SOLDIER STUDENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18350, 14 September 1921, Page 2

SOLDIER STUDENTS

STRONG PLEA FOR CONSIDERATION. DEPUTATION # LO UNIVERSITY COUNCIL. A special meeting of the University Council was held yesterday afternoon partly for the purpose of considering a proposal to make special concessions in the matter of fees to such students as are returned soldiers- The meeting was attended by Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P. (vice-chancellor, in the chair), Drs H. Lindo Ferguson, Fitzgerald, and W. Marshall Macdonald, Messrs L. D. Ritchie, G. Ritchie, J. H. Walker, J. C. Stephens, W. J. Morrell, J. C. Thomson, W. Eudoy, and J. W. Scurr, and Professor Howitson. The deputation was under the auspices of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association, and consisted of the president of that body (Dr T. Harrison), the secretary (Mr C. Laing), and two students, Messrs Smaill and J. G. Stewart.

Dr Harrisofi, who spoke officially as president- of ttie Returnee!-Soldiers’ Association, said the association as a body was protesting against the raising of fees to returned soldier students during the period of their University course. If these returned men as students bad entered the University when they went to the war they would have been under the old system and would possibly have finished their course under the old system and not have had their fees raised at all. In no university in the world could they find that any council had raised fees at all during the period of a university course, and it was quite unprecedented for that to bo done without notice. That was done, however, by the Otago Univers ty Council about Christmas, 1920. There appeared a notice in the last calendar that the University Council shall have power to raise fees at any time without giving notice of its intention to do so. It was recognised that no concessions as regards duration of coarse, especially in the medical course, should be asked for, because that would lower the standard of the New Zealand University medical degree, although in some of the universities of the Old Country, such as Durham and Glasgow, if a man bad served one year at the front in the late war he was allowed s'x months off his hospital training. What they .did ask was that the fees that were in existence for the medical course in 1914 bo the fees required from these returned men. The Chancellor had stated that no concession would be given to any returned man for any course in the University, and they protested emphatically against that. To a casual view it appeared . that the University had not carried out its contract to these men. They calculated from their calendars what the course would cost them, and then half way through the fees wore raised without notice. In Melbourne and Sydney the councils allowed half fees to all returned men, and the Repatriation Board paid the other half. Moreover, the Government paid each man £2 a week while he was a student- They , did not lend :t as the Repatriation Department did here. 'lhcy failed to see why the student, and especially the returned soldier students, should bo taxed because the Otago University was short of funds. He" sugi gested that the Government should be called upon to assist in this respect. Mr Smaill said that all the other universities of which they could find record made concessions to returned soldier students. The University Council had appeared to them to bo apathetic in the matter of returned soldiers. He did not say that the council was apathetic, but it had certainly appeared to them so. Some of the soldiers who returned and carried bn their course had to pay the year’s fees again, even though before they left they had paid their fees for a year’s course, and attended in some cases only for a few weeks’ lectures. Perhaps the cases ho referred to were only an oversight or mistake. It was almost impossible ' for anybody who had not. been away to realise the’ sacrifices that had been made. Every consideration ought to bo given to the returned men, yet the men who had been away had now to face more difficulties than the men who had not gone away. Among other matters, Mr Smaill mentioned that in every other university calendar there wag a roll of honour. The Otago University had cut out this, ; roll of honour. That was an oversight that should not have occurred. The increase in the fees followed very shortly after the last annual report of the University Council, in which it was stated that the loss on the Medical ‘ School was £IOOO less last year than the previous year. That decrease of £IOOO did not. seem to agree with the necessity for putting up fees. It was the returned soldiers that the increased fees hit most, but very few of . them had been able to get the bursaries. Mr Smaill, went on to refer to concessions made in other universities. In regard to Durham and Glasgow, he might be permitted to cprrcct Dr Harrison. Those universities allowed 12 months’ war service or any loss period to count a corresponding time in hospital attendance —up to 12 months. Many other universities, including the London University, allowed six months or more cf war service to count as six months’ hospital training. That, of course, was a saving in time, and consequently a monetary saving. In the Australian universities books wore bought and supplied to the students 1 at cost price.- They had been told several times that the Otago University course was the cheapest course in the world, but they had examined a groat number of calendars, and had found that that was not so. When the Otago course wag costing 131 guineas, the courses at Aberdeen and St. Andrew’s were costing only SO guineas. , Mr J. Garfield Stewart said that from the point of view of the students the question was a very vital one. The struggle was quite desperate for them as individuals, and they desired the co-operation of the council. They felt that their fighting was j not yet done, and would not bo done till I they were back again on their feet. Per- I haps a wrong impression had been created | by previous speakers. _ The students had j realised the council’s interest in them at the front even individually. He was glad of the opportunity to thank the council now for the letter he had received -during the campaign expressing good wishes and thanks for services rendered. _ That letter came at a most opportune time. _ They thought that the council’s interest in them had not waned at all, and that it would continue to be with them. Undoubtedly they had suffered some indignity when in March they sent a protest against the raising of fees, and it was not till August that they received a reply. Primarily the delay was with the Government, but they set ; aside their feelings in this matter. He wished to correct a wrong impression given j by the director of repatriation. The director bad replied that the ! Repatriation Department considered the merits of each case and made ample provision • for men who were deserving. Ho could give them many examples of applicants *who had been told by the Repatriation Board that it wished to help them, but it was unab’e to do so. j They realised at once that the loans avail- , able were not sufficient to moot their re- j quiroments, and since then the loans had | been still more restricted. It had not | been sufficiently emphasised that no money i was given to any returned soldier attending Otago University except that by the National War Funds Council. The money from the Repatriation Department was puro'y a loan that had to be repaid as soon ] ns they were through their course. They i were not belittling that._ It had been a j tremendous help. Bursaries had been given ! froelv to those men who were recalled during the war in the midst of the war excitement, but when some of them who had been five years in the conflict and were fortunate enough to come through came to make application they wore told that funds were exhausted. The only concessions they had received were from the New Zealand University Senat-'. and most of these had since been withdrawn. The Government had spent here last year £4600 for pupils who had excelled at the high schools, and several thousand pounds more was to bo added in scholarships. The Government paid £7OOO or £BOOO annually to boys and girls who gave promise of being good citizens, but to the returned men. who he hoped had proved themselves worthy citizens, the Government objected to give £4OO. Thev considered that-the difference between the past and present fees for the medical course to the returned men would come to a matter of £4OO. He thought it was only necessary that these difficulties shoo'd be pointed out. They felt their position extremely. It was a desperate struggle for them. It was cither sink or swim. Three years .ago the fate of the council and all they possessed was in the soldiers’ hands, and now the soldiers’ fate was in their hands. Thev wished the council to continue to keep up its interest in them, “If you stick to your guns now.” concluded Mr Stewart. “we will be sot.” In informal discussion it was stated that some 50 or 60 students were affected. It was medical students who were chiefly affected. There were about 50 of them, and the increase in the foes for their whole course was £44. The increase in an arts course was about, £5. In the other fncul ties the maiority of soldier students were receiving educotional bursaries amounting to £2O. The Chairman s aid he would like to disabuse the minds of the students of any suggestion that the council was apathetic or unsympathetic towards them. Personally

ho Lad not been in quite close touch with the matter, owing to his absence, but he had _ examined the correspondence in connection with it. Ho thought that the council regarded the obligation to returned soldier students one that should be discharged by the Government. He assured the deputation that every consideration would be given to the representations made. Mr Walker moved that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to report to the next meeting of the council. Mr L. D. Ritchie, in seconding the motion, said ho thought that the next meeting which took place on Tuesday, was rather early, as the matter would require to be investigated very thoroughly. Mr Morrell moved that it be added to the motion that the Finance Committee and the special committee set up to consider fees consider the matter and report jointly. Mr Stephens said he believed it was quite true, as the members of the deputation said that the position of some of the students was desperate. His own feeling was that if the funds of the University would allow them to make a concession they should make it, but any decision come to must be made with a full knowledge of the finances, arid they must be guided by the treasurer. It was ultimately decided that the matter be considered by cff the Finance and Special Committee on fe'ifs conjointly, a report to bn presented at next meeting of the council.