HIGHER EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 7

HIGHER EDUCATION.

NEED FOR EFFICIENCY. By Sm Robert Stout, Cjiitp Justice ' oi? New Zealand. Dr. Jordan, tho able president of tho Loland-Stanford Junior University, has explained tho function of a president in an American university. Ho is not only the chief executivo officer of tho University, hut lie is the medium of communication between-tho University and the public. We have no presidents of our universities in New Zealand. The cbairaen of the university college councils do not occupy the position of the American university presidents. They aro mainly chairmen of council meetings. And tho duties of the Chancellor of the New Zealand Uuiversity aro few compared with those of a president in an American university. In the absence, however, of such an office as president, perhaps I and other Chancellors have failed in our duty in not approaching tho public regarding university oxtension and university • requirements. It was '•bought that tho yearly capping ceroicny. might have been utilised as an. occasion for bringing before the public. the needs of the University, but tho public, one would desire to interest in the higher education, do not always attend, and the youthful undergraduates think tho ceremony is their affair. Moods of the University. I have been asked what message has those connected with, higher education to. deliver to the Dominion, and I therefore avail myself of this opportunity of bringing before our settlers tho needs of our university 'institutions. Our Dominion has passed tlirough' many phases. It was ouco merelj a wlialc-fishing rendezvous, and its only product whalo oil and whalebone. Since these whaling days it has grown to bo a country famed for its cereal products, for its export of frozen moat and of wool, and for its valuable • nirierals. It is not yet a manufacturing nation, but why should it not develop its secondary industries? Its, climate, its natural resources, and its people should mako it a manufacturing nation. Further, the best has not beou made of our pastoral and agricultural opportunities and advantages.' What can help us to develop our resources? 1 believe tho higher education. may bo made, our most potent assistant. Every nation, is now recognising that efficiency is what is required. It is "the natipns that have made tho best provision for effectively educating' their citizens that have taken tho lead in industries. The secret of Japan's wonderful success will not be discovered if we ignore her universities aud the higher education of many Japanese abroad. Who can understand tho great development of Germany in industry and commerce if we lose sight of her numerous institutions for higher education ? And just as we find Britain improving in her, manufactures we see numerous university institutions being started in her manufacturing districts. Enthusiasm for Learning.

Every "visitor to America tolls us that the enthusiasm for learning 13 tho fact that most impresses him ia the great American Republics. We cannot, afford to neglect to give the educational facilities to our youths that are enjoyed by the young Japanese, the young Germans, or tho young Americans. Wo aro far behind all these countries, though much has been done by us in technical and scicntiiic education, during the past few years. We need still more to populariso our higher education, and need mora teachers. Tho training of a farmer should be thought as necessary as the training of a lawyer, the training of a merchant as thorough as that of a doctor, .and tho training of a manufacturer as important as that of a clergyman. We have, it is true, an excellent school of agriculture at Lincoln, but wo want many more such institutions, and v.'o ought to have many professors of agriculture. Wo are losing thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands a year through not applyiug science to agriculture. Ought we not to become a manufacturing people? We have large mineral deposits, and a suitablo climate, and, especially in the South Island, wo have water-power that will make us independent' of coal for motive power. I doubt if any country in the world, of a similar area, has as great water-power as the South Island. possesses.

Expenditure on Education.

The State has done much for education, .and expenditure on education has reached a large amount. How little, however, have the wealthy'settlers done. The Now Zealand University was founded nearly 40 years ago. The only donations it has received are £1000 from the late Mr. Tinlinc for a scholarship and about £200 for prizes. The university colleges also i have received little aid. The Otago University has been the most liberally treated, ' but its total benefactions have not been large. Victoria College received £3000 from the late Mr. Jacob Joseph for a scholarship, and lias received some donations for its library. Many rich peoplo have passed away sinco tho New Zealand University was founded, and even since Victoria College was opened, but tho university institutions havo not been allowed to sharo in their wealth. How few of our wealthy early settlers have their names associated with any educational institution. What a different state of'affairs prevails in tho United States. The benefactions for higher education average about 3,000,000$ a year. Wo have, considering our population, considerable wealth, and our population is about one-eighteenth of that of tho United States, but benefactions for higher education have not averaged 1000$ a year since our University was first founded.

It has been said man craves for immortality, not merely for tho extension ef his personal existence, but to bo remembered by his race. There is no remembrance equal to that connected with educational institutions. The founding'of a scholarship, or tho endowment of a chair, or the erection of a college by some bencfi.etor will make his namo eternal. I hope it is, however, unnecessary to ask for aid to university institutions on such, a ground. Tiiose who have wealth have responsibilities to their ago and to their people.' Perhaps if these wero more fully realised we would 'not have so often to

listen to denunciations of the wealthy. There are some who see a grave menace to industry and thrift in democracy. If thero is, the danger will come from an lineclucated democracy, that knows nothing of history or of tho evolution of the race, nor of what society signifies. Tho hirhor education is tho safeguard of freedom, of olean aud pure government, and of progress. Who aro tho men of power in America to-day? Who aro the leaders in the fight against corruption and maladministration so prevalent in cities and''states? The answer must bo that the mass of them have been educated at tho universities. It is true that the best conservative of freedom is tho power of thought illumined by the learning and knowledge that tho race has through many centuries accumulated. A benefactor of higher education is the greatest philanthropist. He is providing .for the progress, the safety, and happiness of the present and all future inhabitants of his country. EE our race in our new Dominion is equal to its ancestors, and if, our nation is to bo alert, efficient, and progressive, wo must have our people bettor trained and better, educated. ' • An AppMl. May we not, then, appeal to tho patriotism of • our rich settlers? It is their duty ; to help those near and dear to them, but it is. also thoir duty, out of their abundance) to think of and remember their people arid country. ■ Let us hope that.this new landmark, as it may be termed—the calling of our colony a Dominion—may ever bo celebrated as tho beginning of an era of benefactions for higher education, and that from September 26, 1907, we -may be able to elate tho beginning of "real progress in our industrial life, fostered and encouraged by thoso scholastio institutions that havo done so much for. other nations.

, Wo ought to strive to make it possible that Now Zealand, with all her rich national endowments, should lead, and not follow in tho wake of Japan, or of the United States, or of Germany, or of Britain. Unless wo resolve to lead ,tbo simple and . strenuous'life, and to bo efficient, wo- will not be able to even follow tho other nations of the world, far less to excel them. To have a free, efficient, edit-, catcd, happy people should surely be our aim. If wo fail in accomplishing such an ideal wo will bring shamo on ourselves and our ancestry. :

I may add that I/shall be glad to confer or communicate with-anyone desiring to help our higher educational institutions, and I hope I may. be able to help in suggesting in what direction aid could be of service.