UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17322, 23 May 1918, Page 6

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

HIE CHANCELLOR'S REPORT. foll owi n B t is the substance of th« annual report of the Chancellor of the Univereity of Otago to his Excellency tho Sorrt 1 .? r ' g 1 Gn ?i: al: -} lle h-os te d* -ofDr IT nnJ!,I \ ra^'k ' circumstances, r H-D Bedford, Professor of Econor an< ? History. Professor Bedford was a - w™ T w graduate of the University, l I °" ®°° nornic9 since 1907, and 1 f Wrls a PPO'nted to the Professorship 1 ? f and Historv. I also recret to record the death of Dr Ogstoii Tho £?i? a , PP - olnt<?<l to tll ° sta ff of the Medical wir 1 ," 1 ! had done useful s work as Lecturer on Public Health and Professor of Medical Jurisprudence. Further - changes have been oceasionod through the " T°^ nat, K" W J " Dunbar of tho l" IfuT on Greek, a position which , ocru^ led Y ,th . much success since I v a ' so ' ■through the vacation of tho > V,-T r ? Mathematics by Professor D. J. r . Richards. During the year also the council [ considered it advisable to appoint a Professor of Classics, and this important chair was entrusted to Mr T. D. Adams, M.A., who ; since 1907 had acted with conspicuous suc- > cere as Lecturer on Latin. The council has considered it fitting to delay filling tho , Chair of Mathematics and the Chair of i ftoonomics and History until more settled > times are reached. In the meantime ar- • ningemente have (boon mode by which l Professor Thompson is teaching the mathe- • matics classes and Archdeacon Woodthorpe > tho classes in economics and history. Temporary appointments have also been mado 1 necessary by the fact that Professor Adams ' unlisted < for active service. In his absrnco Vt° , ilf classes are being taught by Miss > • '■ I- Turnbull. and the Greek classes by 1 Air K. A. Saunders. The council desires to pLace on record its appreciation of the action of the Minister of" Public Health in increasing to eight the number of burl saries awarded to the final-vear students in 1 medicine. This action should help to proi mote the work of the Medical School, and s also to assist tho medical services of the t dominion. A bursary scheme has also been . instituted in connection with the Dental fechool. <>7"iE to the generosity of Mr •r T " • °'dey, M.P., and the dentists of - Zealand, more than £1800 (including : the Government subsidy) has been made available, and 13 holders of dental bursaries . are now in attendance at the school. Tho . funds available will provide bursaries for these students over a oourse of four years . but will not be sufficient to enable tho ; oouncil to offer bursaries at the eommonco- , ment of next year. In view of the shortage of dentirts and of the national import- . ance of the proper care of the teeth, the | council truste that your Excellency may l Provide for a permanent scheme of dental bursaries. The council draws at- ; tent ion to the urgent necessity for new buildings for the Home Science School. Ims school has developed very rapidly, and at tho present time there are 58 students , in attendance. The only accommodation provided, however, consists of portion of i the old Minintr School, which is in a very dilapidated condition, and is totally un- | fitted for present requirements. The "council has an excellent site for a new school on Tanna Hill, and it is sincerely hoped that tho Government may agree to erect the ntctsscj-y buildings without delay. I have to record the satisfaction of the council ■!! the of an amendment to " Tho Otagc University Reserves Act, 190 V Under th-'s amendment the whole of the rents received from the council's reserves is paid to tho University, and this | has considerably relieved the financial difficulties. Owing, however, to the fact that the new Medical School buildings involved the council in a debt of over £5000, , the _ finances of the University will be , straitened for some years to some. The I ccr.ncil is still labouring under a debenture d..-1-rt of £7000, 'vrhich I trust the Governi im'nt may liquidate in the near future. Mor<' than 500 Universitv students are now O' cctive service at the front, and 17 members of the staff are aleo serving with the , cohrurs.