THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11510, 17 February 1903, Page 7

THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

THE 6RGANISER OF THE SCHEME; Mr Robert F. Drury, 8.A., of Wadham College, Oxford, while on a tour round the world, is spending a few days in Christchurch. Last night Mr Drury supplied to " The Press " representative, in the course of a short interview, some interesting information concerning the personality of Dr. Parkin, of Toronto, to whom lias been delegated the work of formulating the scholarship scheme created by the will of the late Ceoil Rhodes. Mr Drury, who is a personal friend ol Dr. Parkin's, graduated at Oxford in 1900, and, at the conclusion of his Colloge course, was asked to undertake a nine months', tour of Canada id the interests of the Scripture Union, a body which has a large connection in all parts of the British Empire. After reaching the Pacific coast, Mr Drury was asked u> continue his tour through Australia and New Zealand, in conjunction with Mr H. M. Gooeh, of London, who hod previously come out oh a similar tour. . " Dr. Parkin," said Mr Drury, " was a Canadian born boy, and, after his upbringing and education in Canada, he went to complete his course at Oxford University, and entered Balliol College. There he formed a friendship with Lord Milner, who was a student at the *Xame College at the time, and there was born in him a very keen interest in Imperial matters, an interest which has animated him ever since, " During his course in Oxford he was, elected to the important post as secretary to the Union Society, the largest debating Society in .the University, of which the late Mr Gladstone was a past president, and of which Lord Salisbury, Mr H. H. Asquith, Lord Curzon, and Lord Milner were prominent members. Ever since his College days Dr. Parkin has corresponded with Lord Milner and he is also a warm friend of Lord Rosebery. For some yeans past he has been Principal of the leading boys' school in Canada, and has a school of over 300 boys, conducted on the lines of the great public schools of England." Referring to what the doctor had already done in the evolving of the working methods of tlie scholarship scheme. Mr Drury said that nothing definite could be known until Dr. Parkin was able to state what had been undertaken. He had 'already visited Oxford, and met the leading members of the University, and had arranged for the admission of the students on certain conditions as to their age and standing, whether they were to go up as fresh University students or as men having already been connected with a university in the colonies. Dr. Parkin, Mr Drury adds, is at present touring through the United States, and afterwards he will visit the Australasian colonies, probably arriving towards the end of the year. Mr Drury points out that as Mr Rhodes, in his scheme, provides not only., for mental attainments on the part of the candidates, but also for qualities as to character and athletic ability,' considerable difficulty will be experienced by Dr. Parkin in deciding how the candidates will be selected. To-night." at the . Alexandra Hall, Mr Drury is delivering a lecjture upon 'Life at Oxford University,' and those who are interested in the Rbodes's scholarship scheme will obtain some interesting information concerning the conditions of life and study at the University. Bishop Julius, himself on old Oxonian, will introduce the lecturer, and sixty views, illustrative of the social, academic, religious, and athletio life at the University, will be" shown. . *