THE LATE DR BEDFORD

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 6

THE LATE DR BEDFORD

The body cf the late Dr Bedford is being brought to Dunedin. The funeral will prdbably be on Monday. ■The.Rev. John Dawson, with whom the late Dr Bedford was travelling, is expected to reach Dunedin to-morrow evening. At a meeting of the executive of the Otago Branch of the Navy League yesterday, a motion -was passed expressing tho sympathy of tho 'branch with the widow and family o£ Dr Bedford, who was a mermoer ot the organisation, and who had frequently assisted as a speaker at their gatherings. At the half-yearly meeting of the Duneaiin Operative Bootmakers' Union, held ■ u 11 '? ' a vote of sympathy was passed with the family and relatives of tho late Dr Bedford. Mr A. Paine made reference to the loss the cause of Labor had sustained by Dr Bedford's death. At the iveelcly practice last night of the Dunedin Philharmonic ' Society, Signor Squame, the conductor, mado touching reference to the tragic death of Dr Bed lord, who was for some time a performing member of the society, and who had proposed this year to resume his active connection with it. On the motion of Signor Squanse, all the members standing, a resolution was passed expressing regret at the loss suffored by the community in the death of Dr Bedford and of sympathy with nis widow and family in their bereavement. DR BEDFORD IN THE CLASS ROOM. [Byjsar.] In 1914, when the benefits of university education were made available through the medium of the Workors' EducationarAssociation, I entered Dr Bedford's class as a student. For three sessions the members of _ our tutorial okss were privileged to sit at 'his feet," listening to his lectures, asking him questions, and learning many valuable truths from his richly-stored mind. The more intimate we became with him, the greater our respect for his knowledge and character. At the closing meeting of our third session wa.rm words of friendship passed reciprocally between tutor and students. Little did" we dream that his lectures had ceased for ever. The first characteristic of Dr Bedford's that impressed me was his modesty. Ho was absolutely free of anything 'in the nature_ of ostentation. A3 we sat awaiting his coming to tho class room, his quick step would sound in the hall. Presently the door would open and the doctor would take "his place at the very plain reading desk. Before the hum of voices had ceased he would begin: " Last week we were sayine," and in a moment had picked up the threads of his discourse and plunged into the subject. There was no palaver, no show of 'dignity, no attempt at, oratory, no literary graces, but a single, easy, discursive, almost careless, talk for an hour on subjects that 6ome peop'A have, dubbed "dismal," but which to us were neither dry nor mundane, but vital and inspirine as stepping-stones to knowledge and truth. His modesty appeared also in the second part of our'class, when the students had their opportunity to speak. Dr Bedford listened to his students quite as deferentially as they listened to him. He was not above learning from any one of us. He asked us questions. He begged for our assistance, and always gladly received information and suggestions. He confessed his indebtedness to the class for liyht u\on certain questions, and admitted that some of. his views had been modified. Genius though he was. he was one of the most unassuming and approachable men T have ever known. His wide and deep knowledge was manifest. The position ho occupied as tutor to that clnps was no sinecure, for many of the students were men who had devoted the srreater part of their lives to the study of economics, sociology, and such topics. It was different to the ordinary university class. There were occasion's when Dr Bedford seemed for a moment nonplussed, but he never failed to manifest his superiority of knowledge. He maintained his position and established it, and he- won our respect for his learning. One might not be disposed to call him a man of profound knowledge, but he was undoubtedly a man of unusually wide and sound learning. That, of course, refers tr> him n.s professor of economics and history. When one realised the scope of his activities inside the University and outside, it could not be denied that be was a. genius. His capacity as professor, as j public speaker, as writer, and as preacher was simply wonderful. We students came to know this. Economics is a world-wide subject, and Dr Bedford had it in his graso. He could discourse with freedom and insight upon am- one of its branches. He was familiar with the economic teachings of Plato and with the most modern war taxation proposals, as well as having a clear view of what lav between these extremes. Tn our meeting one night he had just begun his lecture"when the electric linrhi suddenly failed, and we were left in inky darkness. Someone suggested a cardie in order that the lecturer might follow his notes. "Never mind," raid "Or Bedford; "I will rr 0 on." ]| e bad been speaking of the constitution and history of the cities in the Low Countries, and without the least hesitation he continued his discourse. We sat in darkness and in silence listening to tho resonant voice as it presented to our mental vis-ion pictures of old times, manners, and laws. He made the darkness liuht. We marvelled over it afterwards, but we gradually learned that a similar feat could have' been accomplished bad tho subject been the principles of banking, the ethics of interest the compensatory action of bimetallism' the ramifications- of the Hanseatic League' the Industrial Revolution, or the teaching of Karl Marx. °' Dr Bedford had great courage in proclaiming his knowledge and conviction* I have often gazed upon the little man with tasemation for his sheer braverv hj, utterance. 'J here were times when, "with perfect fearlessness, he challenged the actions n,nd policies of the foremost men in our Dominion's public, life. It was his industry and knowledge that mado'him brave. There have been occasions d-U'riii" tho past year when Dr Bedford stood out almost ns a hero in tho proclamation of his beliefs—political, social, and moral, there were tense moments in our class when—having just read in tlia evenim? newspaper an article which I recognised as his and which thrilled me with its splendid and upliftine moral glow— I looked upon him, and 'realised that here was tho unassuming source of all that energy and courage. That knowledge of what he was doing and enduring dorified Jnm_ in my eves. Toward the end"of Kst session he devoted some lectures to the question of war leans and taxation. He challenged the Government policy in regard to loans. He unceasingly advocated taxation. He argued his case'bv illustration and by diagram. He was absolutely full of conviction and coirrasre. His pubic utterances were of a similar nature " Does ho know what he is talking about'" asked a prominent politician.- We students would lrave emphatically answered ','.;•" .F ls « x P°sitions were so lucid and ms familiarity with tho teachings of the masters so evident that we confidently rehod upon him. Dr Bedford was no recluse. Upon his attaining professorial rank, some of hi* friends expressed doubts as to his wisdom in engaging in public controversies. They thought he should retire indoors and de'vote his time to pure study. Had he done so we should all have bceri poorer. He refused to be cut off from actual life. He submitted his teachings to the judgment of the public. Such a professor at least could not grow stale or" musty. He was farced to 'keep abreast of the times. The trutJis he uttered to his students in the class room he also, with voice and pen, submitted to the world at large.' In our case, theso .qualities made us appreciate him all the more. Dr Bedford was, in my opinion, too generous in his treatment 'of our literary efforts. Part of our duties consisted in the writing of essays. He awarded us higher marks than we deserved. But that 'was probably his way of encouraging us. He was our friend. He took trouble to help us. He was always interested in workpeople. He told us that the W.E.A. class was one of his greatest delights. How proud we are now that we "were his students ! Almost all of us were older men' than he. Nevertheless, we awarded him

the pre-eminence, and we shall always be glad that we knew him" and better men for our contact -with him. Alas! that we shall hear his voice no more.