THE GLOBE. MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2009, 2 August 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1880.

The debate on Thursday evening in the House of Representatives exhibited the soreness of many of the Northern representatives at the want of University Education in the North Island, and a suggestion was even made that the South should be robbed of part of her University endowments to feed the knowledge seekers of the North. Now, it may easily be understood that the North is restive under the existing state of affairs, but surely the rostiveneas should be mingled with repentance for its own past shortcomings, rather than with a feeling of irritation against Canterbury and jOtago. These provinces in the days of their prosperity had the good sense to lay by sufficient to provido for the higher wants of her rising generations, and they are now reaping the reward of their foresight. The more northern provinces, on the contrary, although ample opportunities were before them, did not choose to oxert themselves in this direction, and they too are roaping their reward. Tho feeling was certainly unanimous that something should bo done, when possible, to establish colleges in the North Island, and the Legislature may be depended upon, when the time comes, to do all in its power to aid those who are now grieving over past errors. But it is ridiculous for the latter to imagine that a case has been made out against the South, and to pose as aggrieved individuals consumed with an educational thirst, but thwarted by their selfish neighbours. Had they at one time possessed that eagerness which thoy now display, they might very well have obtained all that they wanted. The colony at large is well willing to forgive and forget, and to assist them to the utmost of its ability, but it is not willing to see in any complaints against the selfishness of the South one atom of truth on which to ground an accusation. As for Sir George Grey's utterances on the question, they are as mystic and dark as could be desired. He apparently wishes to scatter Colleges broadcast over the land, although he was of opinion that " the establishment of four Colleges in New Zealand " (presumably Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dnnedin), " all teaching different branches of education, would turn out men of varied knowledge and attainments." Does Sir George wish each College to keep itself to one particular branch only ? If so, he would probably partition out the subjects much as follows. Owing to the intensely digging propensities of Otago, natural science would find its home there. To Canterbury would be given classics and divinity ; to Wellington, where straws are split by the sheaf together during the sessions of Parliament, logic and rhetoric, while to Auckland, under the eye of Sir George himself, moral philosophy would find a suitable resting place. He might, indeed, himself procure a professorship, and ventilate his peculiar ideas from the professorial chair with much effect. A school would thus be formed of promising young men, who would hand down to the remotest posterity Sir George's ideas on international commercial morality and other subjects'. In the late Premier's speech occured a phrase which reads remarkably well but is difficult to understand. "It was intellect that constituted a college, not gaudy buildings." The moral to be drawn, apparently, was that colleges might at will be founded anywhere at but small expense. We fancy that, if J3ir George were to have the arranging of the matter, he would find that intellect is as marketable commodity as brick or stone. Intellectual professors are not to be obtained for nothing, and whatever truth there may be in the fact that intellect forms'a college, still it has to be paid for. However, Sir George's utterances will find much favour in Hokitika, New Plymouth and other places which have not yet aspired to colleges of their own. In this respect his speech will not have not been thrown away. His proposals are somewhat wild but, no doubt, well meaning.

The Commission appointed to examine the Industrial Exhibition at Christchurch has handed in to the Government their report, and a copy of the same will be found in another column. It cannot be called a pregnant document. There are no suggestions attached —indoed, the report is little more than a list of the classes of exhibits, a statement ef the number of men employed on the several industries, a statement of the wages paid to such men, and an all round patting on the back of the manufacturers. It may be that in the communications which were received by the Commission, and which have been forwarded along with the report, some valuable ideas may have been mooted, but the Commission's report itself is singularly barren. Bat, perhaps, after all this should not be much wondered at. The time at the disposal of the Commission was altogether too short to digest what was placed before it, and to evolve therefrom some practical sug. gestions. The Exhibition has throughout more or less suffered by the unavoidable haste in which it was got up and carried out, and the same traces of haste may be seen in tho report under consideration. Two members of Parliament were hurriedly sent down at the busiest time of the session, and, with a few local gentlemen, they " rushed the affair" at high pressure. Notwitstanding that by this time Mr Wakefield must be particularly well up in the Local Industries question, being Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on that subject, he and his coadjutors have found the time too short to commit themselves to recommendations on the strength of what they saw. Mr Wakefield, indeed, was placed in a somewhat difficult position. Tho report of the Commission on Local Industries is on the point of being laid before Parliament, and ho may have had some delicacy in using tho special knowledge gained by that Commission in its tour through the colony, in tho direction of forming suggestions with regard to tho Christchurch Exhibition, and anticipating tho Report of the larger Commission. His connection, therefore, with iho Christchurch Exhibition Commission may not havo been so serviceable as it would have been under more favorable circumstances, but the remainder of the Commission, at all f eitentp, were not shackled in this way, and still nothing practical has eventuated from tho report iteelf. When next an exhibition is got up in Christchurch the

promoters will, no doubt, carefully see that abundance of time is given for the maturing of their plans, and that, if a Government report on the same be desired, the gentlemen engaged on the said report shall be able to inwardly digest as well as to read and mark.