OUR UNIVERSITY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14065, 20 August 1913, Page 5

OUR UNIVERSITY.

THE REQUEST FOR A ROYAL COMMISSION. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 19. Tho Parliamentary Education Committee took evidence to-day on four petitions from tho University Colleges praying for a Hoyal Commission of Inquiry into the Universities, also the Inspector-General of Schools’ report on the finances of the four Universities. Professor La by stated, that the provincial endowments of the four Co.leges a ere:—Auckland .£460, Victoria Co,lege .£74, Canterbury College £B9OO, aad Otago £6200. The report proposed to decrease the Government grant to Victoria College by £isoo a year. There was to ho no change at Canterbury, and there was to be an ir.erca.se of £2600 to Dunedin. The-total State aid under tho report to University Colleges for Auckland and the Middle University district would be £3300 per year, and for the South Island £7300. The population of these districts was respectively ' 644,1X10 and 364,000. The rcjiort suggested that £4155 could he raised in fees at Victoria College, lie gave evidence that the fees at present paid hi Victoria College by new students were equal to the fees paid per subject in Otago University, and that the present yield was £2327 per year, which was an increase of £l6O over last year. He consequently estimated that when at) the students paid the increased fees not more than £2647 would be obtained. It was unfair to expect the foe per student to he the same at Victoria College as at Otago, for students here only attended courses in arts and sciences, and not expensin' snnjects like medicine. Then, again, all the students wore evening students, and so were unable to take as large a number of courses as South Island students.

Professor Adamson gave evidence on tho question of the proposal to abolish all specialist teaching in law and science at Victoria College and upon the. ‘understaffing that exist id at present at the College.