YOUTHFUL CITIZENS

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 7

YOUTHFUL CITIZENS

A CENSUS SURPRISE. A reply to an inquiry made of Mr S. H. Smith, New South Wales, Director of Education, as to the effect of the census returns upon the number of public exhibitions available at the next leaving certificate examinations to begin on November 14 next, revealed some unexpected figures. “The number of exhibitions exempting students from payment of University fees,” said Mr Smith, “is governed by the University Amendment Act, 1912, which provides ‘one for every 500 persons within New South Wales who are between the ages of 17 and 20 years as shown by the last preceding census.’ On the basis of the figures of the 1911 census 200 exhibitions have been granted annually except on the occasion of the first distribution in 1913, when the Act limited the number to 100. It was anticipated in view of the growth of the general population during the last ten years that there would be a corresponding increase in the number between 17 and 20. But the census figures just supplied to me, as follows, show that there were 579 fewer young people in this State between these

“These figures,” continued Mr Smith, “also have an important bearing upon the State endowment to the University. The Act provided that ‘where on the taking after the war 1912 of any census by the Commonwealth it appears therefrom that the number of persons between the ages of 17 and 20 years then in New South Wales has increased since the taking of the last preceding census, the endowment to which the University was then entitled shall be increased at the rate of one pound for every fifteen persons of such increase.” He went on to say that the matter of increasing the State endowment to the University was one for the Cabinet. The census returns, however, released 219 Government from any statutory obligu.Jon in the matter.

ages in .1921 than in 1911:— Census. Males. Females. Persons. 1911 . . 51,650 49,875 101,525 1921 . . 50,965 49,981 100,946