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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, June 1912

The Cinderella of the College

The Cinderella of the College.

We reprint the following sub-leader from the Evening post of May 23rd. Comment is unnecessary:—

Some time ago a member of the College Council struck an apt phrase, "the Cinderella of the Colleges," which fairly describes the condition and position of the youngest member of the University College family. The needs of the College grow out of proportion to the income from grants of public money and students' fees. The State policy of placing secondary education within the reach of deserving boys and girls with capacity for work naturally lengthens the roll of students at Victoria College, but the money and the equipment for the proper teaching of them do not correspondingly increase. Other colleges have the advantage of endowments, but Victoria College has only a peppercorn income from that source, and has to rely mainly on direct subsided from Parliament. Public opinion is against additions to the scale of fees, and therefore the College Council has to get more money from the representatives of the people if those representatives' education policy is to be effectively carried out at this University College. Mr. C. Wilson yesterday very plainly put the urgency of the need before the Minister (the Hon. J. A. Hanan), and the answer was sympathetic. Mr. Hanan remarked that the Inspector General(Mr. Hogben) was preparing a report on the financial position and requirements of all the colleges, next session. We expect that this report will clearly indicate the amount of public money (direct and indirect by way of public endowments) as an annual charge against page 40 each student, on an average, at each of the colleges. In the matter of public money, Victoria College, in common fairness, has to be on a basis of equality with the sister colleges. Of course, Wellington cannot expect to get an equivalent in public money for the private benefactions which have benefited the colleges of Christchurch. Dunedin and Auckland. Any such balancing would tend to dry up the springs of private generosity. The Middle District asks for absolute fairness in the allocation of public money, and the reasonableness of such a plea must get justice for Victoria College.