LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 834, 4 June 1910, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

UNIVERSITY REFORM. Sir,—l attended a public meeting on Tuesday evening, convened by professors at Victoria College to afford opportunity for ventilating tho question of tlio necessity for reform in our university system. In my innocence, 1 came prepared to affirm with considerable enthusiasm thut such necessity was urgent, and to lend my modest co-operation to any body formed to further tlio reform. The upshot, found me compelled as a representative of. the Engineering School to apparently oppose tliat which 1 hud come to uphold. . I came to pray, and remained to scofl. ' And why, sir? Because I found thai tho meeting was a pretext lu uiann public approval for a ' certain private opinion of these protesting professors, and an attempt to foist a cut-and-dried conclusion upon a bewildered audience of pathetically earnest adults and hopefully reckless students. The only "reform" the conveners of the meeting havo any intention (or at least hope) of securing is the scheme of haying the English examiners of world-wide repute replaced by some delightfully vague council of professors in New Zealand, whoso great efficiency would be derived from the fact that it could bring a sympathetic personal knowledge of each student to tho now cold-hearted task of estimating his iitnoss for a degree. This was tho "reform" they trickily attempted to stamp with the approval of what they would describe, with considerable truth, as a representative! gathering of those Wellington citizens interested in the causo ot higher education

I must protest that this reform would, if applied to the engineering degree examination, work tremendous mischief. That degree is at present recognised world-wide (though the recognition extended to it by the councils of the two great professional institutes) as one of marked value, and I maintain that the engineering degrees which call for a higher standard of theoretic knowledge aro remarkably few. It is impossible that this degree could be of equal valuo if it wore granted on the ipse dixit of any single ' colonial professor, however eminent, and it is equally impossible to hupe that any sufficiently equipped council of . engineers . could .bo found to take his place. I feel certain that tho engineering graduates and students of this Dominion will successfully resist this "reform" as far as it 'concerns their degree. On tho broader question I ca.nnot claim such special 'knowledge, but I am equally confident that the M.A., MSc, and the medical degree final examinations should be 'conducted by foreign examiners with their necessarily, broader and less personal outlook. It is, of course, unfair to criticise arguments brought forward in such breezy nnd popular manner as Profess Von Zcdlitz and Easterfield thought necessary to appeal to tho mixed audience of Tuesday evening. They both, virtually confess their inability to turn out graduates of any real worth under tlio present conditions, but were Professors ilacmillan, Brown, Cook, and Bickerton so unable in the past? Wero the two last especially so bound down to the paltry requirements of our degrees that they found it impossible to teach but what was in the bond? Has the college examination, which was in the past a necessary preliminary, to tho degree, been abolished? And, if not, havo not the professors themselves the power to make this examination as searching as the most exacting could require? Docs anyone seriously contend that the requirements of tho B.A. degree aro so severe that a student intending to proceed to honours in any one subject U harassed and prevented from specialising in that subject'by the fact that he has to pass a childishly easy examination in ' five others? Professor Von Zcdlitz- would have us so believe, and in tho next breath he assures us that ench subject can be crammed up in five hours sufficiently to entire a pass in the B.A. examination. Tho fact is that theso professors attempt to prove too much. The causo o! m:iyvr-Uy n-fonn is in a fair way to be injured by the unbalanced illogical proceedings of its latest advocates. By nil means let us agreo that reform is needed, but let us hold an open mind on the question of how-to affect that reform until we have had utterances on the subject much more sane and autlioritatira than those yet pronounce!. Lof us preserve the judicial calm • of Mr. Herdman,. nnd beware the pat solutions of the jwhple difficulty ..offered by these earnest, enthusiastic, and curiously excitable professors. Above all, let us not be carried away by their scrcno faith in the panacea they propose—tho examination in New Zealand of New Zealand students by New Zealand professors. Every self-contained university is not exempt from th? anomalies tiist burden us, and several of them have developed evils we know not of.—l am, etc., S. H. JENKINSON.

UNIVERSITY IDEALS.

Sir,—Tho professors of Victoria Col--1030 are to be oongratulatcd on their bold effort to bring tho subject of university teaching before the public, as the training of students is of the utmost consequence, not only to the pupils, but also to the nntion. The function of a university is to train Hie mind in tho higher paths of literature, science, and philosophy, to plant the seeds of knowledge which may ultimately "near fruit, not only to the individual taught, but also those with whom he may associate. Examinations' are at the best a poor method of estimating a,man's real worth, more especially so when certificates are gran-ted for mere proficiency in answering questions on paper. In fact, tho most vital part of the whole scheme is lost, as for as New Zealand candidates are concerned, since the viva voce part of the ordeal, by means of which the student is brought into personal contact with the examiner,' is impossible when the papers are, as at present, set in Great Britain. A system sucli as this does nor conduce to true knowledge, but it inevitably leads to cramming, with all tho deplorable results which follow in its train. Wo were told by Professors von Zedlitz am' Easterfic'd that 'hey were unable to interest students in any original work or research since the present' cast-iron fetters of the present university regulations did not permit advance into new fields, but kept them down to tho level of tho ordinary text-book, thus reducing themlo the elementary work of coachini?. I have no hesitation in saying that if the professors are given a free hand to reorganise the New Zealand University that institution will be productive 0! greater results in the future than in the past.—l am, etc., A. E. COUZENS.

DIRTY BANK NOTES.

Sir,—ln your nrticlo on above, to-day the Americans seem to he trying <-omo novel experiments, and it seems by" tho tone of the daily papers in Wellington it has caught on here. Some five years ago 1 had a peculiar experience of cleansing bank notes, though unwittingly, as tho following sequel will show: On pay Snlurday it was the custom for us to bo a good distance to the office of the company to get paid, and as I had to work a time after that, I went to tlio office with a suit of "overalls" on, and, putting my fortnight's wages in a pocket in my'overalls, 1 went back to work. Some time afterwards, taking the overalls oft', I put them into a bucket of boiling water and soft soap, forgetting all about tlie Holes. About twenty minutes afterwards, I called to mind what I had done. [ fished out the overalls .continuing tha notes The envelope they were in was in pulp; the notes were all right. J put them on n board to dry, and in half an hour nobody could have, told that they had been in a bucket of boiling water and soap. 1 think there were not any microbes nn them alter that boiling, so it will be spi'ii that "an ounce of experience is worlh a pound of theory."—!, am, etc., T. M. iIILLIGAN. Jlny =8, 1910.

THE COMING CHANGE.

Sir,—Mr. Myers, ono of the candidates for Auckland East, very truthfully says that the lino of demarcation between I he Government and tho Opposition is extremely narrow. It is, indeed, very much narrower Ilia* the difference between tho various so-called Liberals. It is also very much narrower than tlie gulf between tho lalo Deakin and Cook parties, whlcb

united in the Commonwealth a short time o«ro, and if our bo?us Liberal and crablike Reform parties do not unite it is lime tho electors* treated them as one. Unless the workers force tho position by running democratic candidates against the big party of legislative humbug, wo will he left hehiiul Australia ami even England on the path of social ami <xo-_ I'.omic reform. Thai the popularity ot the weaklings in oliico is rapidly' wiining is obvious to all of us, and the reason is on account of weak-kneed surrendering at every turn. Pandering to scaremongers, backing down at the bark of the Opposition, forcing such stupid measures as the Second Ballot, number among the various blunders which will seal "the Government's doom. As for the Prime Minister's trip Homo during the depression, it was fortunate that Parliament was prorogued just then, because as roon as the Prime Minister returned, and Parliament opened, what did they do but pile more taxes on to tho necessaries of life, increase train fares, and generally make the lot of the worker harder, instead of easier. Io talk about our House of Representatives easing a depression is noivfense. Not 5 per cent, of them know either the cause or cure of these dumps, nor d<i€s it trouble them much cither, and until tho people get settled convictions on what ought to be done, they are bound to be represented by such members.—l am, etc., E. STEVENSON.

Sir,—We shall be glad if you will allow us to draw attention to the Twi. Steeples Hosiery and Underwear which, wo believe, is not so well known in Wellington as it should be, though it. is very popular in other parts of the Dominion. Two Steeples. Limited, were tho first firm to introduco and establish unshrinkable wcol underwear, and, in order to induce tho public to take it lip and to provo. their contention, they guaranteed to replace any woollen garment that might shrink. As. soon as this finish becamo recognised and popular, other makes of course followed their lead, with the result that too often the guarantee is given with goods that, even if they do not shrink, cannot possibly wear well; but it is well known that "Two Steeples" products not only do not shrink, but also give every satisfaction in wear. Another product of this company is their Pure Cotton Air- Fabric, in which we aro confident of doing a largo trade as soon as its good qualities are known. Though it is made entirely of cotton, tho value of the weave renders it hygienic and comfortable. Thero is freo access to the air, and the fabric never gives that cold, clammy feel that tho ordinary weaves'of cotton, give when damp with perspiration. It wears well, is exceedingly comfortable, and the price is within the means of all. Wo aro the solo ngonts' in Wellington, and tho Two •Steeples products, which we. guarantee to bo unshrinkable, can bo obtained only at To Aro House, in Cuba Street and Dixon Street, •Yours, etc., , , TIIE .MANAGER, Advt. To Aro House.