WELLINGTON UNIVERSITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1797, 30 June 1906, Page 2

WELLINGTON UNIVERSITY.

PRESENTATION OF DEGREES,

(Per Press Association.) ' Wellington, last Digh:

The cremony of presenting to students of the Midd'o Uaivrr.-ity district of New Zealand the d> geees won at the examination of N.vembar last fO'.k place today. Sir Eobeit Stout, Ohancc’lor of the University, who presided, handed the graduates their diploma, after delivering an add. ess on tho responsibility of the g-aduate. Protestor J. W. Bilmood, professor of English law at Victoria College, spoke on th 9 education of lawyers. He had been greatly surprised on arriving in tho coloDy to find that tbero was in existanos a siatute uador which a solicitor who bad been in p-aatioa for five years m'ght with* out further qua’ification or examination bccomo enrolled as a barrister, This Act pluced a premium on idleness, inoompeteocy, and igcoranoe. He urged lawyers not to be oontent with L L,B. degree, but to go on for hon:rs. Dr, Findlay, Chairman of tho Victoria College Couoci), said there were two groat enures of gratification to University people of Wellington ; first, that they wero meliiog euoh rapid advance, and second, that they wero outstripping other colleges. But even now the provision made for Wellington students was inadiqhato in suuo respects. At its last mretiog the Council had vot9d from its slender means £I2OO to purohase what m'ghl bo the basis of a U diversity library. Ia the formatioo of tho library they had had every encouragement from private donors. Dr. Findlay appealed for oducatiou that was not merely attractive, but useful — such ao education as the democracy would appreciate. Mr E. J. Fitzgibbcn, who was invited to spoak on behalf of tho students, appealed for a more adequate law library.