15

E.—7

Student life has been active during the year, several new societies being founded, such as the Science, Law, Choral, and Photographic Societies. The teaching staff of the College now consists of fifteen professors, seven lecturers, and twentythree assistant lecturers, assistants, or demonstrators. There were 430 matriculated men students, as against 324 in 1922, and 149 matriculated women students, as against 94 in 1922. The total number of matriculated students was 579, in addition to which there were 359 evening students, making a grand total of 938 students attending lectures at the College. Professor Scott retired at the beginning of the year. There is no doubt the School of Engineering at Canterbury College will be for ever associated with its real founder, Robert Julian Scott. It is due to his personality and vigour that the school has obtained the pre-eminent position that it holds. Graduates of the school find that its diploma is one of the best introductions that a young man can have to the world of engineering. The College hostels continue to attract large numbers of students, and the accommodation at both institutions is taxed to the utmost. Steps are being taken to enlarge the dining-room at Rolleston House with a view to providing for the increasing number of students coming into residence. The Board decided to place the discipline of Rolleston House under a president and council elected by the house from the students in residence, the president of the council to be directly responsible to the Board of Governors. The experiment has, up to the present time, been a decided success. In the near future consideration must be given to the question whether the University of New Zealand is to be dissolved into four separate Universities. It has been found in other parts of the English-speaking world that the people are far more! interested in their own local University than in a nebulous body which is seldom heard and never seen, such as is the University of New Zealand. Workers' Educational Association. —The number of classes hold in 1923 was twenty-seven, and, including one vocational, class, the total number of students enrolled was 1,018. Of this number nearly 90 per cent, were active students, and the average attendance at classes exceeded 50 per cent. A winter school was held at Hokitika, organized by the Westland Progress League. The object of this school was to give those persons engaged in rural pursuits in Westland an opportunity of getting into touch with modern methods in agriculture, and an insight into the theories of economics in relation to agriculture. The attendance was satisfactory, some farmers coming from a considerable distance to attend the lectures. A successful week-end school was held at Timaru in November, at which about a hundred students attended the day lectures, and some three hundred the evening lectures. Considerable local interest was shown in the school, and it was instrumental in revealing to the general public the work and aims of the Workers' Educational Association. During the Christmas holidays a most successful summer school was held at Geraldine. A series of popular lectures was again a feature of the year's work, and attracted large and appreciative audiences.