to time attend the College Meetings during the discussion of the estate business with which they are locally familiar, express opinions and answer questions.

It is no disparagement to the discharge of their difficult duties by Bursars or land agents to say that they may sometimes be chary of initiating the policy of selling estates committed to their care, or inclined to leave the rents of tenants on the low side.

But for the future, in all probability, not only the University but the State will be directly interested in developing to the utmost the income-producing resources of the Colleges. On this ground, we are of opinion that the Ministry of Agriculture should have the power at any time to call for reports from outside experts on the possibility of increasing the income of a University or College by the development of building or mineral properties, or by revisions of rent or by sales of land; and to enforce on Universities or Colleges such recommendations as it was decided to adopt. Such reports should not, however, be called for in the case of the same University or College more often than once in seven years. The expense should be borne by the Ministry.

272. The adoption of the recommendation made in the preceding paragraph would involve amendment in the Universities and Colleges Estates Acts, the latest of which is dated 1898. The same necessity arises if the recommendations in paragraphs 274 and 275 are adopted. The existing duties of the Ministry are :— (1) To give or withhold consent to the sale, enfranchisement, or exchange of land:

(2) To hold, and approve the investment of, any moneys arising from such transactions :

(3) To sanction the borrowing of money for improvements out of the funds held by the Ministry on behalf of Universities or Colleges.

273. In the discharge of these duties friendly relations have been maintained between the Ministry and the Universities and Colleges. But three principal difficulties have arisen.

(1) The conflict of duties which arises at the Ministry from its interest in obtaining land for small holdings as cheaply as possible, and its obligation to secure for University and College lands the best price that can be reasonably obtained;

(2) The delays which have occurred in sanctioning investments of the proceeds of sales of lands or in completing the transactions, no interest being allowed on the sums deposited;

(3) The practice of requiring that the whole of the surplus income derived from the capital realised from the sale of reversions should accumulate till the expiration of the term, thus depriving the vendor of any immediate increase in income.

Since the appointment of the Commission these difficulties have been, as far as possible, removed. Consent to the sale of College lands is no longer given or withheld by the branch of the Ministry interested in Land Acquisition, but is delegated to a separate branch. Arrangements have been made by the Ministry with the Bank of England and the Bank's stockbrokers by which investments have been greatly expedited and the services of the stockbrokers placed at the disposal of the investors.

At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Committee considered the accumulation of surplus income under Section 34 of the Settled Lands Act, 1882, as incorporated in the Universities and Colleges Estates Act, 1899, which was interpreted to require the accumulation of all surplus income in accordance with the practice of the Courts.

The Ministry has accepted the suggestion of the Committee that only so much of the surplus interest on the money derived from the sale of reversions as will, with a liberal margin, replace the estimated capital value at the end of the term, should be appropriated for accumulation, the remaining surplus interest being released for immediate increase of income.

The rule that, in sales of College lands, the purchasers should pay the costs has been withdrawn. For the future such sales will follow the normal course. Outstanding questions as to the fees payable to College Surveyors are, it is hoped, in process of solution,

274. As the law at present stands, the Ministry is obliged to insist on a report from a Surveyor in all cases of sale, enfranchisement, or exchange of land, except land tax, tithe rent charge, Crown Rents, chief or quit rents. Cases not infrequently occur where such reports are valueless. We recommend that the confirming authority should have discretion to require or dispense with a report.

It occasionally happens that the Ministry is dissatisfied with the report of a Surveyor. In that case it may require a second report from another Surveyor. The expense of both reports falls on the University or College. This additional cost might be avoided if, in the first instance, the Ministry approved the choice of the Surveyor. We therefore recommend that, where reports are required for the giving or withholding of the Ministry's consent, the Ministry should approve the selection of the Surveyor, before he is called in to report.

III.-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

275. In addition to the recommendations made in the preceding paragraphs, we desire to make two further recommendations.

(1) Acquisition of Land for University Purposes. Land is required for the expansion of the Universities to meet new needs, but valuable opportunities for its acquisition are sometimes lost. A large amount of the land in and near Oxford and

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Cambridge is owned by the Colleges. We recommend that a Map of these properties available for future development should be drawn up and deposited in charge of the University Officials, showing the position and extent of the lands and giving the dates at which they next come to hand. From answers to our enquiries, we believe that the Colleges interested are anxious to co-operate with the University, and would be willing to give it the first opportunity of acquiring their land at a price fixed by arbitration. We further recommend that the Ministry of Agriculture, on the representation of the University, should have power to make Provisional Orders which would be subject to confirmation by Parliament, conferring on the University compulsory powers of acquiring from Colleges and outside owners land which can be shown to be essential to its development for educational purposes.

(2) Expenditure on Insurance.

We are inclined to think that, notwithstanding the consideration which, we understand, is shown to the Universities and Colleges by Insurance Offices, a saving in annual expenditure might be effected if the Universities and Colleges combined in effecting their insurances. This saving might result either from the Universities and Colleges together becoming their own insurors, or from their combined application to Insurance Offices for concessions in the tariff rate of premiums. Table VIII contains figures showing over a period of years the total sums paid out as premiums on insurance and received as compensation for fire damage. On the results shown, we recommend that the Universities and Colleges should consider a scheme embracing both Universities and all the Colleges. It may be pointed out that, though the formation of a private insurance company would involve liability to income tax, the retention of the funds in the hands of the Universities and Colleges would secure exemption from that liability.

276. Throughout our enquiries we have received most courteous assistance from the University and College Officials on whom was imposed the heavy task of preparing the voluminous and detailed returns for which we asked. Queen's College, Oxford, is the only College which has rendered no return. In the case of that College, we have relied in Tables I and II, III and IV, on such information as could be gathered from the published Accounts.

277. We desire to record our sense of the valuable help given us by our Secretary, Mr. C. B. Marshall, especially in the preparation of the form of Enquiry itself and in the conduct of a large and difficult correspondence.

ERNLE (Chairman).
E. G. STRUTT.
HOWARD FRANK.

J. H. OAKLEY.
H. M. COBB

C. B. MARSHALL

(Secretary to Estates Committee).

27th May, 1921.

PART D.-SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

PART A.-GENERAL REVIEW.

1. That the numbers of the staff at Oxford and Cambridge be increased, so as to meet the needs of research and teaching (paragraph 38. Cf. paragraphs 91 to 98, 107 and 108 (b)).

2. That if the other recommendations of the Commission as regards increase of staff are carried out, the Universities. endeavour to effect an arrangement by which 24 weeks a year of full term shall be reserved in which no examinations are held by the Universities or Colleges (paragraph 39).

3. That opportunities for residence and study during the long vacation be available at Oxford, similar to those already provided at Cambridge (paragraph 39).

4. That a Statutory Commission be set up, to carry out the changes recommended in University and College Statutes and, where necessary, to revise trusts (paragraph 47).

PART B.-DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS.

I. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSITIES. (1) The Electoral Roll (Cambridge) and Congregation (Oxford).

5. That the Electoral Roll be reconstituted as a House of Residents, to correspond generally with Congregation at Oxford (paragraph 51).

6. That the House of Residents be constituted substantially as proposed in the report of the Council of the Senate, dated 27th January, 1920, except that (1) it should not include persons who are not engaged in teaching or administrative work, and (2) it should include all members of Syndicates and Boards who are appointed by the House of Residents and are members of the Senate (paragraph 52).

7. That power to determine what constitutes residence for the purpose of membership of the House of Residents be vested in that body (paragraph 53).

8. That the constitution of Congregation at Oxford be amended by the exclusion of persons now included on grounds of residence alone (paragraph 54).

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(2) Convocation and the Senate.

9. That Convocation and the Senate be retained with their composition unchanged, and that their powers be altered on the lines detailed in paragraph 58 (i) and (ii), with the result that they would deal only with the election of the Chancellor and the High Steward, with the conferring of degrees, with election to livings (on the nomination of a Committee as at present), with letters to the King and to Universities and Learned Bodies, and, subject to certain conditions and limitations, and on special appeal from Congregation or the House of Residents, with proposals for adding to, repealing or modifying Statutes of the University (paragraph 58).

(3) The Vice-Chancellor.

10. (a) That in making appointments to the Vice-Chancellorship, the customary order of rotation be not the decisive element when weighed against other considerations of greater importance (paragraph 61 (i)).

(b) That rotation of Colleges be taken into consideration, in addition to rotation of Heads in order of seniority (paragraph 61 (ii)).

(c) That the period for which the office of Vice-Chancellor is normally held be three years at each University (paragraph 61 (iii)).

(d) That the possibility of choosing for the office of ViceChancellor someone other than the Head of a College be not excluded definitely by Statute (paragraph 61 (iv)).

(4) The Secretariat.

11. (a) That the Vice-Chancellor be authorised by the University Statutes to appoint at his discretion any of the Pro-ViceChancellors as the regular Chairman of particular Boards, Committees or other bodies (paragraph 62 (i)).

(b) That the Vice-Chancellor have an allowance to enable him to provide himself with a personal private secretary and such other assistance as may be necessary (paragraph 62 (ii)).

(c) That unity of administration be secured by creating a centralised University Secretariat. That, on the occurrence of the next vacancy in the post of Registrar (Registrary) at each University, a new office be created whose holder should have the title of Secretary to the Council and Registrar (Registrary) and should be responsible generally, as permanent Head, for the centralised Secretariat, subject to the proviso that the Secretaries to the University Chest (Financial Board) and the General Board should act independently, as at present, in the performance of their duties as Secretaries to their respective Boards. That the Secretary to the Council be appointed by Congregation or the House of Residents on the nomination of the Council. That the Secretaries to the Chest (Financial Board) and the General Board be appointed in the same manner, and, like the Secretary to the Council, rank as University officers, and that the tenure of all