UNIVERSITY UNITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18768, 23 January 1923, Page 6

UNIVERSITY UNITY.

The idea of abolishing the University of New Zealand and establishing a degreeconferring university in each of the four chief centres is at the present time academic in more than one sense. Sir Robert Stout’s remarks in his introductory address in Sehato have naturally, however, excited some further discussion of a subject which is not likely to be invested with actual importance for at least a quarter of a century. Since Ihe Chancellor spoke, both the Auckland newspapers have dealt with the topic , and in passing we may just express a hope that tile consideration of university and indeed all educational concerns will be kept free from the intrusion of the invidious and irrelevant North versus South sentiment, of which there seems to be a .slight trace in one of the Auckland articles. The New Zealand Herald does not directly support the radical project of university division—indeed (though it omits to dwell upon some of the most cogent opposing arguments) its balancing of the pros and cons inclines to the negative side; but there is an unmistakable intimation that the advocacy of a disintegrating policy will gain strength unless the Senate thinks fit to change its attitude in relation to the demand for a duplication of the Medical and Engineering Schools. The Auckland Star, on the other hand, states so effectively the two leading objections (almost ignored by the Herald) to the “four universities” that we cannot do bettor than reproduce the passage:—

Whore within any mensurable time are wo to (ind the largo sums of money and tlie valuable permanent endowment requisite for the maintenance and administration of four universities in this little country instead of one? And, assuming that this difficulty can he pot over in lime, can wo ho certain that the.prestige and standing of our academic degrees will not. suffer when once the outer world comes to realise that these degrees are conferred, not by the University of New Zealand, acting on the advice of many of the most distinguished professors and university teachers of the United Kingdom. but by one college located in one town? In short, there is no available money with which to carry out the policy of division. If there were, and if it were to bo utilised for that purpose, it would be money ill-spent. The supporters of university unity will be glad to receive from Auckland such a conclusive presentment of the position. As regards the grievance, so to term it, of the special schools, the Herald contends that “the now distribution of the dominion's population,’’ as compared with the conditions which existed when the .Schools of Medicine and Engineering were established at Dunedin and Christchurch respectively, “has changed jthe posi-

tion entirely, and to-day the anomaly exists of having these highly essential educational facilities located at points far from the mass of the population needing them.” Without accepting the suggestion that Otago and Canterbury are unpopulated regions, and without supporting the inference respecting desirable policy which our contemporary seeks to point, we recognise that the governing body of the university should do everything in its power to put students who have to travel and live far from their homes on a financial equality with those who in this respect are more favourably situated; and we notice with satisfaction that the Senate adopted on Saturday the report of acommittee recommending the Government, inter alia, “to establish a system of assisting suitable students resident at a distance from the university centres to attend the recognised schools.” An extension of the bursary system should go far towards the removal of genuine complaints, and at present it is the only practicable policy. On financial grounds, if on no other, the duplication of special schools is as. much out of the question as is the project of quadripartite university division.