A RHODES SCHOLAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14000, 4 March 1909, Page 6

A RHODES SCHOLAR.

l " RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND* |; ;:. , ¥ - •• j. ~. ,UFE : OXFORD. *4rt9| , [BY TELEGRAPH.—own! CORRESPONDENT.] y ':: ' "DtrNEDiNj Wednesday. ,'. , The first 'Rhodes scholar from • New/ ZefcT-M , land,: Mr. J. Allan Thomson (son of Mr? 1 G. M. Thomson, M.P.), who was. selected;/ : ' in 1904, and who sailed fo/.- England ', iii«\; August of that year, has returned';..to;', : ,:j Buncdin by the steamer Kumara.^'Mr.^y Thomson narrated some interesting, facte .;; concerning university life .at , Home, and other matt3rs. . First of all, Mr. Thomson ha^som^ ; ~ thing to say respecting his companions from New Zealand, who are now studying j -:, at different universities. Robertson, off' ti "■ Wellington, who was awarded the second Wellington, who was awarded.the : second; i Rhodes scholarship in New Zealand;'if at. ■'\ present in Germany working for his Ph.D.' 'i degree. In 1905 he was . given an honors. \\ ary scholarship in Trinity College,'." Ox- j-i ford, and at the end of two years hesecur- >: ed first-class honours in chemistry, twiok- • ';j awarded the B.A. degree.'" He represent-.' ed his college in hockey,'and was : presi-. '■' dent of the Junior: Scientific Club* Since/; ; then he has been doing research, partly,:. - at Oxford ;and-partly in Germany. ',".,, * R. ;A. Farquharson, of Dunedia, ;thi» * third Rhodes •-. scholar,'- who 'leftJ^MUffiS in 1906, is at St. John's College, Oxford,,? He has been reading geology - and - ,mineralogy, and has taken•- his B:Al\degr«fe||.J ; with , second-class honours, and ;is rVnoi^j^ employed in research' work on\Cprtt^"J:; geology for his B.Sc. degree. ■He isvcapf; . tain of St. John's "soccer" ' tear. 'luwj&l has been tried for the Oxford cricket , team. . r , . '.! , Colin Gilray, of Dunedin, was .the, Rhodes scholar from New Zealand «&' 1907. He is at University College, Ox-| ford, and is loading in Latin ana Qtwfe; : ;-> and ancient philosophy and history. Ho. , has been playing football, and'; represent-^?;■■* ed Oxford against Cambridge, which entitled him to his "Blue." ■He'.hMjftrggH played for Scotland. Gilray is a awa: who is well* thought of in his college. .'.'A Ziman, of Auckland, last years, Rhodes scholar, had been only one.-ttOTjpy ; at Balliol College when Mr. Thomson left ? Home./. It ■is is ' intention ;to try ' forth*? Indian -Civil.Service, .acting.on the ad" vice of the college authorities, and he will* postpone ; i his degree :.-, until he has . the attempt. He has : taken up rowing. '; .: Mr. Thomson speaks highly of ':tn&; splendid- education afforded vin universe, ties at Home. < There are no less than 22 colleges connected with Oxford, and, on an average there are over 100 under-,, graduates in each college. Of the ■ 60CJ8I$£h| side of university life, Mr. Thomson' speaks in terms of praise. Oxford is aft; expensive place at which to live, and' • though £300— amount allowed to r Rhodes scholarsis sufficient, it is certainly not too much. Mr. " Thomson says that the average Rhodes ' scholar is three: or four years older than the average -,un?|gg dergraduate. Mr. Thomson is at present - under en-* gagement to another old New Zealander/ Dr.: McLaren, ';■'■ who won' an ;r exhibition"; scholarship, to . assist him in a report on" ~ the ;.- Knlgoorlie f goldfields. : f: Naturally M*s||i was-very gratified to hear that the lee-, - tureship on geology in Victoria College, Wellington, had been offered' him. and he.v has communicated with: Dr. i McLaren ;{!%! see if it is possible for him to postpone* the:Kalgoorlie: report until the close £of|p the university session in New, Zealand. ■ - V^:/M