THE CAPPING CEREMONY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12531, 28 June 1906, Page 5

THE CAPPING CEREMONY.

A StBDUED FUNCTION. THE HONOURS LIST. Degree Day is nlwaye a bright- spot in College life, as far a.s the graduates ami un-donjrad'uat'Ps aro concerned, even though it may not b? so eagcrlj* looked forward to by th-cso responsible for the dignity of the proceedings at the capping ceremony, and yesterday afternoon there was a typical gather- , ing of students and their friends in tho College Hall. One or two familiar faces .were absent from the platform, notably that of Sir Robert Stout, Chancellor of tlie University, and the Hon. C .C. 1 Bowen, Viee-Chanoellor, the former being occupied with Court of Appeal business, and.the latter at t.h? opening of Parliament. Professor Cook accordingly presided, ami wa,s supported by Mr J. W. Joynt, Registrar, Professors F. W. Haslam. A. Wall, T. G. R. Blunt, C. Chiltoon, W. P. Evans, and R. J. Scott; lectnrers, Dr. Brnckhaw, Mr R. Speight, Mr P. Powell, Dr. Farr, Mr E. Watkims, Mr G. T. Weeton; representatives of the Board cf Governors, Dr. Talbot, Mr W/ Izard, a7;d Mr JVC. Adams. There were also present—Mr E. R. Wait?, curator of the Museum, Mr 11. Herdmon-Smitli, director of the School of Art, Mr C. E. Beran-Brown, the Rev. C 11. M or land, Rev. C. W. Carringtcn, and Mr A. Cracroft Wilson, Registrar of Canterbury Collego, Tht> Chairman, after aixilegisuig for the absence of tho Chancellor and VireChancellor. said that to anyeiK , interested in educational matters tho cere7noiry that afternoon was full cf intervst, especially to these like himself who watched tho College from day to day. It. wan pleasant to see those- who by hard study had re.iehed th-e jjoal of thoir Ambition come up and receive public recognition of thrir work. (Applause, and cries 'of "Time.'') There was an added interest that afternoon on account of the unusual number cf those coming forward for degrees, and also on account of the variety of those degrees, including the hi ghost it wa« in the power of the University tT bv*to\v. (Undergraduates: "Go on!' , and "We've got them on the- li<-t. v ) Knenkinp; for a moment from the Colleo;? point of view, he thought they could congratulate themselves on th° phcctss of the year. In the ordinary B.A. list of honours eleven bad been put in th , * fiist class, out of which Canterbury College bad taken three. In the sinw way nine senior scholarships v.-r-re offered for competition, nnd the College had seemed three. One of these was won by a lady, for the first time since the regulations came into force. (Applause.) Professor Cook went on to refer to the amended Statute passed by the Senate dealing with senie.r scholarships, mentioning the fart that, this year there would be fourteen instead of nine, as previously. On the subject of University fere, he would like to point out that the Univer.-ity of Nen- ZBiland was far from being a wealthy riody, and it was only by the exercise of extreme care over* the nrailabh? funds that it was able to do as mnch as it did. A whistling fantasia from the rear interrupted the chairman's remark? somewhat, but he prececal to say that the Senate had authorised the publication of ;i which would show that in the matter of free the New Zealand University was a much less expensive institution to the student than many other Universities, and ho gave a< an example the fact that here a student could come up lor his degree en payment of £1, while in one or two Australian College* \te would have to pyy £3 for the same privilege. In the of-professional degrees there was a tt-o of £'10 at theCoTleges he referred to, as compared with "jE 7 7s hero. Unless the greatest

< eonoiny and care wero oxorciffd, it would mean that the. Senate would Ik* compelled to reduce tin , number of scholarships which at the- same timo might be depredated in value. Mr Joynt. who was called upon by five eh liniwii to explain tin , position of thu new which were being conferred for the firn time, congratulated Canterbury College, on the remarkable list of distinctions and successes which students had achieved this year. (Applause.) There was one distinction, he said, which in the. history of the University had been hitherto exclusively confined, with cne exception, to Canterbury Oc liege. It was known as double first honour;:.and thLs vanit Jiad been 'gained by H. D. Cook. (Applause, and interjection: 'He can do no wrong!"') It would scarcely Iμ? proper for him U> extol Canterbury College- at tin' of the other Collrg£-\ but it wa- not out! of place to recall that tliis di-'tinct ion had l>ofMi pained by Rutherford and Dr. Talbot. (Apphuse.) There was -another ivniarkahle feature in the lust, viz.. the number of engineering degrees that wero taken out. They did not all belong t> thin y:-ar'=s work. Ijccr.u-o the University required eighteen months' practical work in foundries and risewhere before the student couh! qualify. Another jvjint. v. as the nuiiij ber of senior scholarship which hau fallen to Canterbury College. The Resistivr a! c o referred to tin , degree of Doctor of Literature"which hud been cr.nferred <j" a member of the teaching staff. Dr. Hight. and said that other now decrees authorised were tliose of Master of Science and Master of Laws. SMulents who were to receive these degrees that day would not. get a diploma in the. full form, but. they would net a certificate of a provisional charactr-r. ,r or the present these decrees only had a currency and full value in New Zealand, because the University bad not yet received an Imperial charter or letters patenf from the Crown, which would ensure validity of the degree throughout the Briti-h" dominion. It was merely a matter of a month's delay. The Edue;'tional Committee of the Privy Council wore investigating the status of the University of Now Zealand, and the standard of its examinations. As soon as the investigation was completed, he thought the committee would be perfectly .satisfied, and would issue tho desired charter. Tho degrees in electrical engineering wero in the $nno position.

Registrar then, road tlio followitiK honours list:—

Bachelor of Arts—Mary Francos "Barker. Ami row Cunningham FryiT. Leonard Hwbert Harrison. Edith Gertrude- . Hawaii, Isabella. Maitdo Keith. Frederick Arthur Kitrliingham (senior scholar). Ada O'Callaghan (senior scholar), 'Mabel, Edith Oshorn, Wilfrid Gaster Williams (degree conferred in April), Grace Wilson (senior scholar). Bachelor of Science—Henry George Denham (exhibition scholar), William Hcnrv Moves. Samuel Page.

Bachelor of Laws—John Roberts Cuninghain (ccnfrire-d in April), Henry William Lockyer Digby. Thomas William Rowe, Cyril Alexander Stringer (conferred in April). Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) — Albert Robert Acheson, William" Wilson.

B.Sc. in Engineering (Mechanical)— Albert Robert Acheson. Charles Henry Cronsdaile Bowen (conferred in January), James Ernest Lelliot Cull (conferred in January), Thomas Gurney (conferred iv January), William Augustus Hiitton. Senior Scholarship—Frederick Arthur Kitchin-sham, in Political Sckmce; Ada. O'Callaghan, in Mathematics; Graej Wilson, in English and French. Kx'liibition Science Scholar—Henry Gcargo. Denham. ' x Honours in Arts—Dudley Scdman Chifiholm, Third Cltis-J Honouis in Mathematics; Elsie May Evans, Third Class Honours in Jiotany: James Wordsworth Mcllraith, First Claws Honours in PoliticalScieuw. Honours in Science—Henry Denman Cook,' First Honours in Mathematics, al«o First Class Honours in Electricity . and. Magnetism: William Warren Triggs, Second Class Honour* in Electricity and Magnetism. Mastor.of Arts—Dudley Spdman Chieholm, Elsie May Evans, Jamcu'Wordsworth Mcllraith.

Master of Science—Henry Damn an Cook, Henry George Denham, Arthur Edward Flower, Jsdwards Kidson, William Warren Triggs. Doctor of Hight. Master of Laws;— Alfred Sydney Taylor.

Mr Eve s Prize for Modern Languages —Gracu Wilson.

The degrees, having been conferred amid the applause of the audione? and the good-humoured banter of the undergiajriuato*., the Chairman called en Jlr izard, as representing the Board of Governors for an address.

Mr Izard said ho desired to say something on tlva subject of the residential rjuarters for students, and outlined the scheme for its establishment, iliii remarks being punctuated by interjections from the rear. Hie tion that there would Ive some control by the Board of Govenroi-o and the Professorial Board over the _ students living there, evoked the .significant comment "We'll see." and there wa-s much merriment when, he .suggested that some such place m*ght Ik> acceptable to narents wlio had "children' , to send to College. Proceedings, however. Mr Iznrd got a good healing, and said that this rcfiidonthl institution would Ik , a great step towards providing a residential University. He went c.n to say that tho yea students sprnt atC'tillege were genvrally the mefit critical e>f their livns. and a certain amount of control wns simply in their own interests. The anthoritiVs would look to the. fituebnte to <!o their duty to themselves, their parents and the Cbl!e<i;\ Mr Isnrd also suggested that it muiht bu found de«irable to arrange for similar n-.sidejitial accommodation fer lady sturlcnlK, which eau.-ed an irreverent "nndergrad." to retcrt that he was seeking to wt up a matrimonial bureau.

Mr Flower, President of the Students' Association, wns next called en to speak, and possibly because of a stern rebuke from the chairman., lie had th;> bc>t henriTMi of nuy of the speakers. He outlined the various noo<V> cf tho College, dwelling particularly m the proposal to cr't'ct a new chemical laboratory.

At the c!o*w> of th?*prceeedinfis. and after tho retirement cf tlio the students took charge, and conferreda number of imaginary degrees on various individuals to the entertainment of those "'ho remained to see the fun.