OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15063, 9 February 1911, Page 3

OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

THE PROFESSORS' SALARIES. EXPLANATION BY THE CHANCELLOR. Mr J. Allen, M.P., as Chancellor of the "University of Otago, takes exception to a statement contained in a letter signed " Graduate," which appeared in our issue of Tuesday. The statement is as follows: '' It is pleasing to observe that it [the University Council] has cut down the salaries of the professors pf classics and chemistry to provido for a Chair of Domestic Science." '' There is not a particle of truth in the statement," 6ays Mr Allen. "There is no professor of classics at the present time, except an emeritus one—Professor Sale, — who is still receiving £300 a year from the council, but in the place of Professor Sale, when lie left, Mr T. D. Adams was appointed lecturer on Latin and Mr James Dunbar lecturer on Greek. This was done before the instituting of a School of Home Economics, was thought of, and consequently the salaries of the two lecturers are not in any way affected by the homo economics appointment. With regard to the proposed appointment to tho Chair of Chemistry, tho salary to be offered to the new professor is £600 per annum, with first class travelling fare to Dunedin. It is true that tho new professor will not receive the fees of the students, a 6 Professor Black has done, and the chief reason for that is that the council will still have to pay to Professor Black £300 per annum during his lifetime. " For tho information of tho publio I desire to say that the School of Home Economics will bo established, and will run for four years without, so far as I am aware, entrenching at all upon the ordinary finances of the council of tho University of Otago. By Mr John Studholme's generosity the council will receive £300 per annum for four years from him. The oitizens of Dunedin have guaranteed to supplement that by £200 per annum for four years. These contributions under the statute law of the Dominion entitle the council to a pound for pound subsidy. In addition, the Citizens' Committee has paid £100 towards research travelling, whlioh has already been subsidised by £100 from (Parliament. Mr Studholme, in addition to his generous offer above-mentioned, has paid the travelling expenses of the assistant to Professor Boys-Smith to New Zealand. By agreement tho Citizens' Committee also undertakes to pay £75 towards the equipment of a laboratory for home economics, and, though it is not written in the agreement, it has verbally expressed its willingness to aid in the establishment of a model home. "The public will therefore see from this statement," added Mr Allen, "that the finance of this school is guaranteed for four years, and that no salary whatever of professor or lecturer has in any way been affected by the institution of the School of Home Economics. It is a pity that those who write on these matters do not make themselves better acquainted with tho facts before communicating with the press, and thus misleading the public."