AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 16

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.

RELATIONSHIP TO UNIVERSITY. AUCKLAND, February 17. A report upon the position of the Canterbury Agricultural College and the New Zealand College of Agriculture was placed before the University Council today by a committee consisting of Professor T. A. Hunter, Mr H. D. Aeland, and the Hon. George Fowlds. The report, stated the committee, finds (1) that under the new University Act the New Zealand University is a federal university consisting of four university colleges; (2) that apparently the Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln) lias not been included in the university; (3) that the New Zealand Agricultural College Act establishes a college in connection with the New Zealand University, but this college is not part of the university as indicated in the University Act. The committee recommends that the Minister of Education be advised that in the ojiinion of the University Council (1) no university college other than those specified in section 3 (1) of the University Act should be established; (2) that the Canterbury Agricultural College should be a part of Canterbury College; (3) that the New Zealand College of Agriculture should bp n nart of Aurklnnd ITnivnrsitv

College and Victoria University College. In moving the adoption of the committee's report, Professor Hunter said that the University Council should protest strongly against the action of the Government in passing legislation on university matters and deliberately withholding that legislation from review by the Senate. Consequently there were a great many matters in the Act that would need amendment this year. By an Act of 1596, he explained, the Lincoln TVJ’ricultural Colwas separate from Canterbury College, and was not referred to in the University Act.’ The New Zealand Agricul—tural College Act established a college “in connection with the New Zealand University,” but this college was not a part of the university, as indicated in the University Act. The difficulty was that with the new statute the idea of an examining university with affiliated university colleges had gone out, and New Zealand was now left with a federal university. Upon the question of creating new university colleges Professor Hunter said that a lower standard of work would result if the number were multiplied. An effort should be made to limit the number to four as at present. Any new schools should accordingly be brought under the wimr of existimr eolleiros.

Professor J. Macmillan Brown (chancellor), referring to the question of submitting draft legislation for the consideration of tho council, said that the Minister of Education gave a distinct promise to allow him and the vice-chancellor an opportunity of examining tho Bill that was brought down last session. There were a number of weaknesses in the Act. Professor Hunter: A public matter of this kind should be widespread among the bodies interested. The college councils as well as the University Council should 'be given an opportunity of making suggestions. Sir Robert Stout said he agreed with the committee’s recommendations. He also agreed that the Canterbury Agricultural College should be a part of Canterbury College, and ho expressed his regret that it was ever separated. He agreed further that the New Zealand Agricultural College should be part of the Auckland and Victoria Colleges. . s Mr T. R. Fleming asked what was meant by the committee's third recommendation. Professor Hunter replied that- it was.not in the interests of the university that there should be a duplication of special schools in the establishment of one agricultural collego in the North Island. The two northern colleges had agreed that the interests of the country ns a whole should be made paramount. Tho endowments of the Buchanan Chair in Wellington and the Campbell Chair in Auckland were accordingly amalgamated. The council adopted tho committee’s recommendations.