VICTORIA COLLEGE STUDENTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1913, Page 11

VICTORIA COLLEGE STUDENTS

id th» xmiOK. . Sir,— ln your issues of yesterday thoro appears a report of a speech" by Sir Robert Stout at the meeting of - the University Senate in Auckland, in the course- of which he casts a elur upon* the fair name of Victoria College. Tho speech, as reported, is inaccurate, and I ask your leave, Mr. Editor, to correct tho wrong impression which may be spread abroad by the weighty name of Chancellor. The report states:— (1) "Some of the students called upon him and offered to do everything in their power to preserve order." Tho facts' are that, a, week or so before Capping Day, tho Chancellor, through the Registrar of tho University, invited several students responsible for capping arrangements lo meet him. Three, of whom I was one, responded to the invitation. He asked us to guarantee that the proceedings would be orderly, and unmarked by the unseemly noise which had' characterised several previous capping ceremonies. He informed us that if any students disapproved <if the way in which proceedings were being conducted, such students should use and quietly _ leave the room. ' In accordance with his wishes we . promised to ensure order and quietness. 2. "Immediately afterwards a students' meeting resolved that as soon as he commenced to speak they would leave the hall^ and this was done." The true and particular facts are, that the students assembled at a capping carnival practice, who had been informed of the purport of tho interview with the Chahcellor, passed a motion to the effect that if the Chancellor continued to speak for more than ten minutes they would protect by quietlyleaving the room. This resolution was altered a few days later, the timo being extended to eighteen minutes. The Executive Committee then arrahged with those who were* to, control the filing out that it should be done very quietly, and that Sir Robert's time should bo extended to twenty minutes. These arrangements were duly carried ottt. It will be noticed that the professors had nothing to do with tho matter. No student sought out anj professor for his, approval of tho course resolved upon, and the whole responsibility for what took place must rest with the Executive of the Students' Association then in office. (3) "That was surely gross disorder." This is a conclusion drawn by Hir Robert from false premises. Its validity may, therefore, be questioned. Most , of the professors and students of Victoria College think such an inference cannot be made from the actual facts. The students filed out in an orderly and quiet manner, the Chancellor continuing his speech' wrthout interruption for a further twenty minutes. Of course, Sir Robert did not expect that most of the students would disagree with the length of his Capping Daj; speeches, and would act upon his advice to leave Uie hall. Nevertheless, the only practical question is whether they were justified in thinking logically and in acting upon a clear conclusion. An explanation of this occurrence was previously published by me as president of the Victoria College Students' Association in The Evening Post of 2nd May, 1911. In tho course of a controversy with the college professors on University Reform, Sir Robert had used (he incident as an argument. „ His facts were wrong, and I correoted them.— l am, etc., DAVID S. SMITH. Wellington, 241h January, 1913.

In a paper on the Cape Barren Islanders, read before. the recent meeting of the Science Congress at Melbourne Mr. L. W. O. Bttchner, F/R.A.S.. said that there were now only the remains of extinct Tasmanian aborigines on Cape Barren Islands— lso persons in all. The result of close inter-marriage is shown in the degenerate children attending the Government school. He pointed out that this contention was the direct bpposite to that of Dr. Ramsay Smith, who affirmed that cousin marriage in the Fijis was productive of the finest peonies. The Islanders of Cape Barren were indolent, listless, and extremely, improvident. •