738 



NATURE 



[August ii, 192 i 



doubt instructive, had the statistics contained a 

 comparative table of salaries paid in the various 

 universities or groups of universities quoted by 

 Sir J. A. Ewing. 



Turning to the paper read by the vice-chancellor 

 of Liverpool University, one is struck by the clear 

 exposition of the subject, the principles enunci- 

 ated, and the policy suggested. The aggregate 

 income of twenty-one institutions of university 

 rank in Great Britain has been carefully analysed. 

 From the figures given we find that students' fees 

 amount to 397 per cent, of the total income; Par- 

 liamentary grants, 36-5 Per cent.; and local 

 authority grants, plu^ income from endowments, 

 23.7 per cent. As the aggregate income is more 

 than 200,oooL short of the estimated expenditure, 

 Dr. Adami suggests that the prospective deficit 

 should be met by additional grants from local 

 sources. He thinks that the contribution from 

 the city in which the university is situated should 

 be at least one penny in the pound, and that the 

 other authorities, town and county, of the district 

 served by the university should contribute at least 

 one halfpenny in the pound. The only criticism 

 we have to offer upon this is that Dr. Adami is 

 too modest in his demands. There seems to be 

 no sound reason why the whole of the local 

 authorities in the Kingdom, urban and rural, 

 should not contribute a uniform rate of one penny 

 in the pound. The universities are not local, but 

 national. Undoubtedly a penny rate for the whole 

 country would ensure a greater measure of sta- 

 bility, and would go far to solve the problem of 

 university finance. 



Regarding the question of salaries. Dr. Adami 

 quotes extensively and effectively from the memo- 

 randum prepared by the Interim Committee of 

 the Conference of University Authorities and the 

 Association of University Teachers. The scale 

 of salaries suggested by the committee, and after- 

 wards adopted by the conference, is given, as is 

 also the estimated additional income required to 

 put the scale into immediate operation in England 

 and Wales. A rough estimate places the sum at 

 about 35o,oooL 



On the subject of the superannuation of uni- 

 versity teachers Dr. Adami is on firm ground 

 when he says that the matter cannot rest where 

 it is at present. The recent grant of 500,000?. 

 from the Treasury (acceptable as it is) for the 

 purpose of augmenting the superannuation allow- 

 ances of certain of the senior members of the 

 staffs of the universities is not only totally in- 

 adequate for its ostensible purpose, but also sub- 

 NO. 2702, VOL. 107] 



jects those university teachers who have seen teach- 

 ing in schools or technical institutions outside the 

 university to differential treatment of quite an 

 unjustifiable character. At present a schoolmaster 

 of standing cannot accept a position in the uni- 

 versity without a loss of pension benefits. This 

 rift between the universities and the schools and 

 technical and training colleges outside the uni- 

 versities cannot be allowed to continue. Anyone 

 who has the best interests of the universities at 

 heart will agree with Dr. Adami that "some 

 method must be discovered whereby years spent 

 in one service are duly recognised in the other 

 for pension purposes." We have on more than 

 one occasion expressed the same opinion in these 

 columns. 



One other point. No discussion of university 

 finance where ParUamentary grants are involved 

 would be complete without reference to the rela- 

 tion of the State to the university. There are 

 some who see in the growing financial intimacy 

 between the State and the university a threat to 

 the autonomy of the latter. Whether this opinion 

 is shared by our readers or not, we believe that 

 the freedom of the university is so vital for its 

 efficiency and its highest development that it is 

 the duty of every university teacher to guard 

 jealously this most valuable possession, and we 

 believe they will not fail in this duty. It was 

 natural and fitting, therefore, that the subject 

 should come up for discussion at the Oxford con- 

 gress, and, considering the issues involved, it is 

 perhaps not a matter for surprise that it gave rise 

 to one of the outstanding incidents of the con- 

 gress—a brilliant speech by Sir Michael Sadler on 

 the freedom of the university. 



The Bible. 



The Bible: Its Nature and Inspiration. By 

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