FROM CAMBRIDGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 6

FROM CAMBRIDGE.

.iRRIVAL Oil PROFESSOR T/H. LABY.' : 'l '/-THE- EXAMINATION■■i'EETISH.." '. -■. Professor T. ;H.,; Laby, -who been appointed to the Chair'of--Physics at .Victoria .College, Wellington,-' arrived 'here by, the Warrimoo yesterday, aihd'was met by. : Professors Picken,. Von Zedlitz, and Kasterfieldj of the Cbllegp : Professorial Board. Professor liaby was interviewed Sydney, en route to" New Zealand, and .'his . published views were reprinted in The Dominion quite recently. ■ The professor: then•; had a good deal to say anent, the ■ examination fetish, and to a representative of The DoMitaoN, who interviewed him yesterday, he added one or two points:,on that question. .'■..- '■;:.-..■. : The two . main evils of tho, examination system, he considered, wore that top much credit was . given ■' to. the top. man.' in Tthe list'of. successful candidates', • and that-wrong cducatioual standards .-were, created.:' There was-a tendency to regard an examination -as an.; end' : in' itself > and this , was one of .the things ithat a .young university, should strive to avoid.' In the older universities, work in science ; and "literature actedj so, to speak,-as a correction to the: tendency' referred, to.-' ■Ono.' , b£.; the -.'■': most ■significant events,-of ...recent tiroes in 'this : connection was.the abolition'of > the Senior AVi-anglership at.Cambridge; , : "WTiecn^the teachers of that university .wp'rked'. to, that .'examination by : the 'present, system, ;they. struck>a blow at 'the'.examination , : fetish".. ';'-'.•'. , Professor La by beHcvea -in : 'Un ; a'.young".:uhiversity," ; ;.he;said,/'the difficulty is; to. do. thihgs well and-thoroughly, and so avoid a shallow superficiality -'jvhioh k ',. the inevitable ' result/ of, , ...to cover too milch ground. .' It is -better;, to specialise in .those' subjects which .offer s congenial scope for intelligent. and eiitbusia'stic study, according'to. the -particular .bent ,of the studontfs mind.'. The atmosphere of-the university, and the-social intercourse'among the studentsi'would 'supnly the . -broadening influences which_Vould serve as an effective balance to specialised effort...'■•'• •.•'■ ■:' - "Thero is one point: I would liko to em-phasise^'-especially with, regard young university," said Professor Laby, "and that is. the very urgent necessity for 'securing fon our reference , libraries complete" sets ofthq journals .of: philosophic institutions. .The number of universities in the' world lias'increased very considerably, and competition for out-of-print back copies 0f. , , .valuable philosophic records is becoming very keen indeed. I notice that hero you are badly off for complete sets. Some you do not possess at all. .1 think that practical steps' slibuld bo taken in'this matter." . ..-,■''. .: . ... The speaker concluded with a very glowing tribute'-to the achievements and' standing of the' ex-New Zealahder,"Profcssor'. Rutiierford, whoso contributions to. scientific discovery had placed him in.the position-,of. one of'.'tho first authorities in. the.'world-in certain fields of research. His-influence at-the Jl'Gill versity (Canada), had been, so' students had crossed over from tlic.oldest and best, universities'in the Old -World' to. study ' under him. ■ ;. •- ' : ; ' ■ > <:;