UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1930, Page 14

UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENTS

HOW THE SOUTH IS FAVOURED. MANY LIBERAL BEQUESTS MADE. Liberally endowed in their youth by the Provincial Land Boards, and remembered in the wills made by the early settlers (for the most part men from England and Scotland and holding strongly to the university spirit and traditions), the Universities of Otago and Canterbury are to-day in the happy position of holding an advantage over the North Island in regard to bequests and endowments. In the South Island to-day there are numerous educational reserves providing a source of income for the universities, and evidence of the forethought of the early Southern settlers. But in the North wars and differences with the Maoris kept the land in an unsettled 'state for many years. Eventually, when the land was sold, little was reserved as a source of income for the schools and universities. ’ ' Otago, of course, is quoted as a glowing example of public generosity. The ■Presbyterian Church Board of Property lias given something like £90,000 in land and money to the Otago University. The Sidey family has also handed over generous sums in the interests of higher education.--Sir John Roberts is an■i oilier benefactor who has frequently I made gift® to Otago University. - • < ' 4. Last year. 4802 students attended the ’ four universities. in "New Zealand. New, Zealand’s bill for education last showed an increase of £115,434 over, the ■ ■'. previous year. After the expenditure on ‘ buildings-is ’deducted,- the cost of education,/in.'New .'.■.Zealand is £2 Ds 3d. a '•;■ head of the population." Each university . receives a Government-grant every year, ■' but this' does .. not in any ..'‘way meet ' the demands made for funds, which y- , must* be met- by bequests and endow‘vf niehts. " 1 : The Otago University was founded, in 1869, and now wears a mantle of ; dignity and age; Canterbury' followed i in’ 1873, Auckland in JlBB2. and Victoria ; in 1897. ? Auckland, of course, has , the most-recently constructed building, completed only a few years ago, but, even now there are signs that, the university block is not large, enough to -accommodate the number of students, and a.move is afoot to erect an arts block in Symonds Street. : .Public and private bequests, scholar- . ships and endowments have been lavished on the Otago University. A complete list of .all 'of them would require a • large amount of' space. The following are. some,of the biggest benefactions:. Presbyterian Church Board, £95,796; Trustees of -the Dunedin Savings Bank (over a period of years), £14,450; Wolff (Harris, £2100; Arthur Beverley, £la,400; Thomas Hocken, £1'0,000; John Sidey; £10,000; Sir Thomas Sidey, £1400; Mrs. M. Glendining, £8000; W. Eels (three), £7,700; Sir Louis Barnett (three), £10,090. 1 '■ ' . ", Although Auckland. has received many gifts of books, instruments, etc;; the university here ‘ has not received many large money bequests. Some of the principal ones were: £3OOO from '* property belonging to the wife of Mr. Justice Gillies, £2lO in 1890 from the Auckland Amateur Opera .Club, for music, £2OOO from A. D. Lubecki for scholarships, £4OOO from the execiitois of the late J. M. Mennie for teaching -'commercial subjects, £20,000 from .the ' Logan Campbell bequests, £3OOO from the estate of the late Lissie Rathbone, .■ £2200 public subscriptions to found the ’Sanders, _V.p, Memorial Scholarship, £l3OO from Sir James Gunson for the School of Agriculture, £5OO from the cs--1 tato of the late Hon. J. P. Campbell, £lOOO from John Court for the Agiicultural School and £4OO from the Students’ Association. The Hon. Sir George Fowlds gave over 2000 valuable books. In recent years Victoria College University has received a considerable number"’of gifts and benefactions. These include;— £lO,OOO with’ which to establish a school of economics from the late T. G." Macarthy,- £lO,OOO from the cs- . tate' of the late Sarah Anne Rhodes to i be devoted to the education of women, £lO,OOO from Sir Walter Buchanan for founding a' chair of agriculture, £3ooo' from the trustees in the estate of Lissie Rathbone for scholarships and between £60,000 and £7o,ooo'from the estate of the late' W. Weir for purchasing a site for, the f college hostel. _ .. .. ... ’ Although Canterbury has not 'been very .’-generously treated in regard to bequests, its land endowments are , large.: ...The largest bequests are:— > Board of Governors, staff, and friends, ’ £2000.;. John Connal, • £1000; Thomas W, Adams, £2OOO and 90 acres of land; ’■ Robert Bell, for journalism, £3000; 'Pro'S fessor J. Macmillan Brown, £1000;, sjib- • scriptions to’ tlie War Memorial Wiu- ? dow, £2000; . Lissie Rathbone estate, • £&600;/Mrs. J. P. Gabbatt; £3(100 f Professor W. P .Evans, £2OOO. - ’ ’. ’.Otago leads in the number of scholarships' and ‘ fellowships at her disposal. ; These number 25. Canterbury comes ; next with 9, Auckland 8 and Victoria 0. ■-■"■-'.■■■. 1