Commercial Education.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7735, 10 February 1905, Page 4

Commercial Education.

| The Press, in an article on the introduction of the teaching of com|merce in the University of New Zealand, says I The decision of the Auckland College Council to establish a school of commei-ce gives special interest lo the scheme which has been in operation in the Adelaide University for some three years. As [long ago as 1901 that university and ,the local Chamber of Commerce instituted independent inquiries into the teaching of higher comnieiciul education in other countries, and as a resuflt a Board of Commeix-ial Education was set up by the tnlversity Council, who placed thereon the president and vice-president of the Chamber. The Board as now constituted comprises, among others, three professors, a hanker, two accountants, and a merchant, ail leading men in their respective classes. Its programme is divided into two parts'—junior commercial education and senior commercial certificates. Every candidate in the former examination must pass in commercial arithmetic, commercial geography, book-keeping, and business correspondence, failure in any one of these subjects carrying rejection in all. The examination for the senior certificate is a much more serious affair. Candidates are requiri-d to attend lectures at the University on business practices, accountancy commercial law, cconomics| and commercial history, banking, and exchange, and commercial geography and technology. The course covers- four years and the total lecture and examination Ices amount to less than tl.j iraid in instalments during the course. Bo that the ehargesi cannoi bear heavily on anyone. 'J r.c teachiri" staff exhibits a comSinuLion of professional and am-iir ism. Thus, while Professor isalmond, formerly of New /.eolaiuJ. lecuuesen Commercial law and another professor on economics ahd commercial historx, -banking exchange is dealt Willi by a gvntcleman who was for many years ai prominent bank manager, and the University librarian i.iis jharge of commercial geography. Leading business men milso help in Ihe examinations—the general manager of the Bank of Adek-fde in aiding and a member of 1 an important Mercantile firm in biiMiness practice, ivh-i.le a prominent accountant assists n the examinations in, accountancy. Phe lectures are w"el|l attended, maiiiyby clei'ks who take up the subects in which they are most inter■sted, for it is not nl-cessary to ake all the subjects, certificates bong granted in any one of them. The tusincss men of Adelaide, who have o heartily supported the whole icheme, give proof to the faith that s in them by displaying a prefernce for holders of certificates when tiling in vacancies on their staffs'.