THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1907. THE NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13451, 30 May 1907, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1907. THE NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

Our University has become such an important factor in our national life that the presentation of diplomas to the new graduates this afternoon should have more than a passing interest to the many classes who are I deriving the greatest >of benefits I from the good work it is doing in our midst. The New Zealand University holds a high rank. among the universities of the British Empire, thanks to its democratic spirit and the high (standard of knowledge exacted from t those who aspire to possess its degrees. The maintenance of this i prestige is due in a great measure to its constitution, which is so pecu- [ liarly adapted to the nature, of our I colony, and. which gives it such j marked advantages - over the sister j institutions of the Australian States. In New South Wales, for example, there is only one-University, the University of Sydney, so that only inhabitants of the metropolis and those more favoured individuals who can afford the expense of residence in the academic centre are able to avail themselves of the highest training, which under modern conditions [is essential to success in all the higher professions and callings of [life. Our University has. often been reproached with the expense which this sporadic nature of its constitui tion entails; but the existence ~qf four affiliated colleges in the four great centres, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, :is attended with advantages that can be scarcely overestimated. In the first place, the rivalry naturally engendered by this system has spurred each college to a great and sustained effort and has prevented any particular one from falling in its faculties to a low . level, whilst it has ! saved it from the sameness of spirit which marks many of the universities which are situated in one confined spot. The second great advantage is that it reaches'a much large? class than the Australian universities, andi with the recent expansion of our secondary school system and the raising of the standard of qualification for admission to the higher professions, its colleges are being attended in increasing numbers by all who aspire to a successful career in the educational, clerical, legal, medical, engineering, scientific, and commercial spheres of life. The third great advantage is that each college, in addition to rounding off the liberal education afforded by our secondary schools, can specialise in [those faculties which are peculiarly adapted to the characteristics and resources of the districts from which it draws the bulk of its students: each can, in a word, be to some extent redolent of the soil. The Senate of the University, with the co-operation of the Government, has already made provision for special schools at the four colleges. Otago University, the oldest of our colleges, founded its Medical School as early as 1873, and it was only fitting that the closely, allied faculties of dentistry and veterinary medicine, which the Senate has lately instituted, should be attached to this centre. Canterbury followed with its School of Engineering. Wellington, the seat of Government, is the natural centre for 'the School of Law, and Auckland with its great commercial, industrial, and mining potentialities has rightly decided to specialise in Commerce and Mining. The School of Commerce has already justified its establishment, and we feel confident that, as soon as our School of Mines is adequately equipped, its advantages will be availed of by all those who intend to devote themselves to the highest branches of this important and lucrative profession. .

The University of New Zealand; lias had a record of which much' older institutions might well be proud. In our own colony its graduates fill the highest positions in the primary and secondary schools, in the legal profession, the Civil Service, and-in all the higher callings of life. But perhaps the best tribute to the high character of the work the institution has accomplished is the fact that, at the present time, 21 of its graduates occupy positions on the teaching staffs of the affiliated colleges. At Canterbury College seven out of 13 and at Victoria College, Wellington, six out of 10 professors and lecturers are graduates of our own. University. Five others, at least, hold professorial positions in universities of England and Scotland. Among, the latter is the di's-

tinguished scientist, Dr. Ernest Rutherford, who has recently been] appointed to the Chair of Physics at Owens College, Manchester. In the] early days of the history of our University wo were necessarily com- 1 pelled to look to the great seats of! learning of the Old Country for candidates to fill our professorial chairs, but it is a matter for congratulation to all that our University has now reached that virile stage in its development when it can stand alone and hold out its highest positions as j an inducement to its most gifted j alumni to dedicate their lives to the pursuit of learning and knowledge. j One of the greatest drawbacks* to j our University as at present constituted is that "the arduous duties of its professors '* do not leave them sufficient time for original work. We admit, that in the scientific faculties much valuable; research work has 'been done by the professors and | their students under the greatest of difficulties ; but it is a common complaint among .; our University teachers that so much of their time is necessarily devoted to tutorial work and to the requirements of the degree syllabuses that -original work is almost entirely out of the question. This is to be regretted, and the loss to the community is incalculable. In a country like ours where the surface has been only scratched, and where there is such an abundance of undeveloped resources, a wide field of research lies before the inquiring scientist. Our social experiments, too, furnish our trained 1 economists with abundant material for original work ; but their college duties are so engrossing that the work, important though it is, must perforce remain neglected. It is the policy of all great universities; to reduce :£-he' tutorial work of their professors; to a minimum, so. that they may have sufficient leisure to devote themselves to researches which may result in discoveries advantageous to . the community at large. With the great increase in the number of students the work of the professors becomes yearly more exacting and their chance of doing original work more remote. But we think that our University is fast approaching that stage in its development when the work of each professor will be confined to one subject or to one division of a subject, and when lecturers will be appointed to assist those professors whose classes are becoming so large that a considerable proportion of their time is taken up with work of a purely tutorial character. It is not until this stage.is .reached* that our professors will be able to combine to any great extent the spirit of scientific, research with teaching of the highest order. ■ Then, too', our colonial universities will assume more of an Imperial character, and we will see a periodical interchange of professors between universities in all parts of the. British Empire, a policy which has r already been adopted with the beat results between the great universities of Germany and America. . -