The report for 1909-1910 of the universities and university colleges
in Great Britain which participate in the grant of £100,000 made by Parliament was issued on Tuesday as a Blue Book. In the introduction, which is signed by Mr. Runciman, Mr. Charles Trevelyan, and Sir Robert Morant, regret is expressed that, apart from a recent and munificent grant to Reading College, the chief endowments provided by private benefactions during the year have not been comparable in magnitude or importance with those of the late Sir Alfred Jones, Mr. Otto Beit. Mr. Alfred Kahn, or Sir W. H. Lever, to which reference was made in the last report. Germany, France, and America are cited to show how small is the endowment of research in this country as compared with others, and how great is the resulting disadvantage from which we suffer in the advancement of learning and research, now more than ever before essential to the welfare and pro- sperity of the nation. For this the report blames, not only the lack of imagination in the wealthy, but the apathy of the public and the attitude of local authorities. The inadequacy of the residential accommodation for students is also dwelt upon. Reading is the only university college at which the majority of the students live in a hall of residence, and there is practically no provision for men at present in any of the three Welsh university colleges.
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