NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 101, 22 January 1921, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

External examination was a valuable factor in earlier days in building up the prestige of the University of New Zealand. Its graduates had to satisfy the requirements of English examiners, and their educational attainments as revealed by their papers had to equal those of English candidates for the same degrees. Tho system is not without grave drawbacks. There is a heavy loss of time in transit and prolonged uncertainty as to the result of the examination. The examiners are remote and wholly out of touch with our university life. Once a year’s examination papers went down in a shipwreck, and left the Univensity in a quandary. It is a system that cannot go on for ever. At the same time we fail to see that it is necessary to rush to the other extrenje and have the professors examining their own students. This, with the introduction of a revising assessor, is their proposal. It may be satisfactory to the professors, but it is doubtful whether it will enhance the prestige of the University. If the assessor under their scheme is to set the papers and revise the professors’ marks, subject apparently to a final veto by the professors themselves, why can he not conduct the whole examination himself independently? Ono step is enough at a time, and it ie quite a big enough one from an independent examiner in Britain to an independent examiner in New Zealand.

To make Germany pay ie the principal plank in the policy of the nqw French Prime Minister. His Minister for Reparation, M. Loucheur, indicates that if Germany is bankrupt, as some Germans are wont to declare, he is quite prepared to go in as official receiver and squeeze out the money required to repair the devastated areas of France. In principle Britain has declared often enough that Germany must be made’ to pay to tho uttermost farthing. In practice there is room for great divergence of opinion as to the steps to be taken to this end. If M. Briand is a man of determination he has on occasion shoivn himself as a master of conciliation. It is possible' therefore that the ferocious attitude of M. Loucheur represents a preliminary to that close bargaining of tho market place in which M. Briand has more than once expressed his belief. One begins with an extreme figure and a ruthless determination to advance on Berlin instanter, and in the end if tho display is sufficiently impressive possibly enough may be squeezed out of the Germans to repair most of the shattered French countryside. Lord Derby, who recently returned to Britain after two and a half years as Ambassador at Paris, declared himself emphatically against the release of Germany from a single penny of the debt she owed. In this he urged that we should give France our full support, and while we could not expect to see eye to eye with her on all points, and must agree to differ on many, we must always remember- that the friendship and thorough understanding of France and England is the only basis on which we can build up the peace of the world. In M. Briand the French have a leader who is not likely to sacrifice that friendship for a trifle.

Are Australians bad mannered ? This question has been exercising one of the Sydney newspapers in consequence of some recent criticisms. As a people, Australians, it considers, have little of that self-imposed social discipline which the people of other countries observe. In walking they habitually neglect the rule of the road. They are reluctant to wait their turn, as may be noticed in buying a stamp or entering a lift on a busy day. In other countries a queue is automatically formed; in Australia it is p. case of push and scramble. The young hooligan makes a nuisance of himself in public places. The "flapper,” when there is ample room elsewhere, will thrust herself in a smoking carriage and exclude those for whom it is intended. A lady will accept a surrendered seat without a word of thanks or a sign of appreciation. Of all these things Australians are declared too commonly guilty. Yet consolation is' found in the fact that they are strong in the substance of good manners, if lacking in the outward show. They do not display a ceremonial politeness to women, while they treat them under the law as little better than mere chattels, as do some older countries. Not so long ago a m-an would not dream of smoking in the presence of.a woman, but he refused her a vote. The essence of true politeness is thought for others, and Australia’s lieart is in ths right place, though it may be slack in the outward forms of deportment. Which, in other words, is to say, "We plead guilty to being rude, but we don't mean it.” What would this Sydney-side mentor have to say of Wellington’s manners?