TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION Iu. 729 
5. University Policy. By Dean F. F. Wrssroox, M.A. 
The author referred to the beginning of the University of Manitoba, 
and paid a tribute to the heroic, self-sacrificing, and unremitting labour of 
the pioneers in college education at a period in the development of the province 
when most communities provide only for urgent material needs. He deplored 
the failure of the province to follow up the initial activity in university 
matters in a manner comparable to the material progress of the province. 
The different types of universities were discussed, and it was assumed 
that all universities should not only accumulate and dispense knowledge, 
but that Federal, State, or Provincial universities should specialise in the 
application of culture and science to the betterment of the whole people 
and the logical conservation and development of natural resources. 
- Under these circumstances, the development of the universities of 
Western Canada and the newer States of the Union should have many, if 
not most, of their problems in common, and might perhaps better emulate 
the provincial and newer British universities than those of Oxford and 
Cambridge or of Harvard and Yale. 
The impossibility of separating absolutely the accumulation of know- 
ledge for its own sake from research which might be immediately applicable 
to human betterment and the practical things of life was pointed out. 
The magnificent support given by certain of the State universities such 
as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, and others, was men- 
tioned, and a number of ways in which Wisconsin and Minnesota were able 
directly to benefit their people were discussed in detail, as illustrating some 
of the functions of a State university in the endeavour to make it an expe- 
rimental arm of the Government service and a leading force for the 
scientific improvement of social and economic conditions. 
The importance of having all departments of university activity in 
close contact and sympathy was magnified, in order that the best possible 
team work might result. This means large ideas of expenditure in the 
first place, the provision of a sufficient site, and perfect co-ordination 
throughout all departments at all times. 
Organisation was not discussed in detail, except to point out the very 
great difference between the democratic form of government at Oxford and 
Cambridge, whereby the alumni of the institution have complete control, 
as contrasted with that of the State universities of the United States, 
where the Government controls the institution entirely. It seemed to the 
speaker that alumni representation need not be insisted upon, since if the 
university fulfils its function of bettering the citizens, as a natural 
sequence, the alumni will, within a relatively short time, be the natural 
leaders in the community. 
This means adequate financial provision for all the newer universities, 
where work in all departments must be initiated and maintained. The 
millions of dollars appropriated as endowment and for m&intenance of 
the State universities was gone into somewhat in detail, and the point was 
very strongly made that State universities need not be divorced from the 
acceptance of private gifts. It was urged, however, that in the acceptance 
of private donations the conditions imposed be as flexible as possible; 
otherwise, in later years it might be found that gifts were not only of 
diminishing value to the university, but might be found to be actually em- 
barrassing. 
Reference was made to the work and reports of the Carnegie Foundation, 
and the hope was expressed that through careful study of all of the 
universities of this country and Europe, by a system of carefully stan- 
dardised inspection, results might be tabulated which would enable the 
universities to see their deficiencies and correct faults. 
The magnificent work of the American Medical Association, through its 
