xell REPORT—1904. 
fit for industrial work persons who, without university education, would 
be very ill-equipped indeed. He concurred with all the speakers that 
there is a great financial need, both in the old and new universities, for 
help towards this object. But there is a still greater need—namely, that 
capitalists should recognise the necessity of giving employment to those 
whom the universities turn out. There is some evidence to show that 
shipbuilders and manufacturers prefer the future captains of industry to 
begin work early in life in the old way. He thought they were wrong, 
but they must be convinced that they are wrong, otherwise there will be 
no advantage in turning out qualified students if employers are content 
to use the man who acquires his training by actual day-to-day labour, 
but is not qualified in the higher scientific attainments which are more 
and more becoming necessary. Another thing we want is the creation of 
positions which will enable a man who has exceptional gifts of originality 
in science to devote his life to the subjects of his predilection, so as not 
to be driven to another kind of life in which he will not be able to render 
the full service of which he is capable to his country. In Germany such 
positions, which must in the main be attached to the universities, are 
more numerous than in this country. He could conceive no more 
admirable use of any funds which the universities can command than 
the increase of such positions. Having dealt with the more general 
aspects of the problem presented by the various speakers, he desired 
to leave it to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to speak upon the 
more practical question of what the Government can do and what it 
cannot do. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that he wished to express his 
interest in the work of universities, and recognised the larger part they 
were likely to play in our national development in the future. He con- 
sidered it would be a misfortune if it were to be thought that it was the 
duty of the State to take upon itself the whole or main cost of the higher 
education of the country, or if the State were to come into such relations 
towards university education as it occupies towards elementary education. 
He must bid them consider what control the State would have to exercise, 
and what restrictions it might feel called upon to impose if it ever took 
on itself the duty of supplying to the universities such large grants as had 
been suggested. State aid must always be accompanied by State control, 
and it was, he thought, dangerous for the higher education of the country 
thatat should have to conform itself, for the purpose of obtaining grants, 
to rules and regulations laid down by the Treasury. It would be not less 
disastrous in the interests of higher education if anything were done to 
relieve patriotic citizens of that sense of the importance of supporting 
higher education by voluntary endowment and subscription. The Govern- 
ment had not stinted their contributions to education as a whole. They 
had been spending large sums on primary and secondary education, which 
was a necessary equipment for any student who wished to make profitable 
use of the facilities the universities granted. The Government had shown 
their interest in universities this year by proposing to Parliament to 
double the grant recently given to university colleges, and had expressed 
a hope that in the coming year they might be able again to raise that 
sum so as, in round figures, to double it once more. We are not enjoy- 
ing one of those periods of prosperity when the Treasury could afford to 
be generous without having to place fresh burdens on the taxpayer. 
Whatever the claims of university education to further assistance, they 
