MORMON COLLEGE FOR MAORIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 3

MORMON COLLEGE FOR MAORIS.

o OPENING CEREMONY. THE STUDY OF AGRICULTURE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Hastings,. April 7. . Between five, and six thousand -.people, including thp-ITOQ Maoris who are attend' ing the hui closb by/wro present at the opening of Koranguta (Bridge pa) Mormon College on Sunday. The buildings, which stand in their own grounds of sonic 130 acres in extent, consist' of a .school-house, lecture hall, and chinch, and 'tho workshop at the back for students. The buildings are up-to-date in every respect. Tho rooms are both large and airy, and should fulfil entirely the objects for which they wore erected. The cost of the buildings runs into something like ,£12,000, and tho expenditure on the land, for tho farm implements for farming, and furnishings for tlio college will bring the total cost somewhere near Ji17,000. It is hoped to start school work on Wednesday next, but the authorities aro uncertain yet what course of academic work will !>o pursued. Several havo. been suggested in a prospectus already issued, but until instructors have, had an opportunity of testing tho ability of students no definite syllabus will bo adopted. Tho students will, of course, have to take up tho study of agriculture, which is the primary purpose of the college. Professor Johnson, who has charge of the college, comes. direct from the States to assume tho presidency. He is a bright young University graduate, and holds degrees in physiology and pedagogy. Yesterday he gavo a. stirring speech on his church as an educational factor. "One of their great mottoes," lie said, "constantly held up before tlio young people was that tho glory of God was intelligence. Tho great prophet of the church had said that men and women could not ba saved in ignortuice. They could only he saved when they gained knowledge. AVith those principles before them, no one could be surprised that among tho pioneers in the liistory of the. great unions of tho United States the church erccted the school . bnildings. If anyone could visit their cities, towns, or hamlets, ho Mould find on every prominent corner a school building devoted to tho educational development of tho young people. "The erection of tho college was inspired by tho same spirit that had dominated tho erection of their other schools-, which had for their proper object the training of young people in all matters pertaining to morals and secular branches of education. Tho New Zealand College had been opened for the exclusive use of Maori boys. Young Maori boys wlio belonged to another church would bo welcomed at tho college, and would be taught in the same way as other students, though their present religion would not bo interfered with. Europeans would not bo admitted to the school. Their sole object in erecting the school was to givo assistance in the better training and education of Maori boys in order that they might take their place in the activities of the commercial world, and as intelligent citizens. . There was no selfish motive underlying their college, which was philanthropic in its purposes. When it was said that the cost 'to a student for his schooling, hoard roonl, and the use of all modern conveniences for a whole year was only JSI2, it would be seen that the church had not gone into the question for tho purposo of making money."