MATRICULATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 9

MATRICULATION.

Sir, —In reply to the pathetic letter of your correspondent, " Agriculture," I would beg to point out that on his ipse dixit he stands convicted of being of a distinctly " inferior intellectual type." He has one language to pass in French. In any Home university he would havo the additional pleasure of passing in Latin, and the older universities would require him to take a B.A. prior to allowing him to graduate in another faculty. On his own statement he has been " plucked " in French once, and imagines he has undertone that delightful operation again. What do men of this type want? I.)o they desire the university to present them with certificates ? It really does not matter whetlrer Mr. Parr considers a language necessary for a degree in agriculture or not. How like a New Zealarider to appeal to a Minister. Apparently " Agriculture " is igno-ant of the fact that Mr. Parr is not a member j of the Senate, and could bring -up no matter connected with degrees in agriculture or any other faculty before that body. B.A.

Sir,—l wish to thank "Agriculture" for his sane support in opposition to French being compulsory for matriculation. No doubt my fellow-sufferers who read your esteemed column will treat " B.A.'s " letter with the contempt it doserves. How well can the butterfly sneer at the developing caterpillar (Lord save us, there's even a "cat" in that!), for man does not carp to think on the pit whence he was "iTigged. And degrees oft draw the blind before the empty room!!!! " Deux Pattes " doesn't give me much hope, but I have it in the words of the "cjiattc" herself, that if she didn't dream she intended to do so. That is a puerile detail! Both "8.A." and "Deux Pattes" (quel nom!), dubbing me first a "youth" and then a "school student" — I happen to be a school teacher as a matter of fact and resent somewhat the endearing terms—pour out advice to stimulate my love for French Why on earth should wo "read, read, read?" A fellow doesn't want to wallow in such stuff but he does want sano men to give him a sane test of his capabilities! French, to. the multitude, is swot! To the few it is the shrine of snivelling cant ! From the examiner's point of view it is an excellent barrier against the struggling line of otherwise qualified students. But what is tho use of talk? May the day speed when this humbug conventionalism will be a thing of the past! Then wo may have men of stamina in the limelight instead of self-satisfied babblers who, not satisfied with crawling over the line, must needs turn to bite at their harassed fellows who struggle on behind them. I still contend that this year's French paper added to its previous record of unsatisfaction by becoming totally unpractical. And not one, so far, of its supporters has refuted that fact. 1 Catapult.