353
The Vice-
Chancellor's
note of
February, 1928,
A special ment- ing at Govern. meul House.
The raising of
funds for the School of Chinese studies.
The additional Income.
students in the Chinese School are not matriculated students and are not in a position to qualify for a University degree is the chief reason why the Chinese School is not flourishing. He adds that it is his strong belief that the Chinese School will never succeed unless it is under the control of a competent head and admits only matriculated students who can qualify in the School for a University degree.
IV.
The starting in 1929 of the existing School of Chinese Studies.
E8. In February, 1928, a note by the Vice-Chancellor was placed before the Council of the University. In this note it was pointed out that by the end of that year the money collected in Malaya would have been spent and that it was impossible, unless additional funds were raised and assigned to the teaching of Chinese, to do more than revert to the position as it was in 1926.
This note, emphasised the urgency of the needs of the University in other directions, especially in connection with its Medical Faculty.
19. On the 17th February, 1928, Sir Cecil Clementi convened a special meeting at Government House which was attended by Sir Cecil Clementi, the Vice-Chancellor, the Hon. Sir Shou-son Chow, the Hon. Dr. Kotewall, Mr. A. E. Wood, Professor G. T. Byrne (the then Dean of the Faculty of Arts), Dr. Lai Chi Hsi, Dr. Au Tai Tin, Mr. Lam Tung, Mr. Li King Hong and the Registrar. At this meeting Sir Cecil Clementi said that he was prepared to recommend to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council that as a temporary measure the Government grant to the University should be substantially increased so as to enable it to esablish a School of Chinese Studies teaching such a syllabus as that referred to at the opening of paragraph 17 above, such additional grant being sanctioned for a fixed period of years. Sir Cecil Clementi continued that no such recommendation could be placed before the Legislative Council, unless there was an immediate and substantial response from the Chinese. He continued:-
44
--
The Hong Kong Government could only be expected to collabor- ate on this basis on the clear understanding that the School for Chinese Studies should stand on its own feet eventually. The Government grant, if sanctioned, would therefore be in the nature of a temporary subvention."
20.
The next step was taken by the Hon. Sir Shou-son Chow and the Hon. Dr. Kotewall who succeeded in collecting $200,000 for the endowment of the Chinese School and $60,000 for a building. The building has since been constructed, the condition imposed by the donor being that the University should continue to teach Chinese, though not necessarily in the School of Chinese Studies as at present conducted. No additional grant from Government, assigned to Chinese Studies, has been fixed for a specified period of years, In the Colonial Estimates for the years 1929, 1930 and 1931 Government, in each case, consented to make a special grant, over and above the annual maintenance grant, for the support of the Chinese School. The grant for 1932 is $25,000. This amount when added to the interest on the $200,000 is sufficient to maintain the School on its present The Finance basis, but it does not admit of any development or expansion. Committee of the University has all along declined to accept responsibility for providing for the maintenance of the Chinese School out of the University's ordin- ary revenues. There is at the moment no demand for instruction in Chinese in the Arts Faculty beyond the intermediate standard, but teaching up to that standard is carried on by the teachers of the Chinese School whose salaries are a charge on the special Government grant and the interest on the $200,000 endow
ment.
V.
21.
The grant to the University from the Boxer Indemnity.
The University has recently received from the British portion of the Chinese Indemnity a sum of £205,000. This sum has been invested in War Loans in London; the investment when made was calculated to bring in a return of about 42%, but the position in London has changed since the investment was made. It was estimated on the 1st June last that the additional annual income from this investment would amount to $265,701. But this estimate will have to be modified with reference to the exchange value of the dollar and the possible conversion of the loans at a lower rate of interest.
The Court accept the Hon. Mr. Shenton's,
22. At the 34th meeting of the Court of the University which was held on the 27th April, 1931, the Court having approved the balance sheet and accounts of the University for the year which ended the 31st December, 1930, proceeded resolution. to take note that the sum of £265,000 had been transferred to the University from the Boxer Indemnity Fund and that the money had been so invested in England as to provide an annual income of about 12,000. Discussion having been in- vited, the Hon, Mr. Shenton referred to a motion which he had tabled at the previous meeting of the Court (on December 15th, 1930) which had been unani- mously accepted by the Court. The motion was:-
That in view of the financial position of the University as shown by the estimates of income and expenditure for this year, 1931, and in view of the instability of the present general position it would be inadvisable to use the income to be derived from the Boxer Indemnity money, and when received, in launching into new enterprises without careful and mature consideration; but that it would be more advisable to appropriate such income to existing faculties with a view to their general development and improvement."
23. In speaking to this motion the Hon. Mr. Shenton presumed that some concrete scheme would be prepared and placed before the Court," and in this connection he pointed out that by the provisions of the University Ordin ance, the Court was given a power of veto over the decisions of the Council and the Senate, and was in consequence the final authority. The Vice-Chancellor undertook to consult the Faculties and the Senate with a view to producing a scheme of increased expenditure.
24. At a special meeting of the Senate held oh the 6th May, 1931, the Senate after considering the reports of the Board of the Faculties, recommended:-- (a) That the salaries of the staff who receive their salaries in sterling should be adjusted by the grant of an increased amount representing 33.1/3%, on the scales of salary in force before the temporary increase of 121⁄2 at a 1/3d. dollar was given.
(b) That a sum of $108,691 should be dealt with as shown below:-
(i) Providing for the requirements of the Faculties of Medicine, Engineering and Arts, including additional provision for main- tenance and equipment
(ii) Library
(i) Provident Fund for Clerical Service
$100,191
5,500
3,000
$108,691
As regards (a) it was decided by the Council that the adjustment of salaries on the basis of a 33-1/3% increase should take effect from the 1st April, 1931, and that sterling salaries should be converted half at the rate of 1/6d. to the dollar and half at the current rate of exchange. As regards (b) discussion was chiefly con- cerned with the question of the future of Chinese Studies at the University and it was eventually decided that the proposals for expansion within the faculties should be deferred for later consideration in order that the claims of Chinese might be compared with the claims of other departments.
25.
In referring the matter to the Court at a meeting of that body held on 1st June, 1931, His Excellency emphasised the necessity for adjusting the staff salaries. Referring to the teaching of Chinese at the same meeting, His Excellency pointed out that while it was just and proper and in accordance with the letter and spirit of the University Ordinance to make adequate provision for Chinese Studies he was not at all sure that the existing School of Chinese Studies had proved to be a success. He continued that the School had not formed
of part any of the degree courses of the University and as such the experimental arrange- ments which were in vogue for the teaching of Chinese could hardly be regarded as a legitimate charge on the funds of the University. His Excellency reminded the members of the Court that the present cost of the School of Chinese Studies was being borne largely by Government. In the circumstances His Excellency felt that the best course would be for the Court to appoint a special committee to report as to the best way of dealing with the teaching of Chinese in the Univer-
The Senate's improvement scheme and tho action of the Council thereon.
The Court ap- point a special committes.
354
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