CO129-593-6 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee papers 1-1-1939 - 31-12-1946 — Page 39

was trifling,

Clearly the University was established with no

understanding of what modern University work ie bound to cost.

A few endowments were zenuaki acounsulated; The Hockefeller P

Trustees gave a partial endowment of chairs and surgery, Medicine

Gynaeology, Messrs John Swine and Company for Engineering

equipment, and a sum of £265,000 was assigned to the University

from the British share of the Chinese Boxer Indemnity Funds

to be a permanent endowment for general purposes. Local

funds were invested for high interest in local and Shanghai

mortgages.

reduced the possessions of the University. Scholarships pro-

vided out of the funds of various Chinese Provincial Government

gradually declined until only one remained (Statement of the

University's finances is in appendix).

COMMITTEE OF A 1937.

Recent happenings in Shagahai have permanently

In 1937 the Governor as Chancellor of the

University set up a Committee of the

The

University Court with Mr. N.L. Smith as Chairman, to survey the

affairs of the University. It was obvious that as an instru

ment of British Policy towards China the University was

achieving little,as an institution of Hong Kong education

it was too costly. The Committee made useful proposals of

economies but strongly supported the view that the University

must maintain more than a mercly local reference.

present Committee is, in fact, a major consequence of the 1937

Committee. Mr. A. Morse, a member of the Committee became

Treasurer of the University and made major reforms in

University finance which t convinced the Government of the

reasonableness of raising its annual grant to the University

from Hong Kong dollars 100,000 to 350,000 (1.e. from £6250 to

£21,875) In 1939 Sir Geoffrey Northcote, the Governor, set

39