OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

Otago Daily Times, Volume 13694, Issue 13694, 10 September 1906, Page 5

OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. AN BNCOURAGINi'I (PMJI OUR dm C'omspoNDMr.) ELLINGTON, 8. ihe Ulago moinborii of Parliament innstorod 111 full-form thi,> n orning ami wailed upon the I'roniiß:-, tbo Ali.iisk.r of l-Mnu-rion, and tlio Mmislor of• Afflict in loeurd to mailers connected witii iho Uta.ro Dniversify. -Iho depulaiimi hji.l put iu views 1V r* fo "? lvii! 'f "> l> i'norandnm >\hieh bad been forwarded 10 iho Premier: IJr.nKXTunE Bep.T, fjc.ooo. This debt becomes due on the aist Decern- , /■ Tt ' ~! 9 i,:cl,rml ami' leclamaiicii lh e ( lol,t m „.=t citlisr bo mot bj llie_ JiiiVMsity ut .by. the Government. HievOovcrhuiejii should lake it o\er on tlio .following gTcunds" : 1. Oilier university collets I,'avc hid or buildings? : ' oiv ° •»*»'»«•« for their

2. Iho public in OUgo in public subscriptions and benefactions lias 'raised £15 OIK) £100 ° B«nMntecci o rt m. Hospital—total, £16,1)00. 3- The amount of f m!mcilll a6sisUnce for uuiluings andrquipmcnt received direot from the provincial and general Government f m ' <,lero » promised •j i / on;ncccun ' of the Dental liespita!. lotal, £6750. * Dental School. A promise lias boon reooivod from the Govcriiment that £1500 will bo placcd on the Intimates r.s a subsidy on £10(10 raised by •the dentists for the erectir-n of a Doni.al Ho». ]).,al. A contract has been let for -ibis building, amount £>i,8(), and the sum availI™ . r . will bo approximately i3OO, wn.iph J H veidjy Utile. The Council aiixions (o make jirfjyiair.n (o r expected dentat slmlents under the new act, contemplat"* adrerliems .for principal 7or the Dental '" n lt ' ~«nat do this with taftiy J/ 1 '110I 10 Po It estimates the school will cost aii additibhn-1 JCBOO a vear and that this'll# be me! (if tbo jC35!> for tlio Mnuiij; School i? made safe) hv dCsort a;om [he specialisation vofo of £*:odil nvo. MnA r ° r w f h ° f 1,10 "niwuity colleges, by £-00 .from fees, etc., paving a, short-ase of iioo per annum. This the council thinks should bo provided by the Government till tlio school is strong enough to do without

ItINWC Sl'lIOO!.. The Mines Dcpnvtoit luih vctetl mine. ' , 'P*' min " ra . "'"I »'• others £750 for the Xfimng Sohool, but intimation was nmfe m tho lest Estimates that tlio extra, .«o0 na vo ed for the latt time. It is cssen . tmal thai this extra £350 should bo "ranted and lundo secure, and we think if a fair charge on l.ho mines vote, for it was a,'. Mo request of tire Government wo started this school and have from time to time improved v. S l cl,o ° l , ot building is in a, dilapidated condition, end a new bui'ding is urgently I,ceded. T|,« University Council estiiua.es that to crcrt-aiH equip a snitablo bui.dmg will ■ cost abani 44000, and members urgo tlio Government to make provision for tins amount this session Wo fc»:ro to (Iraw you, attention to the necessity for the Government coming to a dpcision on these mattes at an eariv deio especially with respect to the fIG.OOO debt' on account of this becoming due tA (ho ond of tills yoar. M; Bolt, in introducing ! .deputation, _ briefly referred to tho straitened financial position in which the council now found itst>lf. j'f ,' Ti ! i " ( ; 3 1 A,,on ; ."3 principal spokesman, wuit into tho position briefly. He said ho oTSuW<, l ' OVCn,n,6 ' it - ,Md ot,U!r pmig.mnns in connection with other Heros. especially at Wellington and Auckrhonirl ll ! e ,P l 'i lgQ Col,,l(!il did »ot want to benefit at their expense or to hamper ownvnr T ?? ottt *> ">««« .had, nowo\ci, been handed over to tho State, ? d their only security was their annua* revenue, which tho bondholders might not consider sufficient. Apart from that point, it was, he contended, (ho business of the ti!°i u f ov ", responsibility for or n U .f tll0 T BJ,lt<! lla<l tloll ° or \lctolla, Collogo It was doing it for Auckland, and it must, do it for Otago. In regard to the Dental School, tho laic Premier had promised them a vote of £1500, and on tho strength of that promise tbey had set to wot It a nd accept cd a tender for the. building . Mr Allen also pointed out that the University had to keen tho Museum going, anil that entailed an extra cxpenso upon iliom such as Wellington for instance, had not to concern itself with. Tn resrard to the Mining School, Mr Allen expressed tho opinion that tho extra money required, should come out of tlin mining vote., In fh c s .im6 way ho (bought the vote for the.veterinary collece should ccmo cut of (ho agriculhiral and r.astoral vote. Mr Sidey said tho minimum • they could •do with at. present was the £250 'for the -Mining .bcliool, but if the Government relieved them of the £16,000 debt they would nor want t.he £250. J

Mr Barclay pointed out that somo of l.lie lecture™ were inadequately . also that the _ people of.Dnnedin had not been slow to help themselves in the matter of Universily education. They had contributed largely. by privale subscriptions. Mr Bonnet snid tho eotmtry settlors contributed n stock tax of £20,000 a year, and it was only fair thivfc the Government flliould provide a fair Sinn out of that for a veterinary college. ' ■' Tho Hon. Mr Duncan regretted the abolition of the provinces. But for that fact ho felt sure Olago would now have had not onlv a.. Medical School,, but a Dental School and a veterinary callene as well. Mr Arnold urged (liat from a colonial point of view the Government should sssisl. Tlx> people of Uuncilin liad been exceptionally lihWal. Sir .Vo'eph Ward, in reply, said lie recognised t.lio great, importance of (.lie matter to the Otftgo district, and indirectly to tli«> colony as a. whole. In regard to (lie £1500 fo* the Dental School, that would be provided on tho Kslimatos by the Department of .Education — ("Hear, hear.") The £?50 for (be Mining 8"liooI would a<?ain be provided this year. The question in its broader aspect would he considered by the Ministry. Without committing himself definitely, he might say that he had t'vmght of a plan in connect ion with essing the iMlit of £16.003. The total repayment of Ijio nmount, however, was u matter that required to lie very carefully considered. Ho would look into the question, and sea whether ho could case tlicm to some extent. Without wishing to trench upon -pivrty politics, he might add f lint if the lnnd proposals of the.. Rovernment were put through there would l:o material assistance given to the TTmvorsitv authorities and every other district in the colony.— (Lauc.hfer.) The oliier matters referred to would lie brought under the consideration of the Cabinet;

Mr Allen: At, an early date? Wo should like the decision as soon as possible, because wo shall have to 'mako arrangements regarding the debt.

Sir •to-.eph Ward: T hope to give you a reply before the end_ of the month. I think I sec' a way in which you can bo .helped, and without detriment to the colony.