EX-CHANCELLOR'S HUMOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 110, 10 May 1923, Page 10

EX-CHANCELLOR'S HUMOUR.

JOKES TOR ABERDEEN GRADUATES. Sir Robert Home, lord rector of Aberdeen' University, was tie principal guest at .luncheon" at Glasgow • of ■ Aberdeen graduates. He replied to the ?toaet of Mb; health in a, delightfully- humorous 'speech/ "Xo one is.more amazed than myself," ,he said, "at ..tlje;, various I responsibilities I have beencalled upon tq uride.rtake. "When I flret joined' ttfe 'Government. I felt like '*- debutante .-with, a fluttering- 'heart ,enr tering.:upon her.iirst.eeaepn. .Wheh'T. Vent .to ■ the Exchequer I ~hid innumerable euitpre, but I very soon found they were 'all : a.iter,my. money.' r N6w : I-'ain a widow without a. dowry," (Laughter.). He declared; himself to be a proud defender of Aberdeen, which was not as well-known amongst cities as it ought to be. He recalled a conversation during his recent American visit with an American who was curious to know about' Aoerdecn. "I did my best for Aberdeen," said Sir Robert Home. "I told him of the great university; told how round Aberdeen there were distilleries which produced the best whisky in Scotland, and though the people were fond of it, yet they were so magnanimous that they exported large quantities to countries whose people were prohibited from drinking it." (Laughter.) The American appeared a little dejected, and asked if we had anything as high as the tower of the Metropolitan Insurance Company. I replied, "No, but we" havef nothing as low as the Bowery." Sir Robert Home also, told a etory of Lord Balfour when the same Metropolitan, tower was pointed out to him. He was told it was 800 feet high. "Really," replied; Lord Half our. He was told it had 48 nights, and answered, "You don't say so." [Moreover, he was assured it was built of fireproof material, and could not be burnt down, 'What a pity," replied Lord Balfour. (Laughter.) Speaking .more .seriously, Sir Robert Home referred to the many changes in university'education. In the old days one had to take seven classes in the Arts Faculty, and he still regarded them aVtKe seven "lamps d£;archit*ctur«tin vthetemple of learning. Nowadays university education was applied more direatly to fitting a' man for his occupation in life. Both points of view might be but he believed that it did not much matter what one learnt so long as it was learnt well, and wa* worth learning. ** *