THE RHODES SCHOLAR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 6

THE RHODES SCHOLAR.

HIS ATTAINMENTS AND AGE. j PLAIN TALK BY SIR ROBERT STOUT. "BRAINS, NOT ATHLETICS, WANTED." A sequel to the selection of the New Zealand Rhodes Scholar this year is a widespread discussion as to whether Oxford gets our most suitable young men as students under the scheme, and incidentally, there is a- complaint from Canterbury that in the past tho qualifications of candidates from tho district have not been fully appreciated by the Board of Selection. To a DoMixiON reporter yesterday Sir Robert Stout (Chancellor of the University) it as his opinion that tho maximum age limit had been very properly fixed at 25. Ho pointed out that this maximum had been approved at a conference of educational authorities in New Zealand prior to the inauguration of the scholarships. Dr. Parkin, secretary to the Rhodes Trustees, who was present, stated that ho was 25 before ho entered Oxford and he did not think it was too old to get tho benefit of the Oxford life. Nineteen was, ho felt, -too young to enable the selectors to discover which candidate had tho most intellectual abilitv. The only country which had sent practically boys as Rhodes Scholars was South Africa. It was generally recognised in South Africa that this course had been a failure. Although the South African students had been, young men of high character and did well ou tha athletic fields, tho fact remained that their names wcro unknown in their university. Now South Africa was about to remedy tho mischief.

Intellectual Ability, Not Athletic, Proceeding, Sir Robert Stout expressed tho opinion that no lad should ho sent Homo until he had had some university training. He did not deny, that many wlioY had gone diroct from tho secondr ary schools had not done well. If the maximum ago were materially reduced he doubted whether New Zealand would get, as it had done in the past, men who would distinguish themselves at Oxford. Ho ventured to say that there was no place which sent Rhodes Scholars that, taking into consideration nuinljers, had done so well as the New Zealandors, and lie spoke from what ho knew. Intellectual ability, ho continued, must be the. foundation on which everything was built. What was the use of sending to Oxford, or i any university, young men who could only play football, or cricket, or swim, or row;? The object of sending the scholars to Oxford, was to test the intellectual ability, although it was true that proficiency in athletics and high character .had also to be considered. Oxford was a university, and not a place for the promotion of sports.

What John'Knox Thouflht. Sir Robert went- on to point out that John Knox in his schemo of educational reform had laid it down that every rich man should be compelled to send his sons to tho university, if they had brains, but if they had not brains they should not bother. He had yet to learn that John Knox was not right.' One of tho main reasons why the maximum age should be left as at present was that some young men developed late, whilst others did notget their opportunity till, late in life. Were they to he debarred the benefits of the scheme? It was his view that the scholarships .were mainly for poor men's sons. The rich men should be compelled to send .their sons to a university as John Knox would have them. He knew one educationist, who had said, referring to a backblocks candidate: ft You ought not to send country louts to Oxford." His answer had been: "We have to send brains to Oxford; that is more important than manners." When he was in the Old Country ho met a large -number of Rhodes Scholars at a dinner. There wero representatives from America, from Germany, from South, Africa, from Australia, and from New Zealand, and he would say that our men could hold theiiv own with any of them.

The Canterbury Complaint. With regard to the complaint from Canterbury, Sir Robert said it was true that that district had sent two or three very able candidates, but in ' the years in which they were sent there happened to be abler men from other districts. Ho believed that tho selectors had on all occasions been quite unbiased. Tho best proof of tlu's was that tho selectors had never been the same for any two years. During the period that the scholarships had been m vogue there had' been three Governors; 111 addition to himself threo other Judges had at different times been oil the board, whilst the professors were also continually changing. On almost overv occasion of the selection of the lihodes Scholar lie and 'other members of the board had felt grieved at the fact that only one candidate could be appointed, in view of the fact that all- would havo been-able to represent New Zealand uith credit. But the board had no option —only one vacancy had to be filled.

Professor Kirk on the Age Limit. Professor Ivirk, chairman of the Professorial Board of Victoria College, said it couhl be fairly said that in the past scholarships had once or twice perhaps been allowed undue weight. Certainlv there was 110 ground for the statement that such had invariably been the case. Any inference that thero was a wish to keep Canterbury out was. a very lame objection on their part. Spooking, for himself, he believed that the maximum age' should he lower. He would suggest -- years as the maximum. At the verv oldest ho \\ ould not like to seo candidates go who were more than 21. Of course it iiiL depended on tlie man-—some men. of 22 were younger than others of 18. Other countries had been sending Home men who wero too old. He took it that no ono should be sent Home whose scholastic attainments were not respectable, who was rot a good athlete, and who had not approved qualities of leadership. Tho good all-round man was the man who was wanted. In Ins opinion the qualifications ot tho candidates each year had been decidedly good. The probability was that the Victoria College Board would discus tlie matter to decide whether it oii"ht to make any recommendation to tho Bhodes trustees as to whether the maximum ago should bo reduced.

Independent Board Advocated. Mr. Von Haast, a member of the Senate, strongly advocates tho selection of the scholars by a board, all the members of which arc independent of tho colleges. He pointed out to a reporter yesterday that 110 fewer than four members of tho board represented such institutions. Naturally if 0116 of these members advocated tho selection of a candidate from a district other than his own there would be some who would find fault with him. Ho went on >to say that he was of opinion that a board of three members would be adequate. As regards the ago limit, ho felt that tho maximum should not exceed 22 It would bo preferable to choose lads about 19. Students of the age of sonic that had been sent from New Zealand could not participate in the Indian Civil Service examinations. There could bo no doubt, but that too much attention had been- paid to scholastic attainments. He would agree that, other things being equal,, tho student with the best scholastic attainments should be selected becauso he would benefit most bv tho education which was offered him. lie took it that while Mr. Rhodes meant that every attention should be given to scholarship, he wanted to help young men who were "oing to take a part in the work of the world and have to manage men later on.

Scholars Should be Men of Affairs. New Zealand had endeavoured to send Home young men who were studious rather than men of affairs. Tho class of men already sent Home from tho Dominion had been chiefly scientists. Character should, in his opinion, always weigh first. In this connection he. of course, included capacity for leading men, judgment,- and power to give a prompt decision when required to do so. Next should, lie felt, come scholarship, and after that skill at athletics. For himself ho would place a man of great force of character ahead of a man who had more scholarship, but who had not the same amount of resolution.