16 REPORT— 1903. 



two stools, and the prospect is hopeless without some drastic changes. 

 And first among these, if we intend to get out of the present Slough of 

 Despond, must be the giving up of the idea of relying upon private 



effort. 



That we lose most where the State does least is known to Mr. Cham- 

 berlain, for in his speech, to which I have referred, on the University of 

 Birmingham, he said ; ' As the importance of the aim we are pursuing 

 becomes more and more impressed upon the minds of the people, we may 

 find that we shall be more generously treated by the State.' 



Later still, on the occasion of a visit to University College School, 

 Mr. Chamberlain spoke as follows : — 



' When we are spending, as we are, many millions — I think it is 

 13,000,000^ — a year on primary education, it certainly seems as if we 

 might add a little more, even a few tens of thousands,- to what we give to 

 University and secondary education.' ^ 



To compete on equal grounds with other nations we must have more 

 Universities. But this is not all — we want a far better endowment of all 

 the existing ones, not forgetting better opportunities for research on the 

 part of both professors and students. Another crying need is that of 

 more professors and better pay. Another is the reduction of fees ; they 

 should be reduced to the level existing in those countries which are 

 competing with us — to, say, one-fifth of their present rates, so as to enable 

 moi'C students in the secondary and technical schools to complete their 

 education. 



In all these ways facilities would be aflbrded for providing the highest 

 instruction to a much greater number of students. At present there are 

 almost as many professors and instructors in the Universities and colleges 

 of the United States as there are day students in the Universities and 

 colleges of the United Kingdom. 



Men of science, our leaders of industry, and the chiefs of our political 

 parties all agree that our present want of higher education — in other 

 words, properly equipped Universities — is heavily handicapping us in the 

 present race for commercial supremacy, because it provides a relatively 

 inferior brain-power, which is leading to a relatively reduced national 



income. 



The facts show that in this country we cannot depend upon private 

 effort to put matters right. How about local effort ? 



Anyone who studies the statistics of modern municipalities will see 

 that it is impossible for them to raise rates for the building and upkeep 

 of Universities. 



The buildings of the most modern University in Germany have cost 

 a million. For upkeep the yearly sums found, chiefly by the State, for 



' Times, November 6, 1902. 



