UNRULY STUDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 145, 18 June 1912, Page 8

UNRULY STUDENTS.

CASE BEFORE COUNCIL. SUSPENSION OF CAPPING SCGGESTED. The Professorial Board of the Auckland University College have by a unanimous vote instructed their chairman (Professor Egerton) to write to the Chancellor (Sir Robert Stout I asking that in view of the interruption- at the recent capping function in the Town Hall the ceremony at- Auckland lie suspended for at- least a year. An intimation ot" the fact was received hy letter at the monthly meeting of tbe College Council yesterday afternoon. Air. Gerald Peacc-.-ke considered it was rather precipitous on the part of the Board to take such action. As the Chancellor had himself admitted at- the close of the cerem-onj'. the interruptions were not caused by the students responsible for the management of the programme, but came from a minority. Personally he thought that such interruption* which occurred when serious subjects were being discussed by the Chancellor were simiply idiotic, and quite out of place. At the same time, he would deprecate such a severe sentence upon the student? as a body. Dr. TI. Dean Bamford omved. "That th» letter be received, and that consideration of the action to be taken by the Council be deferred until ihe next roeetintr.'" He agreed that- the proposed course would be a very drastic one. The chairman (Sir Maurice O'Rorke): What 1 don't like about it ■- that such action would not be discriminating between the innocent and the guilty. We ought to first find out. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Bamford thought- that some -,vis factory pledges would perhaps lie forthcoming concerning the eondtio: of such gatherings in the future. Br. Mi-Dowrl! regretted :hrM '.he profc sors had -cert lit ;o take-uch n .Ir.i-ii--step. He believed lh.it the majority of the students were aetmtcd by a de-ire that the proceedings should have been comparatively orderly and that the management were not responsible for the disturbance. The trouble had been the presence of a number of new students. "I iiiiuk thai t'.ierc is great value in the capping ceremony." proceeded the speaker, and 1 should Im- very sorry to see it S'lspended. 1 should also ix< sorry for sii.-h a slur to be ra.-l upon our student!-." Mr. T. \V. Leys said it would So very ujifortutiate it it went forth to the students that the Council in any way condoned the conduct for which they were responsible. (Hear, hear.i It v. is senerous of Dr. .McDowell to plead for another chance for 'hem. ir- view of ihe fact that they interrupted his aJurc-.-* at the capping ceremony to such an extent that he had been prevented from carrying out his intention to appe.i! for better university buildings. He considered it a most unfortunate aud unwarrantable proceeding. At the same time, he recognised that- the most intolerable disturham-p arose among a section of the students who were disgnispu ;t----policemen. It. <wae rather a pity that some effective measures had not been taken to prevent any --tudent in disguise from entering the hall, in keeping witii the object of a resolution carricl by the Council a year ago. I; was n gross personal insult nnd quite outrageous that one holding the exalte I position of the Chancellor of the W.y Zealand University and the Chief .Justice of the Dominion should lie Im-.. !«,j down and ".ounted out" as wa = done u -i the occasion referred to. ■ Air. G. -f. Garland thought too mu-'i time was taken up by the speeches. The Chancellor's address migh\ n -e!l have lieen curtailed to a duration of twenty minut-es. instead of three-quarters of an hour. Mr. Peacockc ntrreed that crTective measures must be adopted to prevent the recurrence of such disturbances. Fie suggested that Dr. Bamford's resolution should provide that the President of the Students' Association be called upon to give an explanation of the objectionable conduct which took place. The Hon. ,T. A. Tole: It is a scandalous disgrace that the Chancellor cannot deliver a short address without being subjected to the treatment of hoodlums. Already they had been given chances and chances and chances. The resolution was carried after the addition suggested had been embodied.