EX-CHANCELLOR'S HUMOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18380, 21 April 1923, Page 11

EX-CHANCELLOR'S HUMOUR

SIR R. HORNE ON ABERDEEN. CONTRASTS WITH AMERICA. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Mr. Lloyd George's last Ministry. Sir Robert Home, is now Lord Rector of Aberdeen University, and was recently the principal guest at a gathering of Aberdeen graduates in Glasgow"No one is more .amazed, than myself at the various responsibilities I have been called upon to undertake." he said. "When I first joined the .Government I felt like a debutante with fluttering heart entering upon her first season. When I went to the Exchequer I' had innumerable suitors, but I very soon found they were all after my money. ' Now I am a widow without a dowry : "Not being prepared to make a formal speech I can only remind you of a Scot's minister who arrived at his church and had forgotten his sermon. He. told the congregation- that being without his sermon he would only he able to say what the Lord put into his mouth, but he would have something very much better to say in the. evening. ■...'. " I am a proud defender of Aberdeen, and during my visit to America I did my best for, the granite city. I told an American inquirer how round Aberdeen there were distilleries which produced the best whisky in Scotland, and though the people were fond of it, yet they were so magnanimous that they exported large quantities to countries where pwople. were prohibited from drinking it. ■„" I: told him that although the winter nights were long and dark there was no need for artificial illumination because the people could rely on the Aurora Borealis. He appeared a little dejected and asked if we had anything as high as- the tower of the Metropolitan. Insurance Company. I replied, 'No, but we have nothing so low as the Bowery.' "When the same Metropolitan tower was pointed out to Lord Balfour he was told it was 800 ft. high. 'Really,' replied Lord Balfour. He was told it has 48 flights, and answered. ' You don't say so I" Moreover, he was assured it was built of fire-proof material and could not be burnt down. ' What a pity,' replied Lord Balfour."

Speaking more serio'tisly, Sir Robert referred to the many changes in University education. In the old days he had to take seven classes in the arts faculty, and he still regarded them as the seven lamps of architecture in the temple of learning. Nowadays-University education was applied more directly to fitting a man for his occupation in life. Both points of view might be exaggerated, but he believed that it did not much matter what one learned so long as it was learned well, and was worth learning. The great thing was the development of the intellect. It was a mistake to drive people into "a narrow groove—the great thing was to give the broadest possible education.