LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

0. M. THOMSON, M.P., AND IRWIN HUNTER, F.R.C.S., ENC. Sir, —Tho recent statement in the House of Representatives, lias drawn public attention to tho character of the inquiry now. being conducted by the Education Committee. Four petitions, signed by many members of t'he College Councils, by 75 per cent, of University teachers, and by many graduates, all praying for a Royal Commission .on University education, have been presented to Parliament and referred to tho Education Committee,' which has also before it the report of tho l Inspector-General of Schools oil tho libraries and finances of tho colleges. Tho committeo may rccominond a Royal Commission, or, constituting itself, in effect, a lloyal Commission, it may . make specific / proposals l to tho House of Representatives; these, if adopted, will determine tho finances, policy, and development of tho colleges tor. many years to come. The problom is thus a very diffioult one, involving the soparato interests .of tho four colleges, and tho whole welfri.ro of university education in Now Zealand. Tho body called on to solve this problem must bo animated by a- very judicial spirit, if tlio solution is to bo worthy of the importance of the problem. Without any comment and without in any way. wishing to cast a reflection on any member of the committee, I desire to place before the public tho following tacts:— (1) The' members of tho Educnr tion Committee are:'-. Messrs. ■ Poland (Auckland' University district), Guthrie, M'Callum (Victoria College 1 district), Hon. Jas. Allen. Statham, J. C. Thomson, Malcolm, Sidey, Hanan, G. M. Thomson (chairman), (Otago University district). Thus Boven out of a committeo of ten represent constituencies .in the Otago University district. ' (2) Three members of the committee, Messrs. Sidey, Statham, and G. M. Thomson; represent Dunedin constituencies. ' (3) Mr. M'Callum has for some yoara been a member of tlio Victoria College Council. Mr. Allen and Mr. Sidey have been members of the Otago University, Council, the for- . mer since 1887, and tho latter Bince 1899. Mr.' Allen was Chancellor of Otago University, 1909-1912. r If .tho very important task imposed upon a committco" thus, constituted is to Be carried out in a judicial manner, it is obvious that members of tho committeo must not bo actuated by provincial feelings and jealousies, but endeavour, to view university education as a whole. The recent oxhibition given by Mr. G. M. Thomson in the House of Representatives makes it clear, that the demand for a. judicial spirit is, under tho circumstances, asking* too much from some members.. Mr. Thomson found that you had inserted a summary of the evidenco of a witness without tho cross-cxamiuation, and, without doubt, rightly desired that tho facts should bo placed before tho public. He, therefore, handed you the whole evidenco. This is to his credit. But why .not go further P Why not give tho press access to all tho evidenco that has been tendered? Why should this case alone demand tho dramatic intervention of tlho chairman of this judicial body? But if Mr. Thomson's action had ended there one might havo even applauded him for a warm interest in an. institution of his native town. Mr. Thomson's action, however, did not end there.- Ho took tho opportunity to trail his judicial robes in the mud, and, under the shelter afforded by tho' privilege of the House, to make an ungenerous attack on the personal character.of.,a witness. "Dr. Hunter," says the chairman of this judicial committee, "is a man .who is not taken by any means at his own -valuation, and,' in fact,' any-opinion that-'ho might express would be hardly considered in Dunedin, wlfers wo don't take him seriously. He is a disappointed man in some respects, who has .attempted to get into some positions, and because ho has been thrown out of them he brings this .vicious charge against tho Otago University." This last statement, too, in face of tlie evidence of tho witness that.his complaints and his application lor reappointment went forward under the same cover. . The judge has disappeared, and the politician stands forth m all his nakedness. If Dr. Hunter's evidence is false, it can surely be shown to bo- such. Mr. Thomson, as chairman of a judicial tody, should certainly give other witnesses every opportunity of rebutting tho evidence tendered to tho committee, but for the judgo to make such an attack on a witness in his absence, and where, as it happened, no reply was possible and no opportunity givon for any other member of Parliament to see justice done; for the'judgo to say, in effect, that expert evidence in rebuttal is unnecessary "because tho cross-examination "pretty well knocked the bottom out of what Dr. Hunter said," these tilings tend to reduce the proceedings of the Educational Committeo to a travesty of justice, and exhibit a spirit which, if genoral among tho members, would mean a gross waste of public money if the proceedings wero continued. —I am, otc., THOS. A. HUNTER. Wellington, September 5,1918.