ECONOMICS FOR IRISHMEN.
(To THE EDITOR OP THE .SPRCI,TOR.1 Sia,—My attention has been called to a most extraordinary statement in a recent book by "Pat" entitled +‘ Economics for Irishmen." Writing about Trinity College, Dublin, he says (pp. 25 and 138): "Nearly half the revenue of that establishment is spent on theology, largely for employment abroad, while there are only two names in the engineering list for one year." I cannot imagine where he got such informa- tion. He certainly did not get it in the "Calendar of Trinity College," from which he professes to quote. Correct figures on all these points will be found in the recent Report of the Royal Commission. In the appendix to the First Report, p. 3, the total income of the College (not including the fees received by the College Tutors) is given as 276,360 18s. 5d. On the same page is given the expenditure on the Divinity School,-22,991 10s. No stretch of imagination can make this latter figure "nearly half" of the former. As to the "employ- ment abroad," on p. 127 in the appendix already quoted the following figures are given showing the present distribution of the clergymen who have gone through the Divinity School :- In Ireland ... ... 1,411 In Great Britain... ... ... 1,528 In the Colonies ... ... 1501 Abroad 201 In Foreign Countries ... 51
Total ... 5,140
In calculating the cost to the College the fees of the divinity students must be considered. ,%On p. 337 of the same appendix will be found the number of divinity students (sixty-nine) and of engineering students. The fees of the sixty-nine divinity • students, to cover arts and divinity, at 216 16s. each, would amount to £1,160 per annum; but there are about an equal number among the seven hundred and eighty-nine pure arts students (i.e., not at present in any professional school) who, though now in the junior dames, will become divinity students. If their fees be added to those actually in the school, you will have some 22,300 received by the College from those students, thus greatly reducing the net cost of theology, and, if the fees received for theological degrees be added, it will not be far wrong to say that the School of Theology is self-supporting. As to the Engineering School, which this book states to have only two names on its list, on p. 78 of the appendix to the First Report there is given the number of engineering students in each of ten years, rising from thirty-six to seventy-two in the last eight of those years, and all these students must graduate in arts before they can obtain their professional degrees. It is to be hoped that these particulars will receive as wide circulation as the misstatements in the book referred to.—I am, Sir, &c., ANTHONY TRAILL,
Provost
Provost's House, Trinity College, Dublin.
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