UNIVERSITY FINANCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 15

UNIVERSITY FINANCE

TREASURER'S REPORT,

The following report was submitted to the meeting of the University Council on Tuesday by the hon. treasurer, Mr L. D. Ritchie

In my report of last year I stressed the fact that it would only be possible to make ends meet by the most careful methods of finance, and notwithstanding any attention the council may have paid to that warning we finish the year 1925 £7lB 11s 101 to the bad.

Salaries paid amount to £40,453 Is 3:1, an increase of £2523 19s Gd over last year. All of this, however, is not a new charge in view of the reorganisation of the department of surgery, and furthermore we received a grant for a research in rheumatoid arthritis. Students’ fees received total £19,314 ISs 3d, a decrease of £396.

I view with apprehension the fact that in the balance sheet tthe liabilities exceed the assets by £2002 Is 9d, while the Iwmk debit, instea 1 of being £122 4s 11 1, would have been between £SOOO and £OOOO if a call were made on various amounts held in current account such ns Dental Schoo 1 equipment £1495 (part of which at this date has been spent), hon. medical staff donation £BSO, Home Science credit £2182.

Debentures and inscribed stock now’ stand at £75,223 15s, an increase of £7871 10s, largely accounted for by the subsily on Dr Barnett’s handsome donation.

MEDICAL SCHOOL. The debit balance for this year is £ISBB 2s 3d. a considerable reduction on last year's figures. Fees for bacteriology and patnology reports uoth show a pronounced increase. An amount outstanding of £678 13s against the total amount brought into credit for the year of £S9I 6a 3d in the bacteriology department calls for immediate action on the part of the council. The same applies to the pathology department. Students’ fees have decreased and tnere will be a further decrease this year. In view of the infinitly greater amount of work done for (he Hospital Board by the reporting departments, that institution should greatly augment its contributions to the University funds. MINING SCHOOL The Mining School debit of £1765 5s 4d is less than last year, while the fees have somewhat increased. The Mining School account is perhaps at a disadavntage as ■ .• whole of the salary of the professor of geology is charged to it. HOME SCIENCE SCHOOL. The amount of the credit of the Home Science account has diminished by £531 17s ldd though students’ fees have increased by £231 Is 6d. DENTAL SCHOOL. The debit to this account is £935. com pared with L 896 lls bd for last year. Students' fees are about the same while dental patients’ fees have increased uy nearly hc\jO. Schoiarsnip and Prize Fund account is worthy of careful perusal by those interested m till? side of the activities of the University. In one case at least it would appear that the funds would permit of the amount of the scholarship being increased, and it seems peculiar that so many of tbe prize fund accounts have not been drawn upon for the current yeaT. 1 await with interest the long delayed proposals of the Government in regard to the finance of tbe special schools. It will be noted that the debit balances of the Dental. Medical and Mining Schools amount to £4288 5s Bd, and while I am prepared to admit that the Medical School is Entitled to some share of the income from University endowments, the sum above mentioned is altogether too big a drain upon the arts and science department. For the current year it would seem that we must go from bad to worse unless the strictest economy is practised (and such methods ounnot be in the interests of higher education), unless the legitimate and much needed assistance is received from ths Government. It appears to me imperative that the council should seek at the earliest possible moment an assurance from the Government of thoroughly adequate assistance for the special schools, schools which it has been shown from time to time are’ either regarded by the Government as national schools or were instituted prac\» cally at its request. With the exception of the Chancellor 1 probably have a better opportunity than any other member of the council of judging of the work of the registrar (Mr Chapman), and must as heretofore express

appreciation of the grip he has of u!t matters pertaining to tho University and of the ability, diligence aud unfailing eourteoy he displays notwithstanding the increased duties that fail upon him. ile reports mo>t favourably on the work of ail the members of his small but efficient staff. In submitting tbe report Mr Ritchie said he thought it was time that the quiMioa v>i what the Government going to do to assist them in regard to the two special schools should be pudied. lie thought the Medical School could quite rightly claim some part of tire income- from the University endowments. The Medical School had been established very soon after the University had been established, and he considered that their pioneers had intended to make provision for (lie Medical School as well a? for tho University. He did not know that he could put forward that claim for the special schools. Whatever was done, they should endeavour to get the Government to do something adequate and do awav with the cheese paring policy which had been in evidence. He regretted that thev had gone back £7CO for the year, notwithstanding that the strictest economy had been practised. Thoir expenditure, more- • over, would be nothing compared to what it would be when the new buildings iti course of construction were completed. Even , now they were being asked for a new staff lor the Dental Pcliool. lie thought the council should take steps to expedite action by the department. There was one tiling which was causing them some anxiety. So far a? they could see the students’ fees would be down again this vegr. owing to the smeller classes in the Medical School. The speaker pointed out that the attendance? of medreal students had a greater hearing on the receipts from fees than the attendance? of other students. The sneaker paid a tribute to the work of their registrar (Mr H. Chapman) and said that in him thev had a man who had the affairs of the University at his fiingerend?.—(Hear, hoar.) The Chancellor (Mr T. K. Sidey) seconded the motion that the report he received. He expressed the thanks of th« "ouncil to the treasurer for his report, and the analysis which had been presented The motion wa = earned and the report ordered to lie on tbn f n Mo.