UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22655, 21 August 1935, Page 3

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

MEETING OF COUNCIL «* The monthly meeting of the council of the University of Otago was held yesterday afternoon and was attended by the chancellor (Mr W. J. Morrell), the vice-chancellor (Mr L. Deans Ritchie), Sir James Allen, Sir Lindo Ferguson, Bishop Fitchett, Drs R. J. T. Bell, James Fitzgerald, F. S. Batchelor, the Rev. D. C. Herron, Messrs S. Rice, J. Robertson, J. W. Dove, F. W. Mitchell, J. W. Howorth,

INCREASED ALLOCATION DESIRED.

Dr Dodds, wrote asking for an additional allocation to carry through the year. The amount requested was £3OO. The application was referred to the Budgeting Committee with power to act. . HOME SCIENCE STUDENTS.

The Professorial Board made the following recommendations: —That homo science students commence their practical classes in household arts at the beginning of February in future; that the class of household and social economics be held annually instead of in alternate years, and be attended by the diploma as well as the degree students; also that the Home Science Department pay an additional amount of £SO to the Arts and Science Department for this extra work.

The recommendations wore referred to committees of the council.

CONFERENCE POSTPONED.

The registrar, Victoria College, Welwrote stating that he was now suggesting that the conference of the four university colleges be postponed till October 24. Auckland College had asked that the question of stamp duty on cheques and receipts should be considered. < The suggestion was approved. * The chancellor, the vice-chancellor, and the i“?gistrar were appointed to represent the council at the conference. Mr Chapman said that the question of superannuation would come up at the conference. SALARY CONSIDERED INADEQUATE. Dr Hercus reported that Mr G. J. C. Hunter had now returned to his department from doing work in the Invercargill laboratory. Before going to Invercargill he had been paid at the rate ot £lO9 4s per annum. He recommended that the salary be now raised to £l5O per annum and that the appointment be on a full-time basis. The Rev. D. C. Herron: Is that the full wage for a man holding a science degree? It is pathetic. The chairman: Unfortunately there are several people with degrees who are only too anxious to obtain work. GENERAL. The offer of Dr V. E. Galway to give four public lectures on modern music was accepted. The registrar of the University of New Zealand advised that the University would pay one-third of the expenses of the visit of representatives of the General Medical Council provided the total cost did not exceed £2OO. —Received. It was agreed that the advice of "Mr H. H. Ferguson (lecturer in experimental psychology) should again be made available to the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association. The commissioner of Crown lands, Invercargill, wrote asking the council to consent to certain land in the Forest Hill district being used for road purposes. —It was decided to ask the Reserves Committee to report to the next ifieeting of the council. On the recommendation of the Professorial Board the council approved of the inclusion of a small number of lecturers on the board, and asked for the submission of a scheme under which effect might be given to the proposal

FINANCE AND MEDICAL COMMITTEES.

The Finance and Medical Committees reported as follows: — The committee considered a letter from the dean of the medical faculty forwarding draft regulations in reference to the Dr A. F. J. Mickle Scholarship.— The regulations were referred to a committee consisting of the chancel'or, Dr Fitzgerald, Dr 11. J. T. Bell, and the dean of the medical faculty, with power to act.

A letter was received from the dean of the dental faculty recommending certain reorganisation in the staff at the Dental School. —It was resolved to refer to Mr Bell for report the questign of replacing Mr Jenkins, and to approve in general of the other recommendations, but to refer them first to the Budget Committee.

The University of Adelaide forwarded an invitation to the council to be represented at the jubilee of the medical school on September 18, 1935.—1 t was resolved to express thanks for this invitation, and to ask the dean of the medical faculty to endeavour to arrange for representation. FINANCE COMMITTEE ALONE. The Finance Committee submitted the following report: A letter was received from Dr Andrew asking for a further amount of £4O in respect of his allocation for the current year.—The council is recommended to approve of tin's request. The following matter tvas also dealt with;—The committee approved of purchasing a portrait of the King at £3 3s. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE.

The Works Committee reported as follows :

The architects wrote reporting regard ing various works: —Repairs had been completed to the roof of the Hocken Wing. The leaking skylights at the Museum had been repaired. Repairs at Lower Studhoimc had been completed. Gates had been erected between the old and the new Medical Schools. —The above matters were noted.

They recommended covering the landings at the old Medical School with bitumastic flooring and lino at a cost of £B.—This was agreed to. A tender for £l4 10s had been accepted for concrete kerbing in the botany gar den.—This was approved.

They submitted a report on a parking area south of the Geology Department —The committee recommends the council to hold this matter over.

Payment certificates amounting to £374 14s 4d were passed for payment. The chairman (Mr E. W. Mitchell) reported regarding the automatic stoker at the new Medical School. Messrs Salmae, Ltd., had agreed to remove the double retort stoker previously installed at the Medical School, and to substitute two single retort stokers, one to be connected with each of the boilers, and to charge an additional amount of £l7O. It was resolved that this offer be accepted. the work to be undertaken and completed to the satisfaction of the Lniversity architects. The following matters were also dealt with:—The chairman was given power to act with regard to the treatment of the flooring in the Extension Department at a cost not exceeding £2O. The chairman was authorised to act in having new gates installed at Upper Studholme House cither in iron or Cyclone •netting as he considered the more satisfactory. Authority was given to replace the parapets of the Beverly shops at an estimated cost of £ll. It was resolved to have further lagging placed on the water pipes in the arts building at an estimated cost of £4o. The lagging already supplied has had a very beneficial effect on coal consumption. The report was adopted.

LIBRARY COMMITTEE. The following report was submitted by the Library Committee: — The committee considered a letter from the University of New Zealand with regard to library co-operation. — It was resolved to recommend the council to approve of the proposed conference of librarians, but to suggest that it be held in the latter part of the year subsequent to the taking over of the library by the «pew librarian, Mr Harris. The report of the four college librarians on library co-operation was discussed. In this connection it was mentioned that there was at present a certain amount of inter-library lending, chiefly of the volumes of scientific periodicals under the direction of the professors concerned through the university librarians. With regard to part I (general catalogue), it was considered that the suggested conference of librarians would be best able to decide whether the work of preparing a general catalogue of important books and periodicals should be done by a special appointee visiting all the libraries, or by additional help given locally. A special grant might, in either case, be applied for through the University of New Zealand to Carnegie Corporation. As regards scientific periodicals, it was mentioned that Mr Archey’s list of these compiled for the Royal Society of New Zealand was now in process of revision.

Part ll.—Specialisation. The committee approved of the position taken up in the report that specialisation as regards the books needed for more advanced studies was desirable in principle, but that the library had not yet reached a sufficient general standard to allow of this.

The report was adopted. COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OP THE MUSEUM.

The Committee of Management of the Museum reported as follows: It was reported to the committee that the council had agreed to appoint one additional representative of the Otago Institute, this position having been filled by the appointment of Mr George Simpson.

The committee considered a letter irom Dr Hercus stating that he had been asked by the Carnegie Corporation to convene a small committee of laymen to advise as to the standing, spending of £IO.OOO in assisting museums and art galleries in the Dominion. He asked that proposals be submitted before the end of August. —This letter had been referred to the committee by the council. A deputation from the agricultural branch of the Otago Institute waited upon the committee in this connection, the deputation consisting of Messrs Stewart, Dayus, and Fountain. The suggestion that an agricultural exhibit should be housed in the Museum was strongly supported by this deputation. The following resolutions were finally adopted:—“The committee is favourable in principle to an exhibit of agricultural interest if this is found possible.” “ That application be made for a grant of £125 for cases in which specimens of natural history, and Maori ethnology may be circulated among the schools.” “ That the agricultural branch of the institute be thanked for the information submitted.” A letter was received from Dr Benham agreeing to the proposed agricultural exhibit. He recommended that the Carnegie Committee be asked to make a grant of £125 for the purchase of cases in which Specimens of natural history and Maori ethnology may bo circulated to the schools, and of £2OO towards the cost of storing agricultural exhibits.

Statement of receipts and payments for the half-year ended June 30 was submitted. The debit balance had been reduced from £421 to £2so.—This was noted.

It was resolved to spend £2O on the purchase of the rudder gudgeon of H.M.S. Bounty.

It was resolved to recommend that an expenditure of £lO be authorised to permit of Mr Skinner visiting Marlborough in seaeh of exhibits. It was resolved to approve of the action of Mr Skinner in obtaining photographs of the Maori house at a cost of £2 17s 6d. •The report was adopted.