GRANT WITHDRAWN

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1931, Page 3

GRANT WITHDRAWN

EDUCATION PROFESSOR. GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. Dunedin, July 21. At a meeting of the Otago University Council this afternoon a letter was received from the Minister of Education stating that the Government was unable to reconsider its decision to withdraw the grant for the salary of the Professor of Education. Mr. Stephens said he thought that the council should express strong indignation at the Government having done what no private person Would dream of ■ doing—broken a _ definite pledge. He would move in this direction. . Mr. Rennie seconded the motion. Hie council had recently raised the salary of the Professor of Education, he said, as it did not consider that he was in the same position as the other professors. It would not have committed itself to tiiis expenditure if it had known that the Government would take the action it had done. Mr. G. R. Ritchie: I think we are pretty well over-educated as it is. It would not do any great harm if we did without the Professor of Education. I commend the Government for its action. . „ Mr. Thomson opposed the motion, fie said the Gcvermnent was in a ■ bad wav. Grants to hospitals bad been lowered, and he thought it would be unbecoming on the part of the council to

pass the motion. . Mr. Stephens pointed out that the circumstances were not parallel. Hospitals had not been requested to appoint a pennament office and promised his salarv if they did so. The appointment of the Professor of Education was made in pursuance of a direct promise made by the Government. It would, nohave been made otherwise. , The motion, on being put to the meeting, was carried with four dissentients.