MR CARNEGIE'S GIFTS

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 13

MR CARNEGIE'S GIFTS

Mr Andrew Carnegie has given two mil-lion-pounds to establish free education in four Scottish Universities — Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews. He stipulates that the beneficiaries must be his " Scottish fellow-countrymen only — no English, Irish, colonials, nor foreigners." The fund w?il apply to medical as well as commercial education, and will be placed in the hands of trustees, who will defray the expenses of Scottish students benefited \mder the scheme. Mr Carnegie's gift created a sensation in Edinburgh. Sir Wm. Muir said: "I regard the gift as one of extraordinary munificence, and there is no doubt but it will largely increase the number of students. I believe another result will be the freeing of secondary education. Possibly the Government would make a grant for this purpose." Arthur G. Lowrie, principal of the Hei-iot Watt College, Edinburgh, said: " I do not hesitate to characterise the application of the money as a mistake. Poor people cannot afford to keep their children during a university course, and free university education would prejudicially affect an institution like the Heriot Watt College. If Mr Carnegie would devote the money to the better endowment and equipment of universities it would do an immense amount of good."