UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 7

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

MUSICAL CONSERVATORIUM. --. GRANT TO DE • REQUESTED. . " '"NO MILITARY DRILL Tho<,TJ)nvnrsity-Sonato,decitlcd yesterday, on the. rtiotion of 3lr. J- Cohen, that -tho Govornmont bo asked to set apart a sum of ■ money ,for tGo ostablishment of a Conservatorium < of•-Music m No\V Zealand. , > . It agreed that tho muoh-criticiscd Btatu{o"passcd lafet year for- establishing a i B-So.f research dbgroo lie suspended, and a now -was proposed for • submission to tho Professorial Boards. — Alterations wero adopted 111 regard to tho Junior .Scholarship regulations. - : The report of tbo Special . Committee, which . was 'adopted, was - opposed to making cfiici- ' onqy in military drill and' nflo - shootirlg reason for from ono subject in tbo matnculation or B;A.'examination. ' ,Tho • Sefiatc will conclude .it 3: session this i morning. Several of its members left for : tiidirj.-homes last night. '-C-.; t' .'MUSIOAI. CONSERVATORIUM. 'AN ELOQUENT APPEAL. Mr. 7 :Cohen presented' the teport of tho Mufeid Committeo. ■ ; ftith reforence to the lettef received from the Registrar of tho Uhivorsity of Molbourno reforrtKl. to in th 6 Chancellor's roport, lor-. . watMing a copy of >tho-first syllabus issued by , tho Joint Board of tho bniversities of Melbouriie-and' Adfelaido for Public Examinati6)i :of y tho New Zealand University, tho <::■ tion. of. tlio .New .' Zealand 'Uuiversity, .the \rJc6rtmcnded.'. th'at 1 a reply be '. ; Miat':ttb , Zealand Uiiiyor- ' Bity does, not conduct any practical examinations,, in music, and cannot, therefore, for the : Yp?eseiit : '' consider.' 1 tho questifin ; . The Committee further rcconiinended that tho letter from a musician referred to m-tho Chancellor's roport, urging the-necessity'.of. a suitable collego for musical training-being established in New Zealand and expressing . an' opinion on musical examinations,; bo reoch'MJ ' •Bothr'i.theso recommendations' werd approved. 1 , .'Tho roport further, stated that tho Rccess Music' Committeo appointed ht t-ho. session of 1007 to report to itlio Sonato as -to what . .steps'slituld-be taken .to oncourago tbo'Cß-> tablisuinent 'of a Conservatorium of -Music. • la New-Zealand recommcndcd :-r- .; - " . -, s ',(l)'That .a deputation from this Sen- / ' ato.approach tho Governmentwith tho request that tho Government set apart -, a 6Um;of money for tho establislinicut of 1 : a Con&ervatotium of Music iu New Zea- . land. , ; .(2) That the Music Coinnnttco bo : t Recess Music Committeo to:, provide. > such deputation and report to tho Senate*: . at its next annual session; andfurther, , . that it' have t(io objccts of tlio original R&eSS",CGinimttoo ■ oi : 100*.

lUy'nlpviiig ; ; thbvlast,,t.w6".. recommendations;- .' Mr./Qoheh,'.said that tho .Seriate,, passed a 1 resolution,last-year afDriuiiig.thiit jti Was tlc- . : Sfrab|o.i'that 4u.- -.'Conservatoriuni :. of,y Musid; ■•;; shouldv be . c-stablished, in New ..Zealand,; arid . -'' elebwdift' Recess Cohmitteo to report to tho to wliat-stoiis should bo fcakcjii .Tho'Senatc was .thoii impressed with tho ( 'ideaithat''such, a Conservat-oriu m would •. fulfij'; to tho -pro- - per/yult-ivatioii ■of .mftsjo,; and to making' it a real:'tbing in lifo of- New I4ca-. sturr".lMH ._ the'uhivQ'rsity-.cantrca wouldvallo^;''another ~thavo it; ..Curiously. , tho. 'if -.thol Senate, .had -promnted , -ac^ivi-''i ll f : ga'fiU t£>^U^ifc v .y'.';l_t;!liad;-act(kl'ra'9 a/ory, :of : - volt :-aMqjjg profossiorial musicians.; who diad' coiiimericecl to organise ; amqngst tnoriisolves, : and- had caused a-Bill'to bo. introduced into

; tho Uouso to_ provide that music' teachers should registered,, and''that the various incorporated societies of 'liiuaio'in- Now Zca.'■i la ml j if x there were, ever -tof .'be sttchi'; should Uavo <control .of . the* examinations ill' tho - theory.-,and practice of music instead, of tho »v* ;authorities.";.This. Bill had • lot- ..passed: .-"What he wished to. emphasise ids. resolution of the' Sedate had . ; prJipoted'.jau -' activity' not of tho- kind t.liat , v ; .the' Senate: wanted \to finsoilragcj butvof per«ons interested to.f. prpvent; : if. they : .coiild tho'estabhslimont- of any institutioii 'by tho .: ien.fejJwhich smißht: come, in '.oonfliet'', with' :. Lhoi ,-york.. 'With.'.them was a caso of \ : s4-' -from ahy ''at • all." 5 .h ~iiiey •bad/'had'-iiti Wellington a'ConMusicians;.. Ha. thoughtthat, he was • '"Jl.jf, in iaymg that -the resolutions'of that. : , would have, been very much more if, certain .gbntlemen-'in Neiv :Zeillaud ~ad: n ot, been absent from- it. Tho" UomeicnCo, iyas principally concerned With pulling the Hill intO'SUoh a shape as they . r ■-■ it.'iope to mako acceptable to the House, i - diu. not know how, they would succeed u. ohit, but his point.was that nono of-thoi ; '.soti, ~ r .,.provoked, was in any way in. the. l.'nr' Jt. the Senate, had £o heartily ,:approi last year,-and iE tho present aims of : .the musicians who had ;been present at,ilioConference .were .carried out, so far, from. . being, any nearer to . what- tho Senate , »anted, they would bo very, much further ,Away from, it. Tho University had in its calondar a Bachelor of Music and a Doctor .ot jjVlusic degree.. It.was astonishing to see bow-few Bacholors of:~Music there were coinspared; with Bachelors; in other departments.. He thought that thisvdegreo , required encouraging,, 80, did'not desiro to attack the present.oXiimining bodies, though ho thought . that. thdy cblild ■lihd.'.exa'mihers of equal attainments here, and savo a few thousand • F. u p d S;a year fi'om. Jioirig out Of No\v Zealand., .Ibo ■ entiro question of -.exaroinationsi. ■, was onlv incidental to the question at stake, . although, if a. c.onse'rvato'riiim wcro established, /it would be U-alueleSs" if it ..did not comprise men capable, of Conductingttho ex- . animations/' " Ilia objection to the''present examinations'. was 'that, they only:) went a certaih •distancie. ,; Thero'iyas pot 100 much taste of twenty years had shown ahythmg -.iiko"tho pressure on the mnsical porforinauce''''of'!tho, country, that . might have . boon- expected if. tho examinations had . had; proper' effect,V- Ho' believed. that;'thero Was.;less:.true, mrisical culture liow • thin ill;bis' boyhood! All tho wprk''that had been :dono had : lidt' educated peoplo to think ;.tbat 'music SerVing highest, purpose's yeiig- moro to be desired tbali the 'or- - dinary ;inusic that/;wile<i -away an' hour or, two.df.tho multitude'.'-It'was a matter to . bo. dei)lored;ithat thOT i fine : artists who came here hid .been' io poorly, patronised as to show that .there ' was- no demand from - that their pupils should benefit from their performance;;; nor from the. pub- . lie. to-hoar .'them;'" OA ' ecmservatorium of mnsic, bo:thoughty-would serve the follow-, ing pui-pOses: .First', it would be a trainings groundfor teachers , of for a mun.try : :to have;.no, way'of preparing. theso : teachers-wassurely a ..very'great'deficiency-— ■ jind,^'secondly,,-it would bo an institution thatf'-would. be a ,radiating,- illuminflting .influence in tho country i "'illuminating the coun- ■ try.'and impressing on it'some sound Jjrin? eiples: of musical ta'^to,. musical.' criticism,' musifcal.-judgment and performance, and that would .giVo that atmosphere to ■ tho cultivation <of.music tthidi the art could not -proceed or dovejop at all.Ho read [rom . 1 interviews published tin The Dominion , to many.'of tho'professional musicians ■ who attended', tho .recent Conferenca lin "Wellington " wero opposed, • on ".'various', grounds,- to, tho' establishment of. a C'ohservatorium, but among those , eminent musicians who, had stayed away, froirt tho Cpiiforcirce ho did not know ono .v.ho was not iii' favour of tho project, 4nd.-::if it wero not invidious, lie niight say that of tho oininont musicians who attended ■ )ho did not support it.. It was idle to say, befiauso sbme teachers taught their pupils ;tho; piano, well, and others tho ■ violin well, j!hat that could in any sense bo called niusi?al culture.. Tho separation of ono : from all other instruments und of the pupil from other pupils Was all against, such culture. Ho mentioned brilliant pupib of eminent New Zealand teachers

who hnd gone Home, by tho -advice of their f teachers, beoatiso it was essential that thyy I should elijoy a musical atmosphere and asso- s ciatioii3i if n consorvatorium wero established performances could bo given. of tho groat classical works, not, indeed; ol - the standard that could bo enjoyed in older countries, but informing to tho student- anil of tho greatest valuo in his training. Music r could bo studied apart from tho one instrument, and a kiiowledgo of tho groat Works f of music 'acquired.' If it wero impossible to 1 get any true teaching of music ii) New Zea- J land, what Was-tho use of their', present s courses and diplomas? The burden of tho ( present cry mado by somo musicians against ( a conservatorium was that they, desired'pro- > tection against ' competition.. WoiiltV. tho i country bo satisfied with views tinged with i tins solfish but not unnatural desiro for. self- 1 .preservation'!' Ho did not want to bo under- 1 stood (is ; speaking / contemptuously 1 of many i earnost and able teachers of 1 iriusio in f . Now Zealand, but if they looked,at thousands of persons who' passed the examinations of tho Boards, they .wqro all persons who had passed ill piano,- violin, or singing. Ho did not. kiiow that there was an ■' instauco of a pupil passing ill any other subject.' Could it be said, then,;.that these examinations, and tho' t()achiiig'of tho couiltry,. which they testod; provided for truo musical odiication? ; Take thoso who had, won honours in these examinations, who bad oven won gold and silver medals;'they wero still merely infants in ;true musical - culturej 'there wero very few instances . in:.;which : ~'tbey, displayed . great musical accomplishments afterwards. If a conservatorium wero : established it woiild oroato a musical atmosphere in NoW Zealand, and teach' tho public ;that tho hideous distinction between ; classical and popular music was. .only .a. distinction' between. truth add error, and that the greatest works, of music could becomej with familiarity, tbo joy oven of ■ tho unlearned. He urged; that tbo .Seriate" should bo persistent in this matter even if they did not got their Government grant at • once. Thoy would ultimately get the cooperation of the musicians, when these came to know the. purposes which, tbo consorvatorium was to servo. They would see that .it would /stimulate the desiro for thecultivation' .of music, and there 'would be ' more work for music teachers thin there had ever been before. ..... : Mr. Gordon asked what the expense would be of, establishing'a .cOnspn'atbrium. '*,' Tho .Chancellor , said that between £4000 and £5000 a year, was going out of.New.Zoar'land for and this alone would keep the. conservatorium alivo., It : would bonecessary to dcclatb that tbo qualification: of music, teachers in . tho Schools should depend:on tho certificate of. the conservatorium. In this way.th'cy would, obtain a very large revenue '--from examinations, , whioli : wouhl help to maintajii. tho : institution. The only University Colleges in Now Zealand .that had schools of music wero thoso at Auckland arid \ Christchurch, .and:as tho vAuckland .Ttniver- . iiity Collego had. dbne most in this direction, ! ' alld Christchurcli had rcceivcrl froni the Govornmcnt an organ for its .town ball, it might bo possible, without causing jealousy iu tho other centres, to establish the conscrvatorium in Anoklandr Ho strongly felt that thero.should bo,a cotiservntorium, and that when it was/established 'thoy should havo their own examiners for- miisiom Now Zealand.*l He seconded the motion. : ; The Ttev. W. A. Evans said'• that tho Itccess Comniittee.must mako.np its-mind to. : nieet v -and -work : Mr;, Cohen said that tho Auckland, and. Canterbury Schools dealt only with l - tho theory sido. -Thero was also a: school of ; music in Nelson, .which no dnnbt was doing ; excellent work in a limited way, but a conJ scrvatorium must bo fully equipped as-such, 5 or -it Was useless, v-v 3 : Tho rocomincndations_ wero adopted.

JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP • REGULATIONS. i . The conference ( of tho Scholarships and Fi- , nnneo Committees appointed to consider cer-tain-OlauScs/in/tliiS report of the Scholarships Committed ;ifreicotfl&siraeds^st ? . 0 7 , . , ' tfn l! n -i-'* • : (1) That thoihhldeP'of'n-Jiiniof'fUiiilrtrslty Scholarship 'shall receive' the sum Of'£2o per' annum, inr.'ilddition to thd artoiint 01 tuition (1)':-That tlie holder of a Junior University College, to; which ho: belongs. . V ; » (2) ThatV 'ndicre tho. bolder at home, but is obliged to travel more than foul' miles daily cach way-.to'-- prqsecuto his studies, there shalV bo paid to him an additional sum' to meet the cost of such travelling, but this , additional sum shall Dot excced £10 per annum. • ' r V V.,' i -: (3) "That; where the holder 1 is . obliged to IiVO away from home in order to prosccuto •his studies, there shall bo paid to hiili an additionar sum of £>"iO, per annum. ■ (4) That the. Government be: asked to ■grant to holders of University ■' Scholarships the same' concessions in rospect of s railway, tickets as arc granted to those attending technical schools. : Y(o) That tho -Minister for Education be asked to gr.int bursaries to; holders of University Junior Scholarships in/tho samo manner as to the winners of such scholarships in ISO". • ••• . i (6) That in the scholarships competition, tho Junior fccholarslnp bo awarded to tho candidates who are placed at.tho bead of tho list. •• •, ■" . (7) That tho number of Junior Scholar'ships to bo offored bo dealt with as usual by tho Financo Committee, , - ..... j 'The recommendations were adopted. < i/ SUPERANNUATION.- • Dr. Fitehett prosentcd the report of the Superannuation Committee, recommending that the Government he approached with a .view to the .establishment: of a schoine for professors and other officials iu the - affiliated '-colleges,.: 'on.7the. lines of the. Public ■ Service Superannuation Bill. Tho Rov- V. A. Evans thought that the question' should be referred: to tho Professorial Hoards for their opinions and criti,o?The -Chancellor said, lie hud received a letter stating jthat the Boards «uio all i» favour of . superannuation, aiid ': Were, only divided on tho subject of : thd]. special scheme..; '.■: Professor J. Brown : rftferred , to. the case- t)f Professors who might bo .making payments under in .. English; scheme,; niw. Un-. ; able to support o double tax. Tho provision for the widow in tho scheme proposed seemed ■to him■ inadequate. ;He .moved an amendment .iii favour of referring tho matter first to the Professorial Boards and College Councils. - j V - v., 1 'The amendment was carried. .MEDICAL' EXAMINATIONS. The Chancellor read. a. telegram from medical teachors, which ho said must' havo been setifc in of tbc University s . lations, .and of tho Standing Orders. , ihp tolegram was as follows: — , . . ■'.'•is medical school teachers protest againstinjustice: of withholding from 'candidates fiided.iii final special examination in - ,six months if recommended.' Bachelor, Colquhoun, Barnett', Malcolm, Roberts,- Blomfield,' . Ogstdn. Ferguson.' ■ ! . The Rev. A! Cameron moved that tho matter be referred to the Medical Committee.

The motion Was not seconded. . A little, la,ter, tlio Chancellor said that ho .thought it courteous to reply to tbo telegram olid Tip had drafted tho following answer to Dr.' Baruett-, Chairman of the Examinations Board: —"Dr. Barnett, to your telegram and that of medical teachers, I have to poiut out first that hitherto no second examination had Over been granted itt the caso of a filial examination, and second that by our Standing Orders once a imitter is settled at a session it cannot,bo reopened at that session unless by tbo unanimous consent of tlio Senate."

Tbo reply was approved. Later m tho day, tho Row \V; A. Evans re-introduced the matter. Ho stater], that some membors of the Sonato' worn of opinion that' tlio application should bo dealt with.. He therefore, moved that the matter bo referred to the Medical Committee, to bo considered at a'special sitting. The motion was carried unanimously. ,