CO129-561-7 Hong Kong University 4-1-1937 - 22-9-1937 — Page 27

27

It does not seem to me that Mr Mayhew's

question as to the authority of the S. of S.

is entirely relevant. No doubt the S. of S.

can refuse to sanction government assistance

to the University unless it is run in

accordance with his views. But the position

which is likely to face the S. of S. is that

the Legislative Council will refuse to

-

tinue the subsidy to the University unless

attention is paid to the Report of the Committee

which Sir A. Caldecott appointed. If they take

that line, I imagine that the S. of S. would

be very reluctant to force the subsidy through

the Council by the use of the official vote; and

if he did, there would still be the difficulty

that private benefactions might be withdrawn

and leading unofficials might resign from

the Court and Council of the University.

any

We must recognise (a) that the University

is not a government institution, and u

interference from this end in its constitution

and working is necessarily limited in scope

and generally to be deprecated; (b) that the

taxpayers of Hong Kong provide a large propor-

tion of the funds, and public support of the

University depends on agreement between the

governing body of the University and unofficial

leaders of opinion as to the aims in view.

It seems to be assumed that an immediate

expert enquiry has been agreed upon as necessary.

By whom? The governing body of the University

have not yet made any pronouncement; and the

Legislative Council are hardly likely to take

this line in anticipation of such a pronounce- ment. As I have indicated above, the powers

of the S. of S. are limited.

I should be inclined to let matters simmer