RHODES SCHOLARS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 54, 26 November 1938, Page 13

RHODES SCHOLARS

AQctoria College Student Successful TWO MEN SELECTED At I lie meeting of the New Zealand Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee yesterday, over which tlie GovernorGeneral, Viscount, Galway, presided, the following scholars were selected to take up their residence at Oxford next year: I. E. Bel'cndscn, 8.A., of Victoria University College, Wellington. C. Weston. LL.B., of Canterbury University College. Mr. Berendsen, who is only 19 years of age, graduated bachelor of arts this year and won the University of New Zealand senior scholarship in French. He sat for his M.A. degree at tlie examinations just completed.

Mr. Weston gained his secondary education at the New Plymouth Boys’ High School. He graduated bachelor of laws and has been admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court. He sat for his LL.M, degree at the recent examinations. PASSAGE MONEY, Request To University Senate A decision to ask the University Senate to take the necessary steps to provide New Zealand Rhodes Scholars with passage money to enable tlrem to travel to England under reasonable conditions was made at a meeting of tbe Victoria University College Council. Mr. M. H. Oram, Palmerston North, who moved the motion, said, that the Rhodes Scholar did not receive any payment under the scholarship until after he had taken up residence at Oxford. That meant in the case of some scholars- that they had to work their passage to England; that they had to go almost cap in hand to the various shipping companies to obtain a passage under varying conditions, such as a ship’s writer or steward. It seemed to him that that kind of thing was not in accordance with the dignity attaching to the position of Rhodes Scholar, and the honour of the selection.

Mr. Oram said the least that should be done in recognition of the honour bestowed on those selected was that the small amount of money required to send them to England should be provided either, by the .Senate of tire University of New Zealand or in some other way. The- motion was seconded by Mr. H. A. Huggins, who said it would also be a good idea if there were a fund from which to pay the passages of Rhodes Scholars back to New Zealand. If that were posisble more would return to New Zealand on completing their studies. The Rhodes Scholars did not have much; money left when they finished at Oxford.

"My own feeling about this and of all the travelling scholars,” said Professor E, F. Miles, a former Rhodes Scholar, “is that if it is not possible to find the money for all of them I do not think money should be found for some.” An alternative method which had a good deal to commend it would be to have a fund—it would not need to be a very big fund —to advance scholars the money, an advance, say, of £5O, without' interest, but on the understanding that the money would be repaid in the course of five years or so.

Professor T. A. Hunter said a certain number of free passages were provided by the shipping companies to postgraduate scholars who otherwise would have difficulty in going abroad. The free passages were granted only in necessitous cases, and the reason

for the scheme was that the scholarships to which he referred were of a smaller amount than the Rhodes Scholarships. He did not think it possible for tlie university to provide Hie money. The shipping companies had given very generous assistance, provision being made for five free passages from and back to New Zealand. They were not given to Rhodes Scholars but to post-graduate scholars whose emoluments were so small that thej' could not possibly provide the passage money.