I.—lBa.

106

CORRESPONDENCE. Dbak Sih, — University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 21st July, 1913. At tliu monthly meeting of the Council of the Otago University held on Tuesday, the 15th instant, 1 was instructed to lay before you the pressing needs of the Ota}.'" University. These have been set out by the Inspector-Geueial in his report to Parliament on the University Colleges 01 . New Zealand, and have been directly reported on to the Council by the teachers of the various departments of this College. We feel that the time has come when defects which have been impairing the usefulness of our University work should be remedied, but this can be done only through your help. I submit the following reports in the order in which they came before the Council : — Medical School. a. It goes without saying that, as there is only one Medical School in the Dominion, it should be made as efficient as possible. On the quality of the medical practitioner graduating here the health of the whole community will largely depend. The Council has conferred separately with the medical faculty and with Dr. Valintine, with the following result : — The following is the report of the faculty : — (i.) " That the faculty considers the most urgent need of the Medical School to be the provision of buildings —to afford accommodation for full pathological and bacteriological departments, public health and materia medica rooms, and enlarged premises for anatomy, chemistry, and physiology." (ii.) " That the faculty considers the next most urgent need to be the appointment of a wholetime Professor of Pathology, and thai Dr. Roberts be offered the position." (iii.) " That assistants be provided for the Professors of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology." (iv.) " That the faculty report to the Council that in their opinion a Medical School block should be erected on a site in the immediate neighbourhood of the Hospital, to afford sufficient space to meet the requirements of the more purely medical subjects, and that the faculty approves of the extension proposed in connection with the medical buildings at the University." Dr. Valintine supplements this by recommending that there be also a whole-time Professor of Bacteriology, and that the principal lecturers in the Medical School be paid such a salary as will induce them to regard their University work as of primary and not. as at present, of secondary importance. Thus the present needs of the Medical School may be summarized: — (1.) Buildings: (a) Extension of the present block north and smith so as to give accommodation for anatomy, physiology, and chemistry; (b) a new medical block near the Hospital for purely medical subjects. (2.) Full-time Professors of Pathology and JJacteriology. (•'!.) Appointment of assistants to the Professors of Anatomy. Physiology, and Pathology, and Lecturer on Diseases of Children. (I.) Increase of the salaries of the principal lecturers in the Medical School. * Arts and Science. h. The following is a report presented to the Council by the professors in aits and science:— (1.) " This meeting of members of the faculties of arts and science wishes to draw the attention of the Council to the following resolution passed unanimously at a meeting of the Professorial Hoard held on the (itli May, L 912 : That all those members of the staff who have to devote the whole of their time to University work and to take honours classes should be paid adequate salaries." (2.) " That the attention of the Council be drawn to the fact that the Inspector-General of Schools, in his report on the University Colleges of New Zealand, E.-7a, 1912, page 10, recommends that the average salary of professors be £700; and, on the same page, lie makes definite recommendations a> to the allotment of professorial Chairs. Further, that this meeting considers that such recommendations should be regarded as a minimum." (•'i.) " That the Council lie reminded that the salaries paid to the professors who were first appointed represented a far higher purchasing-value than the same salaries at the present day." (i.) "That a trained assistant should be provided for the Professor of Biology at a salary of £200 or £250 to assist, especially in the botanical work." (").) " That an assistant be granted to the Professor of Mathematics at a salary of £100." ((>.) " That the extension of the Biological Department as recommended in the Inspectorgeneral's report, page 17, be considered." Some of our arts and science professors are miserably paid and overworked, and much will be done to mci sase the efficiency of the work in this department if you can meet the needs stated in this report.