E.—7A,

8

Result of 1879 Commission.

Outstanding events, 1880-1910.

avail themselves of the lectures in single subjects, without entering upon a full course of study. There can be no doubt that by offering these facilities to irregular students the colleges are effectually promoting the cause of higher education, so long as these evening classes do not lead to a sacrifice of the interests of those students who devote their whole time to university work." "We think that the members of the Senate should not have the right to vote by proxy." "Great importance should be attached to the attendance of undergraduates upon college lectures ; but there is no good reason for disturbing the existing arrangement whereby the Chancellor may, in exceptional circumstances, grant exemption from such attendance." " Considering the large expenditure involved in founding and carrying on professional schools . . . the Councils should have power to associate with themselves committees, composed of persons, not being members of the Councils, who may have special knowledge of the institutions in question." The Commission suggested a draft Bill giving effect to their recommendations. However, probably because of the appropriation clauses — i.e., £12,500 each for Auckland and Wellington University Colleges for buildings, together with annual grants of £4,000 — Parliament did not proceed with the proposed legislation. Discouraged by the delay, Mr. G. M. O'Rorke, M.P., who had been Chairman of the Commission, drafted legislation which was introduced as a private member's Bill in 1880 by Mr. J. A. Tole, another member of the Commission. The Government was unable to support the Bill, which was accordingly dropped. The establishment of the Auckland University College, as recommended by the Commission, was, however, carried into effect in 1882, the College being housed in the old Grammar School buildings. Victoria College, at Wellington, was established in 1897, the classes at first being conducted in the evenings in the Wellington Girls' College and the laboratories of the Technical College. Thereafter, the two northern colleges developed rapidly, in a manner somewhat similar to the early development of the southern colleges, mainly by the inclusion of large numbers of teachers and other evening students. The establishment of the northern colleges was the cause of a falling-off in the attendance at those of the south, particularly Canterbury, which, even up to 1895, could claim that more than half of the higher degrees in arts and science had been awarded to its graduates. Beyond the establishment of the new University colleges and the shedding of the affiliated secondary schools, the main events of outstanding interest to the University during the period 1880-1910 were the establishment of the Canterbury Agricultural College (1880), the recognition of the Otago Medical School as giving hill degree courses in 1883, the establishment of the Canterbury College of Engineering (1890) under Professor R. J. Scott, and its recognition along with the School of Agriculture in 1892. Lincoln College was separated from Canterbury College in 1896. In 1902 a University Amendment Act altered the constitution of the Senate to that at present obtaining. In 1904-5, as stated in another section of our report, there was a " battle " for possession of the Mining School. In 1907 the Dental School was established as a result of the Dentists Act, 1904. From 1906 to 1911 there were negotiations between Mr. John Studholme and Canterbury College and Otago University for a School of Home Science, resulting in its establishment at the latter place. "The somewhat haphazard way in which University institutions have sprung up in New Zealand accounts for the inequitable distribution of the various special schools among the colleges. Had these colleges arisen simultaneously, equally endowed and equally supported, it is possible that co-operation and organization might have produced a more satisfactory solution of the problem. But the attainment of this symmetrical ideal has been complicated by various historical and accidental factors, not the least of which is the later development of the North Island and its relatively larger increase in population than the South. The older colleges —Otago and Canterbury —had already founded the more important Special Schools before the northern colleges were established, and any attempt of the latter to secure the same privileges for themselves involved duplication and a serious risk of failure."*

* See Thompson, " History of Otago University," p. 155,