SUBJECTS FOR STUDY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 5

SUBJECTS FOR STUDY.

SOCIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. SUGGESTIONS BY SIR R. STOUT. SPEECH AT THE AUCKLAND CAPPING CEREMONY. (BT TELEGEArE.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) . / Auckland, May 29. In tho courso of liis address at tho Auckland University capping- ceremony to-day r tho Chancellor (Sir Robert Stout)' dwelt up-' on ono or two yery interesting points. Ho said:—. " There are two branches of study to whicb as yot little attention ,is paid in our colleges, but which arc most necessary to the advance- '■ ment of our community, namely, sociology and agriculture. These two subjects will be most important factors in the building up of a great Now Zealand. What preparations are our peoplo making to acquire tho requisite knowledge to enable thorn.to solve the many social problems that are pressing not only upon us, but upon all peoples for solution, and to enable them to properly and efficiently develop the? many natural resources of our Dominion? Social Reforms. "Wo havo made, and are making, many attempts at social reforms, but I do not ! know if wo realise that an apparent solution of a difficult question may in tho end be . ■ ; no real solution at all. ; Tho primary or im- ' mediate effects of a lawmay not bo the real and lasting effccts. lii social life the unseen things are the most important. Wo cannot '. estimate these unless we are acquainted with .■_ the history of our face, and unless wo care- ; fully investigate the indirect effects of our new laws: History, it'has been well said, . ' performs in social realities an analogous rola ' to tho microscope in the scientific laboratory. Wo ought to know whether any-sola-tions of social problems that wo propose, or any akin to them, havo been attempted before, and what the results were. The end in view in all social experiments'is the development of humanity, the production of ' ■ .fine men and women physically, morally, and intellectually. It is not numbers, but quality we ought to look for. Havo wo attempted to view our solutions of social pro. V blems from, this point of view? If wo havo we must confess that it may take many years before wo can tell tho results of our reforms. That our social lifo is not yet what it should be cannot be denied. We still havo in our midst crime, poverty, 1 vice, and ignorance, and until these are gradually removed our' civilisation is not a success. These considerations should, impress l us with the need of studying sociology. V - Post-graduate. Research. : " Hanlly any graduate l has 'taken up any' sociological subject as a matter ;of postgraduate research. The first, so far. as I am aware, to enter on such a study is Mr. W.l). Stewart, who has been considering ths important question of taxation and its effect ' on our people. Associated with him in this task is an eminent American university professor, Professor Lo Rossignol.' I hope this is only tho beginning of 1 similar sociological work to be undertaken by our graduates. Wo are a democracy, and wo have-universal suffrage. What, then, is more .necessary for tho exercising by our people of their duties. as citizens than the study'of our social life? We have no Statistical Society, as in 'London, and in other'cities of Europe, whoso > aim and object would -bp.- to classify the results of the various laws .that are passed, and ascertain tho position, so far as figures can. aid us, of the people of the State. Our New Zealand' Institute is mostly, concerned. with our natural history. There is the more need, therefore, of the attention of our own , peoplo, being directed to the study of sociology.' Very little has been done in any of the colleges' in regard .to this subject. History and economics, branches of tho sub- 9 ject, are, it is true, taught, but there is no systematic teaching of sociology in any of tho colleges.", : . ... . Scfencs and Industry. After .speaking of the need'for a -school , , for journalists, he went on to say: " Tho peoplc who are engaged in tho pro- ; duction of our main products need scientific training. We aro not as yet a manufacturing 'nation, and when we are, considering our • tcchnital education, wo should clearly appreciate this position. -Our main industries are agriculture (including stock-raising) and mining. An" examination of'our Customs returns will impress us with tho fact 'that wool, gold, - grain,. gum, flax,, tallow; and . hides aro our imain exports. _ Very few of tho' leaders of our main industries have received . tho training in "our' University Colleges that would enable them to perform their , 'duties. efficiently. Hardly any of our far- " mers and graziers have ever entered a - biological or chemical laboratory. Do they . really think that, these studies are 'hid and ; , barred from common sense'? I venture to say that hundreds of thousands, if not mil-' lions, of pounds havo been wasted in New . Zealand by our agriculturists and ■ miners through ignorance. Practical Needs. "Wo should not only provide for general culturo in our University Colleges, but our Colleges should bo in touch' with the practical needs of the people. In this respect they have been woefully deficient in tho. past. In tho Auckland district ypu havo a sub-tropical climato which can produce many things besides wool; meat, butter, and checso; but how few aro its sub-tropical pro- '. ; ducts. Wo hoed to realise that farming suit; v. ablo for southern New Zealand may not be . suitablo for Auckland, aud what is suitablo for tho United Kingdom with its temper- , ato climato mi\y not be suitablo for a coun-, try with a climato liko that of Southern. Europe, or North Africa." Until'our young > jicoplo'realise that it is as high a calling to bo a farmer or a manufacturer as to bo engaged in any profession wo will not_ havo. our best men employed in our main industries. Our young rniin should feel that it must bo the aim of their lives to accom-< ■ plish some useful work; and what better results can they get than from tho production of tho necessaries of lifo from work in tho ; open-air on tho soil. I do not overlook tho fact that agriculture .is'.an art as-well "as a science. Tli'o art has to bo taught by practical men on tho farm, but I submit that a man . trained in tho seienco -of agricultural ■ production "more readily acquires'tho art of farming than ono who is ignorant *of tho sciences of-botany, physiology, and chemistry. . I hope tho time'is not far distant when the Chancellor of the University will havo presented to him inoro students for tho degree of Bachelor of Agriculture than for any other degreo."