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who hold whole sciences oil faith and commit demonstrations t emory, and who too often, as might be expected when their period of education is passed, throw up all they have learned in disgust, having gained nothing really by their anxious Labours except perhaps the habit of application.' " These arguments not only hold good of London, but are of universal application, and coming with the weight of such authority should not be lightly passed over in NewZealand. It is by no means suggested here that the teacher should lip the sole examiner of his students. What is suggested Iβ a board of examiners for each subject, consisting of the four teachers in that subject acting in conjunction with one another and with an assessor, if necessary, who shall not be a member of any of the teaching staffs. This method will combine the internal with the external system, for as far as the student of .any college will l>e concerned be will be examined by four external examiners and his own teacher. To him the teachers from the other three colleges are external examiners. The question of bias or favouritism cannot possibly enter where a board is constituted as suggested, and the board, jealous of the good name and status of its University, is not likely to err on the lenient side. Opponents of this scheme aver that for the subjects of such a course, for instance, as that required for an arts degree suitable men could not lie found in New Zealand to conduct the examination. The obvious reply to this seems to be that if the teachers of tin University are deemed worthy of being entrusted with the important function of teaching they ought surely to be entrusted with the subordinate one of examining. As for one i xternal assessor he should not be difficult to find. Under the present system our examinations in law are conduoted locally by practitioners who are not necessarily specialists in the particular branches of the subject in which they examine. The law examiners for this year are, according to the University Calendar, as follow : Contracts, If. H. Ostler, LL.B. ; property, Part I, 11. I' , , yon Haast, M.A., LL.B.; property, Part 11. !■'. Fitchett, M.A., 1.1. l>. : evidence, P. Levi, M.A.; criminal law, Hon. .1. A. 'Pole', 8.A., LL.B.. K.C. ; torts, H. D. Bamford, LL.I). ; procedure, J. L. Stout, LL.B. —with one exception, general practitioners who would doubtless not claim to be specialists in the subjects on which they examine. In the case of most of them, too, they are past students of the New Zealand University. Hence they have been taught the subjects on which they are examining by those very teachers, specialists in their subject, who under the present system are themselves not entrusted with the examination—indeed an anomalous position. Much more could be said on the subject of external examinations, but it has all been said before, and little can be gained by mere reiteration. The difficulties in the way of a change seem so vague and phantastic, and the dangers of the present system so real and pressing, that, in my opinion, the sooner steps are taken to bring about such change the better will it be for the welfare and progress of the University. SiEOFBikD EiCHior.H.u m, M.A., LL.B., President, Victoria College Graduates' Association.

. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given : printing (1,600 copies, including diagrams), £7H.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l3.

I Hce 2s. 3d.}

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