SCHOLARSHIPS IN JOURNALISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17159, 1 October 1923, Page 10

SCHOLARSHIPS IN JOURNALISM.

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—Certain references have been made in the newspapers lately to a controversy betweeu t|i© Board of Governors of Canterbury' College and the Minister of Education concerning the payment of a Government subsidy on the gift of £3OOO made to the College by Mr 11-obert Bell to establish scholarships in journalism. This is a, subject of keen interest to members of the association which I represent, and I have been instructed by our annual conference to submit to you for publication a short statement of the history of this matter. 60 that your readers may judge lor themselves the merits of the case.

The starting point is th© New Zealand University Amendment Act of 1914, Section 33 of which is a.s fol-lows:-—“In respect of all voluntary contributions received by any University, College or institution affiliated to the University of Now Zealand from any local authority or from any person (not being an Education Board or a secondary school or a technical school or a University College or the University of New Zealand) and available for such purposes of the institution as may bo defined bv regulations, subsidies shall, without further appropriation than this Act (but subject to such other conditions and limitations as may be prescribed) b© payable out of the Consolidated Fund to such Colleges or institutions as follows:—(a) A subsidy at the rate of one pound foi every pound of voluntary contributions, in money (other than bequests). (b> A subsidy at the rate, of ten shillings for every pound of bequest money. Provided that in no case shall the subsidy in respect of any single bequest exceed five hundred pounds. . Regulations governing the payment of such subsidies were gazetted in 1915, when it was laid down that one of the approved objects of voluntary contributions, qualifying such contributions for subsidy, should be “ The establishment of scholarships and bursaries and the reduction or remission of fees.”

In January, 1920, after lectures in journalism had been inaugurated at Canterbury College, Mr Robert Bell, managing director of the “Lyttelton Limes,” wrote to the Board of Governors of that College offering to give £3OOO for the purpose of endowing scholarships in journalism, to be tenable at Canterbury College. Mr Bell’.; intention was that his gift, supplemented by a Government subsidy of a similar amount, should produce an annual interest of £3OO, which would enable two scholarships of an annual value of £SO each, or one scholarship of an annual value of £IOO, tenable for three years, to be awarded annually- He at first proposed to restrict the scholarship to competition amongst the sons and daughters of newspaper people, but after negotiations lasting nearly a year it became clear that this, or any such limitation, would seriously endanger payment of the Government subsidy, and Mr Bell withdrew th© condition absolutely, making the scholarships open to all. In May, 1921, Canterbury College applied to the Government for payment of the subsidy on Mr Bell’s gift. The Education Department made the extraordinary reply that, in its opinion, Government assistance was not necessary at that time, but that a subsidy would he paid from tim© to time “ on such expenditure as would enable the interest on bonuses and subsidies to provide bucli scholarships as were awarded.”

The Board of Governors of Canterbury College thereupon reminded the Government of the provisions of the New Zealand University Amendment, Act, and pointed out that Mr Bell had been induced to make his scholarships open upon official representations that the subsidy would then be available. Subsequent correspondence showed clearly that the Government had no intention of carrying out the plain, provisions of the Act, the intention of which undoubtedly, in our opinion, was to encourage just such benefactions as that made by Mr Bell. In a letter to the Canterbury College Board dated August 31. 1921, the Education Department said :—“ .... It must he pointed out that the provision for the payment of subsidies under Section 33 of the Now Zealand University Amendment Act, 1914, does not contemplate that tlie Government will provide a. subsidy merely for the purpose of allowing a scholarship fund to accumulate and to build up such a fund as is indicated in the fourth paragraph of your memorandum. The necessity for the subsidy must, in every case, bo considered, just/ as ig the necessity for all Government grants, and, as the Board of Governors has not shown that Government assistance is at the present time lequired, the necessity for th© immediate payment of the subsidy cannot be regarded as established.” Recent developments in this dispute have not altered the position. In the meantime Mr Bell’s valuable educa tional gift lies idle and liis intentions are stultified bv the failure of the Government to perform its part of the bargain. We submit, .Sir. that the Education Department lias adopted tx strained and erroneous interpretation of the law*, and one which will react unfavourably on the cause of education generally by discouraging gifts for the establishment of scholarships and other educational purposes.—l am, etc, Abtctttr D. Wylie. Hon Secretary New Zealand Journalists’ Association.