college. It was unfortunate that Victoria College was not endowed like other institutions elsewhere in the Dominion.. The, repre-i sentations of the deputation had been very forcibly impressed on him. He trusted the recommendations of the Education Committee would be such, and the action of the Government thereon such as to accord with their desires.