THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 4

THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

It is unfortunate, but perhaps not entirely unfortunate, that the latest election of the New Zealand Rhodes Scholar has produced some rather acrimonious talk upon the general method of appointing these Scholars, and, more particularly, upon the ! working of the scheme in this country. The provocative criticism comes from Canterbury Oollego, which has boon the best and soundest of the Colleges, and which has probably sent forth into the world beyond our coasts a much more notable and useful lot of men than any of the sister Colleges have produced. So far as the idea of Cecil ■ Rhodes is concerned, we cannot see that much can be gained by discussing its weakIn some great- ways Bhobes's Imperialism was, shrewd and effective; but it had its loose ends. The idea that-informed his Scholarship sthemo was magnificent from any point of view; and although it has been derided by the "Little England" school as the last expression of the mind that sets "efficiency" above humanity, there are some "Little -Englandcrs" who have loot ed deeply enough into it to see that it came ofa very human and very simple desire to do somothini* for the English hegemony, which is a very different thing from British Empire. Unfortunately,. Rhodes did not see, and his Trustees have been unable to avoid, _ that the Scholarship idea cannot in practice be made to square, with theory, Nothing is easior, given care in administration, than to satisfy the. . condition of scholarly ability; : with care, also, the cdrporc srtii um can bo securcd; but that which Biiodes must have counted the most important thing of all, character, or the gift of leadership, is obviously beyond the reach of any sort of assessment that is practicable.

The opinion of Professor Haslam', of Canterbury College, is entitled to rcspcct whenever ho gives 'his viejva upon any aspect of University education. 'His complaint that "we are sending much older men than the founder ever meant to be considered" is backed up, by the attitude of . tho. Trustees themselves; and it is in 'any case quite evident that the spirit of Rhodes's offer requires that the Scholars ought to be caught young. The immediate matter for concern, however, is the very plain fact that Canterbury College has almost come to be hostile to the whole scheme. Professor Hasuji says that his College has sent up some very good /men, "but the selectors have chosen men whom we thought were not the sort of men for whom the Scholarships were intended." He is quite at variance with some of the Chvist.church students, however,, as .to the reason for the singular failure of the Collcgo to provide a Scholar., Some of the students,, we are told, think that th'c trouble is that it is the ' swot" who receives most consideration from the Board of ' Selectors; Professor Easlasi complains that Canterbury has "sent up better scholars than the others, and the'y h",ve been refused." The exclusion of the Canterbury men from partici-pation-in the Scholarships is certainly a matter that is worth while having examined and explained. How .does' it hanpeh that after a long career as the premier College, measured by the scholars it has turned out, this Collcgo has failed to record a single Rhodes Scholar in its honours list? AVe do not know; but we suspect it is because the Professorial Board has been interpreting the Trustees' conditions in one way, while the Board of Selectors has been interpreting' them in another v/'av. The net result,' anyhow, is that the. general • piibiic is now made aware that thcro seems to be something very wrong., about. tho : working of the Scholarship .scheme.. For our own part, .we havo never been ■ able -to feol so enthusiastic about the scheme as, perhaps, we*ought to be; and there is only.one Scholarship/offered each year; and the whole thing may not be a matter of much importance. But it is very ill that there should be produced any suspicion of bitterness, discontent, and division between the four Colleges. Rivalry, of course, there, must be, but rather than that _ rivalry should operate against'friendliness, and a sisterly community of interest, it would be very much better if the Rhodes Scholarship scheme ceased to concern New Zealand at all. L - .