UNIVERSITY DEGREES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15639, 19 June 1914, Page 8

UNIVERSITY DEGREES

GRADUATES HONOURED.

LOSS OF CAPPING CEREMONY.

SUCCESSFUL SUBSTITUTE.

[Dr TELEGRAM. ASSOCIATION.] CHRiSTCntTKCH, Thursday. In the Canterbury College Hall this evening a joint gathering was held under the auspices of the Professorial Board and Students' Association in order to publicly distinguish those who secured degrees. Tliis action was taken as an outcome of the decision of the New Zealand University Senate to forward to degree winners their diplomas by post, and to hold no public gathering on account of the noise and disorder which sometimes characterised those meetings in the past.

This evening's function was of a very orderly and quiet character, showing that when students were placed in the position of hosts, their behaviour could be most exemplar}-. The guest of the evening was the Hon. H. D. Bell, and there were also upon the platform Mr, J. C. Adams, cnairman of the Board of Governors, and members of the Professorial Board. The proceedings were opened by a member of Uia Professorial Board, and the degree winners filed into the hall while the audience stood.

Tho Hon. F. H. D. Bell took the posi tion of chairman, and on rising to spcal was greeted with applause and cheers. H i said this was the first time those who hai' graduated at the University of New Zealand had recoivod their degrees without any more to mark the occasion than a piece of paper. In this matter he could say he was on the sido of the students. (Applause.) He believed, however that Canterbury students had some sense of decorum. (Laughter.) Ho always believed in the immemorial and prescriptive rights of students when degrees were being conferred to attend and mako a noise. (Laughter.) They would understand, therefore, that he felt they were all engaged in an effort to show those who wore passing from the undergraduate stage that they would be fittingly welcomed by the undergraduates of this college, and congratulated by other colleges of the wholo Dominion, by the College Council and Professorial Board and Student* Association,

Mr. Bell admitted that in speaking there was less embarassment, because ho had joined, them in this respectful protest against the absence of those better entitled to speak at such a ceremony when degrees should be presented. (Applause.) He went on to say that he was a member of tho Victoria College Council, and sat on that body as representative of the professors, so "that ho knew something of the conditions under which the present position had arisen. Ho was on the side of tho professors, and he believed that the College Council, without the presenco of the professors, could not perform its functions to the best ad-! vantage. ]