LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2112, 1 April 1914, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

, THE HOME RULE BILL; Sir, —In. reference.to tho Homo Rule Bill now being discussed by the British House of Commons, has-tho.,veto ■ of the House of Lords Keen annulled, and in the event, of the said Bill being , passed by the Commons, is it placed .-'. ■ upon. the. Statute Book without -the ' consent: or otherwise ■of the Lords? Thanking you < in; anticipation.—l am, '>■■'.■ ■ etCl> -• '•,-,• ■INQUIRER. [Tho'Bill, when .again passed by, the Commons, cannot be vetoed l by ,thp ' House or Lords,, but must pass into law, provided■• it .'receives the Royal 'Assent.}'--' , '•-..'. '•'■: MR. THEO. QUEREE ON IRELAND. ; Sir,—ln your issue; of Thursday last ■ 'appears some misleading statements on by Mr. Thoo.Queree,, during his recent visit to that at. present much talked of, tight little, bright little,. Ire- ■ land. The statements I--must take exception to,-are: "that : the peasantry I 'came.in.touch with spoke hopelessly of its future:" :Letine-assure Mr. Qiieree' and your readers, that Ireland's hopes and- aspirations, for ,many...years; baclc \ . are of 'the brightest., more particularly, ..-■.-'.' since she.'got rid of that octopus .."the landlord." Her "many industries, and volume of trade, are krgely.on the increase) ,as instanced by Mr,-Iv6r Brown, who, wheiy presiding at -the' .recent.an- . ■-.' nual meeting of tho Provincial Bank of .Ireland,-said. the. figures, were •■'. ,cord .'ones..in the bank's.history, and the expansion 1 was.ageneral one ih.-ajj i .:'■'. ■' departmentsj .That;.old.-womah's;.'tale] of woe. to Mr..Queree, "What good 'can; Home Rule do now? We '■■ havei lost '■",': our sons and daughters, and the country is empty of money and-people," is too.funny, by half. Her thoughts, . , doubtless, carried .'.her back.' 'to.'[. that ■ • ■•'. awful and historic famine of, the middle ' . of the '/last century,. ■when. Ireland's population fell'so heavily by■ starvation and emigration. "There is ample . proof.'that Ireland's population-'is'now' ;oiL.the r increase,. and .that her ..hopes on Home" Rule' ara.'.'high "and , sw.eet,, and . that her .sons and. daughters liavo now: a big stako in Ireland/ , Then .-Mr.' Queree goes on. to say , .'. "That 'was' ■ ■ '.' mostly in the South t of Ireland.. -."' Ih the . i North the people are brighter and there is an air of prosperity that one. cannot fail to. perceive/' This \ very threadbare" and fallacious Btateinent: can •be- ' K disproved;; up -to -'the -hilt, if only' Mr. , Queree would>read r lreland's official reand , 'statistics of ' recent, years, ■ ■' • ■ : wherein is shown.• that 'that'-'much--boosted wealth, ete:, : of TJlster cannot . compare" with-', its sister '.provinces of Munster'-and- Leinster; .Take the whisky , trade and '■ ship-building from Ulster's returns and;she would be hopelessly, out : of the running.— : -lam, etc., •'•■" ■■ '■_•. ■■•■:D. R. LAWLOR; ■'■ ' .'-;. March 28. ."/■ :■■-.' PARADOXICAL PROCESSOR PICKEN : ""'": . : ' ; --: ;fV;, '".'AND>' : ■■■■■■■■' : '. ; : K -\-y , UNCRYSTALLISED MATHiMATICS Sir,—ln your issue.of March 27 Pro- ' fessbr.Piclenexpressed/himselfas "far .'. .' from : content ...with the. '.'University' in New Zealand," and doliyered himself.of- ='. : a long'harangue on the."desperate difficulty^, of teaching mathematics, of the. 'heroic self-sacrifices" demanded .from his students,.-of'the manner in which he/teaches them .to mak<> mountains out -,'.."- of ■ mathematical mole-fills:' in" the'. University, examinations, and "such a deal : '.' of skimble-skamblo,stuff.','..;'lt would; ■'. ■'. ■ bo-interesting;'to. know; whether,-, in; : - view .of .the professpr'i;revelations as. to his methods, the- University. is as. -far fr .°°V-wfllfinfcwith tfej^ftfepsDr-i^- he' Y. 1 i h . , l^-V;JJv. h 9.*ns!»'it7-.so;-.iesperate]y. dimcult.,. to..teach. t .what.; ..other ma the-.' maticjaiiJ3..lisi;e claimedii- as ~an;i ■ desperately djfficiilt,io learn?-. A-pro- ■■■■ , .fessofijwho teaches '.his.students "Us read meanings, into:.the examiner's que&I tions. which he never meant; meanings easily make impossibly 1 . di£Bcult.;ior / them questions which" are actually meant to;beiyery simple-' must resemble : the. .gentleman; whom Shake-' '■.'■ . speare.describes as :■■:■:"■ ' :'.■''"■■'

"Exceedingly well read,' and' fite'd in strange concealments." IProfessor 'Picken's/ lo'fty aftitude as a .University :■ specialist indicates. that' he might.well .-say with "that ."worthy .gentleman , --; ■ ' ■:■■■■•■'..■, ' ,-■

AIJ the courses of my.life do'shojv I ain not" in. the roll pi common ; 'men." ;•"■ '■-' .-..■'-,' '. ■;■

Unfortunately, the bulk of University' students '~ aro, in., the : .■α-01l of coramen. .men; , , . and ; the University Requires, professors, .who. .-are 'not too good for human nature's daily food," who realise that .their duties are mainly to the rank and file of the University army, .the. privates who should ■be-given a sound grounding in tho prin.ciples oi their subjects;, and, at. t the same 'time 'receive such' a' training as will enable them to turn their learning, to practical account. ' ' ' .' .-. .....

A University exists primarily for the •benefit of' tho student, not' for that of tho professor, not/to enable the litter. to develop his own subject along the lines, of the most-up-to-date ideas at his command," but primarily to ,teaoh that subject so as to fit his students vc m sul]Se^uen( i careers in after, lire. • Tho. professor has the long vacation in which to develop his subject, to make his researchoa, to grapple with the "intrinsically difficult uncrystallised mysteries. So far as University teaching m New Zealand is concerned what is, wanted is something clear and crystalline, not nebulous and mysterious. "- - - ■-. ■; ■'■<

Professor Picker.'S self-analysis shows the dangers to which tho University would be exposed if he and his fellowr reformers'had their way. ' AVe' should have as our teachers specialists, "developing their subjects/ , and' teaeffing their own original, wbrlj, devoting- their energies to original research, and training those clover students. who: could take tho higher, flights .into tho unconventional and- •uncrystallised regions. t i? ± ' tn6 avw n-2o .student would be left to the tender mercies of an as--5' s ™' ..What-the University .needs in JVew Zealand ia teachers, men who will recognise that their first, duty ia .to teach' their respective subjects from tho secondary school, standard'upwards on sound broad lines, and who .will have' suihcient enthusiasm and energy to con-: tinue developing their subjects; arid uoing original work in'the five months' long-vacation at their disposal. We have m tho. ranks of tho professors several New- Zealand graduates,' who haw shown, that it is possiblo to bo Eood teachers, and at."tho same time have : made reputations as scientific men that nave earned respect for them among their confreres in other countries. . ■

lh:s is a young country, and with the funds at its disposal, it has no room for-such as can ho found at Oxford and Cambridge and other older an* wealthier Universities for the special, ist, whoso duty is not so much to teach 2 8 i mako researone s and to flelp thoso advanced students wno ; - are associated with him in cis experiments. Professor Pieken's confession shows' that ho is out of his element in New Zealand. His record as sixth wrangler leaves no .doubt, as to Bis ability as a .mathematician, but he has developed into a specialist in a branch /of philosophical mathomatics considored from an abstract point of viow, and it is evident that;ho realises tho "paradoxical drawback" in his posi-tion,'-and that lio caiinot regard with any Sympathy the teaching at the University of mathomatics considered in rotation, to its.practical everyday use, for the actuary, the accountant, tho surveyor,-'•'the engineer, the architect, the elestrician. But that is what New Zealand requires mathematicians for.

We have no scope hero for mathematical philosophers. Lot us test Professor Picken by his output, and has happened to that • series of his students w'ho have made "heroio eeli'-sacrifices and taken up t'lw work with tho greatest possiblo enthusiasm." To use an Amoricanism, r lias the Professor delivered the' , goods?' Wo will, take, not the pass men, tae mere common drudges, but the students of ability who have been encouraged to go for. honours in tho University examinations. What distinction in matho•malics have they achieved during tho eix years that have elapsed since the Professor'e advent? Three VictoriaC'Ulego students second-class hon-' ours (ono of Whom had previously obtained a Senior Scholarship in applied mathematics),, and the training of one of the heroic three.must be credited to fl , * Professor's. predecessor. In the light of tho Professor's account of his methods, tue.publio should know, and the Victoria Council, which realises,"the vital importance of getting from the expert every ounce," should ttscertaiii;, ■ ' . .-, '■'.;. How many of. the series of . the'- ... Professor'e students have turned ;' their mathematical ■■ knowledge to practical uso in the service oi their. ■ country, otherwise than in. tea'chi .ing? ' •■■' '••■ .... : .£>o long, as mathematics was a. compulsory subject for the. B;A'» ■ '{'■' degree, how many students declined . ''heroic, self-sacrih'ce," and realising '■ ithe."Professor's "desperate diih'ciilI ties," and naturally objecting to be- '.-. ing taught, "to read, meanings into ' ;.the eka-minefe' questions, w'hich.'lib . meant, meanings which may very , easily' make impossibly diffi- ■ .cult -for them questions which aro '. .actually very /simple,'!'' went else- • -where for tuition,'- '■.; .- ■-.■■ ■ .-'■ > jHow many students, who might whom. the. victoria. College Council' ■:■■ employs a.professor and'an assist; this year to make the . heroio self-sacrifices that the para-' ":' doxical Professor exacts from them ? ' How many- students; who hight • have taken up with . Enthusiasm - mathematics on its practical side, ■' have been-discouraged by the extra-" , "' ordinary difficulties with which the ' ; Professor-seems-to invest the sub-. • jectfrom pursuing it in their Un& ,'.- \ersity career? . ; - ... The 'examiner in mathematics, in 1913 '. was-'Professor Horace Lamb, of Manchester, F.R.S.. D.Sc. (of Oxford,'. Cambridge, arid' Dublin); arid" the "syllabus on which he examined was drawn up by Professor Picken and hie colleagues. Will Professor Picken; kindly point out: "'• ;*■■-'' "•.-■■'■ . ■ ' ' (a) What questions in any of that ■iexaminers' papers a student pro-' , perly: taught on .■ any rational- sys-: , tern could not fairly •be • expected to ■ ; ..answer?.. : ■'.-''■ ;'. ' '-• '■ =_• (b) What questions of that exam.irier ho has .taught-his students to read meanings jnto that the examiner ..never- meant?.'-■' . : , ■ (c) Which of euch- questions ac- ■ ,;tually,meant to be very, simple the Professor's teaching has made impossibly difficult for his students? ■ ' ; :' (d) Which, of such questions .con-' •'.■ tain, matter that the Professor has ■ , taught his students 'to regard as being unimportant stuff, not worthy ' : of a man's serious attention" j>. '• " ',"■ ('e) \Vhefher he teachers mathe-, .maticsvin accordance with the syllabus which he himself helped to : draw up, and which was accepted by the Senate without alteration? '.:—I am, etc., ' ...: ■'■ . '-. h; f. von• haast.' pilate and the.referendu'm' ;■?' ■•.-'•■ ■.'-.acain. ..■■> ■-■;■•-■ Sirj-rrrSomcjfifowiLiiaysiiago I -availed mjself :-of ,j'rf\fl!i'sohrihii3-ijm!ah ; att-eriilf6-' .to, drag-, the; Bjblerin-schools'controversy back .to the. , inain.issue. The-merits of' ;151ate-:asr.a»::judg<3.:seem'.'littl6 in : point' whe'roj-the ■ surrender of secular tip'n is efincerned.' ,'And'-since Bishop' .Sprott had.been willing to deal with' Pilate from the 'pulpitj'-l'- presumed to' ask-him to answer tno three main-.ques--tions of Professor-Hunter,-and also added-, another with respect to : the league's .methods.--- "■'■'. '• '■ ' To this 1-have scored' publicly two replies, and': privately ' sufficient aWise to kill most 1 unsophisticated youths., As a sample of tho former let me quote Mr. Milligan's letter of Saturday: "I have no quarrel with these two boarders at; the. Hostel.. - They ■ have a perfect right to their.-owh private opinions, but I have a quarrel with, those responsible for .such'actions. No other Church or institution would tolerate it twenty minutes." . Mark .this .last.-,-. It is a gem. "No other Church or institution would tolerate-.it twenty minutes." We can picture the.avenging Mr. Milligan with his twenty-minutoitime limit standing by, urging speed; and in nineteen minutes dead (a- record) the bailiffs are in —Messrs; Leary and Cleghorn are out, walking, the streets of lielburne, destitute and homeless, with;that portion-of their effects not yet, confiscated by the Church authorities. Tho opponents of. .the Bible-in-Schools' League may well linger caressingly over one of the leaguo handing himself to the slaughter thus bound ;ahd helpless, but ungagged—oh no, not gagged—however much his party might wish him so. I have said before that I do not wish to saddle the league with such men-as Mr. Milligan. His letters are harmless; they - amuse. What more ludicrous can be conceived than the notion that • conscience is a territorial.: affair, deitormined by_ tho house one inhabits? The authorities of tho Church or this institution are no more responsible for my opinions than they are for the date of my birth.. They vyould bo the-first to uphold liberty of ccnscienco,jand I think-no fair-minded man would over reproach them on account of what they are utterly powerless to prevent or entertain, for a moment Mr. Milligan's • insinuation that the .Church keeps a "hot-bed for hatching ihornets." Mr. Johnson's letter is. quit© a different_ matter. ' I asked for tho Bishop's position, and I havo to thank Mr. Johnson for-sending me; a copy, of tho sermon to Synod. It is the first timo I have seen it, and I regret that so able a discourse should not havo been more widely disseminated. It is publicity that we ask f6r._ I note with satisfaction that tho Bishop.has pointed out that he does "not speak as the exponent of the views of the league," and wo may therefore still bo permitted to hope' that ho does not endorse the methods of its organiser. ; Nev-ertheless/- the. fact that Professor Hunter has not been answered in his three questions must be enforced on tho public, and I beg leave to reiteratethem: : I.' As to the law-breaking in Dunedin schools. 2. As to tho endorsement by Canon Garland of tho ultra-sectarian system of Switzerland. 3. As to the analogy between the referendum on Prohibition and the referendum on Bible-in-schools :_ they are both asserted to be religious issues, and so what is the position of the Anglican Church with regard to tho former?— I am, etc., LEONARD P. LEARY. Victoria College, March 28. Sir,—ln reply to Mr. Milligan's suggestion that. Professors Hunter and M'Kenzio "have been able to sow their seeds in institutions provided by the Anglican Church," I.have to state that aucii is not tho case. I owe my attitude on the question of Biblo in schools to no external influence.

to no external influence. —I'am, etc., G. M. CLEGHOKN. ' Hadficld Hostel, Wellington, ' March 28.