THE CHANCELLOR'S IDEAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21404, 31 January 1933, Page 12

THE CHANCELLOR'S IDEAL

Sir, —The ideas of your correspondent "5.8." as to the meaning of the Chancellor's statement seem both contradictory and confused. It is clear to every educated ' person that to entrust legislative power to men ignorant of constitutional history, economics and jurisprudence is both dangerous and ridiculous, and most of the evils we suffer from can be traced to this cause. To say that university men "rarely shine in other spheres than lecture halls" is untrue. Gladstone, Balfour and dozens of other statesmen have taken the highest honours that their universities could bestow. The majority "of the House of Comn'.ons has always consisted of graduates, and to that fact may bs attributed the reason that Great Britain lias never been cursed with the muddled socialistic legislation that has brought New Zealand f;ir on the road to ruin. When the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, 8.A., LL.B., lel't the-Cabinet sooner than be a party to i.isane financial legislation, which is bound to end in disaster, even I "5.8." would admit that the Chancellor's contention that university education produces foresight and practical wisdom was ■ fully justified. There is not the slightest reason for "5.8." or anyone .else to apprehend that ths Parliament of New Zealand will ever be filled with university men. There are unfortunately too many electorates where an ignorant demagogue, who talks incoherent nonsense about repudiating the national debt and'looting the banks, would sisily win the seat from the most highly cultured man our university has ever produced. Civis.