The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1905.
Tub 6)>eechss at the University gathering in the Choral Hall yesterday The IfiiiTitrait; ;ifternoon were grave and Fnnctinu. sombre almost to the point of foolishness, and for our part we cannot blame the juvenile portion of the audience for becoming restless and desiring to correct the barely tolerable severity with a few vivacious interludes. : The Chancellor of the New Zealand University is not at his best, in dealing with volatile undergraduates. His appreciation of academic tradition on the less earnest i side has always been inadequate; and ; though his sympathies have mellowed wonderfully in many other respecte, his atti--1 tu!» towards the time-honored jinks of capping day has undergone no mate rial change since tho memorable occasion when he threatened to "send for the police." His threats are of ft milder order nowadays, no doubt, but. they are etiil threats, and still out of place. It could be wished that Sir Robert would display more " gracious irapuhxs" (to use a phrase of his own) in connection with this matter, for he may take ornr word for it that university tradition will be too strong for hiiu. It i.s true tbjit the capping ceremony might be abolished: indeed, one of tho Chancellor's imposing menaces points in this direction ; and perhaps the deprivation would cause no lasting grief. Such a step is quite iinneoessary, however, and a far better plan would be to try to modify the desperate seriouan«ss of the proceedings, quite apart from any assistance lent by the students to this end. Genial, fresh, enjoyable speeches would not be interrupted: they would be applauded. Three addresses or dissertations were delivered yesterday, and while we have no wish to hurt the feelings of the ; i-peafcers or to belittle the value of their I services, we feel justified in emphasising i the fact that there was not one flash of wit I or suggestion of humor or touch of literature from start to finish. There was a prej v-ailing element of drab commonplace, and ; M'e were reminded of Matthew Arnold's I description of a Social Science Congress | and his feelings of mourning and lamentaI tion and woe. The Chancellor said that he I had recently been " reading a report," and after listening to the three speeches we felt as though we had been taking an overdose of educational reporte of an unusually didactic order. Our uncomfortable sentiments were probably shared by the undergraduate who oflteredl to make a few remarks towards the close of the proceedings in place of the Clrancdlor. The orator in the gallery doubtless wished to furnish a little much-needed relief, and the incident contained a sermon for Robert Stout, the other speakers, and the University authorities. Be it added j that the Chancellor, Mr Allen, and I Dr Marshall said many things that were true, and pexhaps a few thingn that were not very old; while none of the remarks were calculated to provoke disagreement or controversy. Sir Robert Stout's- appeal for financial assistance is one of those pleaa which are perennially timely, and if well- ! ! to-do people do not remember the Univer- i ; sity when they are making their testa- ' ' !;'.entaiy dispositions—or before—they will not be able to eay at the Day of Judgment j lhat they were not reminded of their duty ■ :: season. Of Sir Robert's homily to the | graduates wo need only say that it was I characteristic and rather above the average I of this class of perhaps supererogatory I work. We are conscious of having written i about yesterday's function in no very gracious or sympathetic tone, but we have not written without consideration. It seemed to us that the occasion warranted a corrective rather than a eulogistic style. Xn jroab at fact, ihfc jpaueaiitm tasted
interest, brightness', distinction; and th< University authorities should be none tht worse for being apprised of these unpleasinc deficiencies.
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Evening Star, Issue 12551, 8 July 1905, Page 6
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649The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1905. Evening Star, Issue 12551, 8 July 1905, Page 6
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