THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY. JULY 31, 1902. UNIVERSITY FINANCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12419, 31 July 1902, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY. JULY 31, 1902. UNIVERSITY FINANCE.

The question of the financial position of the Otago University was, as tlie report- in another portion of this issue shows, discussed at considerable lengtli yesterday at a. meeting at which members of the controlling authority and of the teaching staff wero present. Naturally, the meeting expressed its gratification at the offer cf the Government to subsidise, "up to £1500 for £750 raised, private contributions towards the removal of tho pressing financial difficulties of the University, and at tlie steps that are being 1 taken to secure the subsidy. But it also recognised that the scheme for the njjief of the University which the Acting-Premier formulated, when the deputation of Otago and Southland members of Parliament waited on him sonic days ago, is inadequate. It is a scheme that aims at plating £2250 at the disposal of the University Council. Of this sum, which is now practically raised, £1500 will be required to extinguish tlie overdraft, leaving £750 for other purposes. If this balance wore deposited to the credit of the University Council in its current account at- its bankers it would speedily vanish. It is only sufficient to prevent tlie University Council for two years from again overdrawing its ac-

count—-and that on the supposition that it is to continue the cheeseparing policy which its necessities have lately forced it to adopt, It allows nothing whatever for development. It entirely disregards the demand that has been inado for an extension of the MedicalSchool. It ignores the circumstance that, as one of the members of the Council ha 3 pointed out in our columns, eacli of 'the departments of the University is at the present time bung starved from want of funds. It. contemplates continuance of the hand-to-mouth existence which the institution lias been leading for the past few years. The University will derive no permanent benefit from the extinction of its overdraft. That I simply amounts, it has been aptly described, to paying the broker out. "Not hundreds, but thousands," Professor Sale tolcl us the other day, ''are required to put the University in a financially safe position." An additional expenditure of a fairly large amount is necessary to enable it to hold its' place. An additional .£2OOO a year might, in the opinion of Dr Sliand, bo easily expended in providing really well for all departments. The urgent needs-of the Institution can scarcely he met without an annual expenditure of something like half that sum in addition to the amounts already expended on it. An increased capital fund is required to provide the University Council with the means to make the extensions that aro imperatively necessary. Certainly an effort should be made to free the institution of the permanent debt of £16,000 which hangs like a millstone round the neck of the Council, and involves it in an interest payment of £711 per annum. The alternative to the adoption of some large scheme of this kind is the abandonment by the University of one of its departments. The citizens whose views on the subject were published by us at the bei ginning c-f the week were practically of one mind in protesting that it would be suicidal on the part of the University authorities to acquiesce for one moment in the closing of any branch of the work that- is carried on in the local college. Nevertheless, that is the l alternative that has to be faced if the University is not placed on a permanently sound financial basis. There is no use in blinking the fact, and it is necessary that the public should be made plainly aware of it. For that reason the resolution which was adopted yesterday on Dr Colquhoun's motion, affirming the necessity for laying the position of the University before a public meeting with a view to the inauguration of a larger movement than has yet been set on foot for the strengthening of the finance of the institution, should cany, with it the heartv approval of all friends of the University. We are unable to see why Dr Colquhoun's proposal should have been treated as in opposition to the projected appointment of a Royal Commission, to investigate the affairs of the University. Certainly there i 3 no necessary conflict between the two proposals. For our own part, while we feel very strongly that it is advisable that the position should be laid fully before the citizens and that they should be appealed to for their assistance-—which will, we are satisfied, be ungrudgingly given—we are also inclined to> regard the appointment of a Commission with favour! Whatever the Commission may report, it is quite plain to those who liave studied the matter that a considerable sum beyond the present revenue of the University Council is required'to enable the institution quite efficiently to discharge its functions. The Government should not hesitate to help a movement which, if successful,, would givi the University an assured finance. If the Acting-Premier will only consent to enlarge his offer of a subsidy so that it may be applicable to all funds provided by private contributions, we again express our confident belief that the citisiens will respond very handsomely to any ctll which, upon these terms, may be made upon them.