LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1790, 1 July 1913, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

. —4 — THE BANK AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS. Sir,— statement in this mornings Dominion' as to the relative position of the directors and tho shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand is ingenious, but hardly convincing. In quoting Clauses 3 and ■! of tho Bank's Deed of Seeelement and construing these clauses as reposing the control of the bank's affairs in tho hands of tho directors, Mr. Beauchamp is no doubt correct, but the important point is that while the Deed of Settlement was in operation tho shareholders of the bank had the Tight to ckct their directors, who were individually required to hold a considerable financial interest in whilst now, owing to the suspension of the Deed of Settlement, the bank's affairs are controlled by a board appointed by tho Government, and whose members are not required by their appointment to have any holding of shares in the capital of the Consequently, tho shareholders under tho Deed of Settlement, through tlieir right to elect their directors, had a very considerable voice in tho affairs of the bank, and it is to resume this right that the energies of shareholders are now being directed, and which it was intended by the founders of the bank should remain vested in them. —I am, etc., SIDNEY ICIRKCALDIE. June 30. THE CAPPTNG CEREMONY, Sir,— Surely it is time that a commonsense view of the fearful enormities of the Victoria College students at tho capping ceremony was propounded. On the one hand wo have the Chancellor stopping the ceremony becauso he considered his authority was interfered with by a few most "harmless witticisms, and on the other we have Mr. Brandon, in the gniso of Jove, hurling the thunderbolts of his eloquence at tho heads of the students in the daily press. Tho Chancellor may be left severely alone. I' ; doubt if ho has ever ban young, and ho has missed (not his own fault, poor man!) that priceless gift of the gods—a sense of humour. It is, therefore, quite useless to waste words upon liim. But here we havo Mr. Brandon, who is a -Cambridge man, and therefore, I suppose, was once in statu pupilari himself, lecturing tho public in rnneral, and Victoria College in particular, on their lack of discipline and the wickedness generally of their conduct. To begin with, I don t know what Mr. Brandon has to do with Victoria College. I thought ho was chairman of tho Wellington Collego Council; but let that pass. Mr. Brandon belonged, I think, to that tins old college, known as "The Hall," at Cambridge, and that- is exactly why I am unable to understand his attitude in this 'matter. . "The Hall" in my time was not by any means known as a reading college, nor were tho members of that foundation at all meek and mild in their general conduct. May I be reminiscent for one moment? I belonged to a neighbouring college—a much humbler institution —known as Gonville and Caius, and I ivas up for a classical scholarship (which I didn't get!). At tho same time "Tho Hall" got to the top of the river, and later in the evening proceeded to enjoy themselves. They did so. One of their enjoyments was fireworks, which nearly set alight to our sacred buildings. Naturall the Senior Tutor remonstrated to the Master' of The Hall (Mr. Latham). What did that eminent divine pay? I recommend the answer to Mr. Brandon's consideration. He said: "My boys have got to the top of the river and if "they waht to burn down Caius I am not going to interfere"! Tho answer was cheered in Cains, as it must havo been in "The Hall." Surely Mr. Brandon might emulate the spirit of Mr. Latham, the best beloved master and tutor in Cambridge, and not seek to find fault with the very mild revels of tho Victoria College students. I cannot believe that Mr. Brandon has put aside tho mantle of tho undergraduate to assume the role of the don. If ho really has, may the shade of Latham torment his rest for all time! The whole thins is a question of high spirits and nothing else. Irreverence is tho essential spirit of the undergraduate, but all the fun I heard and saw last Thursday was in the best of taste, and the average of wit was far higher than what wo used to hear in the Senate House at Cambridge. These gentlemen at Victoria College work extremely hard during the year. Need we grudgo them one day of fooling? Speeches aro utterly out of place when degrees aro being given. At Cambridge none were ever made. All you did was to kneel before tho vicechancellor, who bestowed tho degree, and you wore lucky if you were not hit by some missile from the gallery—as I was— on the nose by a penny! We have all been young once. It is now to some of us a blessed memory. I can only pray that the spirit of youth may return to tho soul of Mr. Brandon, from which lodginghouse she has evidently temporarily removed her goods and chattels—l am, etc., W. KINGTON FYFFJ4, M.D., Cantab.