THE OTOGO DAILY TIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11453, 19 June 1899, Page 4

THE OTOGO DAILY TIMES

.':.lA'Y>Al'. JIXSi-

The '''superhuman amount of decorum," as Mr Justice Williams felicitously 'expressed it, whicli marked the' proceedings at the graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon last supplied the justification for the course taken by the Senate of the New Zealand University when"it agreed to revert to the public presentation of diplomas to its sons and daughters. Frivolity, fun, and nonsense are very well in their own time and place, but that time and that place are assuredly not the time of the conferring of the degrees granted by tbe university of tho land or the place in which the degrees are being conferred, even although that place may not be a hall, such as Professor C4ilray pleads for, within the sacred walls of the university institution itself. Sir . James Hector, whose presence in his capacity as Chancellor of the. University of New Zealand, was a welcome feature in 'the gathering, truly observed that the actual conferring of degrees is' just

as much a- part of the college work as i the ordinary class-work of the college, and should be attended and controlled witli the same kind of discipline, and we are pleased to know that this view commended itself to the good sense of those who were present at last week's function in the Choral Hall. There was much said in the course of the proceedings that is worthy of consideration. Tho exceptional value which Sir James Hector showed the New Zealand degrees in arts and sciences to possess cannot be too strongly emphasised. This'value attaches to tho degrees, and causes them to be held in the highest estimation, not only in the colonies, but beyond them, simply because in the far-seeing wisdom of those who laid the. foundations of university education in this colony the examinations have been absolutely dissevered from the teachers. There is not the remotest possibility of a candidate slipping through by the favour of the examiners. To a committee of men of high integrity residing in Loudon is delegated the duty of selecting the exaniiners from a list prepared hy the senate, and the consequence is that, as Sir James Hector pointed out, the students have to be prepared by thenteachers in the'colony for papers set by examiners about whom they know really nothing and who know really nothing about them. In the case of tho medical faculty, in which- oral examinations aro necessary, such a course is obviously out of the .question, biit there is as little likelihood of a student obtaining a medical degree unless he has fairly earned it as there is of his obtaining a degree in arts of which he is undeserving, and this for a very good and sufficient reason: the examiners at tho medical examinations are professional men of high standing, and it would plainly tend to the lowering of the status of their own profession if candidates were admitted to it-who did not^ possess the requisite qualifications. The complaint is that the examiners for j medical degrees err on the side of strict- | ness rather than that of leniency. The effect of the complaint is certainly not to impair the value of the New Zealand j medical degrees, which may fairly be said to be as highly esteemed as the j degrees in arts and sciences. It was gratifying to find Sir James Hector laying so much stress upon the cause's that havo given to the New Zealand degrees the peculiar value they possess, because a remark which was attributed to him at the "capping" ceremony at the Auckland University College - lent some colour to the impression that, he was favourable to a change in the system of examinations. On ' that occasion he indicated that, now that there are four university colleges in New Zealand there would probably be some changes effected on the lines of the recommendations made by the Commission on Higher Education.under the chairmanship of Sir Maurice O'Rorke in 1878, and, as reported in the Auckland papers, ho said that "it would lead to great economy if the" professors were combined in one professorial board and had immediate control of the examinations." Now it was a feature of the -recommendations :of that commission that the university J examinations should be conducted wholly within the colony. Upon -this point the,report of the commission was in the following terms: "In order that tho senate may have at.its command a staff of competent examiners, we recommend that the professors of the university colleges be professors of the university, and be ordinarily its examiners. By selecting examiners from among the professors of the university, the senate will bo' enabled to have its examinations conducted wholly within the colony, and tho delay which ensues from the transmission of the examination papers to and from England or Australia willbe got rid of, and the results of the examination madei known- with much greater promptitude than heretofore-. . . .. In no case should any part of tho examination be conducted by person's who, for the time being, are not resident in tTie colony." We quite agree with Professor' Sale in thinking that the adoption' of the proposal to conduct- the university examinations within the colony would be a mistake. The sacrifice of the prestige which at present attaches to the degrees would in our opinion. not be compensated by the gain in time, and it is extremely satisfactory to us that Sir James Hector should so forcibly have shown the advantages of the present system.' ' The recorded results of the students at the' Otago University and the increasing numbers' in attendance at the classes both afford ground for congratulation. 'The figures as set put by' Sir James Hector and Professor Gilray, and as contained ii} the statistical table published by us'on Saturday, speak eloquently for themselves of the progress which is being made in the local branch of the New Zealand University. That progress, too, is being- made in the face of considerable difficulties. The library of the university is, we have it on the authority of Professor Gilray, being starved. The scientific laboratories • are inadequately equipped and the teachers are handicapped by the want of trained demonstrators. There are, we are told, not- a feiv graduates who are thoroughly competent to fill such appointments, but there is no money to pay them. It would be of great assistance, both to the graduates and to the university, if the funds were made available whereby demonstratorships such as are required could be established. The everlasting lack of pence is the cause, also, of the fact that the library—which is a public library, open to all under certain conditions—and the scientific laboratories are behind the times. We trust that, when the^needs of the local university have been thus publicly stated, Professor Gilray's appeal to the liberality of the wealthy in our community will not be unheeded. As bo says, no nobler use of wealth can be made than to assist in the higher education of our youth, and no form of generosity is more calculated to give keen pleasure and satisfaction to the donor.

"The permanent division of the nation into two political organisations, to one of which each citizen is bound through life on pain of being regarded as an apostate to adhere, and which are to carry on a perpetual struggle for the offices of State, each of them assailino* ancl traducing the other with much of the moral bitterness of a civil war, though the theory is that both of them are equally necessary to the operation of the political machine," In these words '•'the malady of party government" is diagnosed by Professor Goldwin Smith iv a short but none the less effective article which he has contributed to the May number of the "Nineteenth Century," and which was republished in

our issue of Saturday last. The system lie declares to be "neither rational nor moral," and lie expresses disbelief that "it can for. ever endure." Whatever may be its power of endurance, we would hope that as experience of its evils and abuses widens public sentiment in favour of its abolition will steadily grow. For an example of the evil of tiie system in Great Britain Professor Goldwin Smith takes—or has taken for him by an advocate of party government—the question of the ending or mending of the House of Lords. Among those who favour the latter course there is great- diversity of plans, some being more Conservative and others more Radical. "On what principle," he a&s, " are people in political, any more than in any other field of action, justified in sinking what they deem important, perhaps vital, differences of opinion, in deference to party "discipline and for the sake of" a party victory ? " Need we iv this colony look beyoud our own doors for an exemplification of what Professor Goldwin' Smith deprecates? The evils of party government must have been brought forcibly homo to all intelligent,, unprejudiced observers by the occurrences in our Parliament of the last few years. It was notorious last year, for instance, while the Old-age Pensions Bill was under discussion in Committee of the House of Representatives, that a majority of the members absented themselves from th'o Chamber, trooping in only when the division bell rang through the corridors. They had not heard the arguments upon the clauses upon which the Committee was about to divide, and, even if they had, their votes would not have been influenced by them. Whichever lobby their leader walked into that was the lobby into which they crowded. And yet there was no question that there were *'important)" almost "vital differences of opinion" among them respecting the' details that were being settled in Committee of a Bill about the principle of which the whole House was agreed. Those differences of opinion were avowedly sunk by them " iv deference, to party discipline." We may take another example. It has been stated^ and it has never been denied, that there are members in the House of Representatives who are under a personal pledge of support to the Premier. They had to give that pledge, otherwise they would not have been accepted by him as Go. vernment candidates at the election, and they would consequently have been defeated. Or we may take the case of Mr John Huteheson, of Wellington. He entered Parliament three years ago a sworn adherent of the Premier. ■ He has now found that- his idol is but clay. He is appalled at the extent of the' misgovernment around- him. Yet he proposes for the term of the Parliament to vote with the party which' is responsible for this misgovernment because, he was returned to act with that party.' What influence his voice will exert in opposition to the party in power will in his own person be nullified by his. vote in favour of that party. Surely a more glaring instance of patriotism giving way to party could not be , found than this. When under any political system patriotism is liable to be thrust into the background, when the' interests of a 'party are preferred to the interests of the country, it is time to inquire whether that .political system ■is i worthy of being continued. -. We have- always contended that party government is not only an evil, but an unnecessary ovil, •that should be abolished. We are-glad to observe that one of the most experienced and most prominent parliamentarians in the colony has recently expressed views .thai shoTS*- that the irrationality of the part;/ system is recognised by him. Mr Rolle'ston in an interview at Christchurch lias . emphasised the importance of politicians laying their party differences aside in the consideration of a number of questions which do not belong to one side more than to the other. Among these subjects he enumerates the liquor question, the social evil, ancl the question of technical education. These are questions which, Mr Rolleston considers, belong to the whole community and ought to be approached with an honest desire to do what is best for the whole community. With this expression of opinion we are in perfect- accord. We suggest, however, that when Mr Rollestou concedes that these questions ought notyto' be considered on party lines because they "belong to the whole community," he surrenders in' effect the whole case of those who argue in. favour of party, government. Is the question of finance, for Instance, not one .that belongs 'to the whole community? Is the question of the - settlement of the land of tho colony not one that belongs to the whole community? Is there any question affecting the well-being of the colony that does not belong to the whole community? And if party lines are to be obliterated when questions that belong to the whole community have to be considered, of what advantage is it to maintain party lines at all? , There are great evils connected with the system of-party government, and if its advantages aro so slender that it is only to be observed during the consideration of questions tha,t do not belong to the whole community, why cumberetb it the ground at all? It is perfectly natural that, as Professor Goldwin Smith observes, upon certain fundamental questions and upon religious,, social, or economical questions, people will align themselves according to their opinions. That is inevitable. The objection, however, is to the perpetual battle between the "' ins " and the " outs " —tho struggle for place, in which the good of the community is liable to be subordinated to the interests of party. "We have had too much noise aiid pretence in Parliament during. the past few years," Mr Rolleston says, " and it" is time that we had more earnest, disinterested work." Disinterested work, however, is only to be looked for,' from a government which, to adapt Professor Goldwin Smith's words, shall be colonial, not partisan—a government which, while duly responsible for its actions, shall command the attachment and support not only of the half but of the whole of the community.

We are at length able to announce that the Perthshire has been picked up by a steamer, and by the timo the paper reaches the hands of our readers she will probably be safe in Sydney Harbour. The Union' Steam Ship Company's Talune was the steamer fortunate enough to come across the Perthshire, and no one will grudge the enterprising company this slice of good luck, following upon the ill-luck which has fallen to its share during the past few months by the loss of the Ohau and Tekapo and minor casualties.

We understand that the inquiry into the loss of the s.s. Ohau will be resumed at the Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. 20th inst., before Mr Northcroft and the two nautical assessors.

On *our sixth page this morning will 1 found an articlo dealing with the clothii trade iv Dunedin. The manufacturers cor plain that owing to the action of the Tailo esses' Unioii trade is leaving the city. Tl case for the manufacturers and tho reply < the Tailoresses' Union will be found set out : length in the article referred to. The Fire Brigade were called out twi< yesterday. In the first* instance, at a quarti pa-it 10 a.m., they proceeded to Messrs Mv and Hoodie's premises, at the corner of Mora place and Princes street, their presence thei being necessitated by the balcony at the re; of the building taking fire, owing to\ woode ashbox full of ashes being left on the balconi Fortunately, llio five was discovered befoi it had got much hold, and very little damag was done. Again, at half-past 3in the afte: noon, the brigade got another call from th indicator at tho Post Office. This timo som smoke was seen issuing from the second store window of the Colonial Mutual Insuranc Buildings, at the comer of Princes and Hig streets. The brigade effected an entrance ii to the building by tho open window (which wa in High street, over Mr Ross's shop). The then discovered that a bench hi the workrooi ■ of Mr If. P. Armstrong, dentist, had becom ignited by a tin of live ashes, which had ovi dently been left underneath it on Saturday A small hoso was put through' the window and the flames quickly extinguished, only trifling amount of damage beiug done. Mr E. H. Carew, S.M., held a court for lh disposal of claims for old-age pensions at Por Chalmers on Saturday, when one female wa granted £16 per annum. The applications o one female and two males were deterred fo proof of age. A seaman named John L. Bryson, belonging to H.M.S. Mildura, was brought befon Mr W. Wardrop, J.P., at the City FolicCourt on Saturday morning, and charged witl beiug absent from his vessel without lcav< on the 16th inst. On the application of Ser geant Conn, who mentioned that the Milduri had left Port- Chalmers tho previous evening the accused was remanded to Monday morn ing, to give tho police an opportunity of as certaining: where they should'send the mai: to, so that ho could rejoin his vessel. Two deaths are recorded as having laker place at the hospital during the past week, the names of deceased beiug Ann Parker and James Thomas. Tho patients in the institu tion at tho end of last week numbered 98, e-nd that number was added to during tho past week by 25. The discharges were 18J -u-cl there is a total of 193 patients remaining. ' The local* examinations in connection with the London Trinity , College of Music were held in tho Normal School on Saturday last. In all there, were 249 .entries—viz., 15 in senior honours, 29 senior pass, 30 intermediate honours, 46 intermediate pass, 42 junior honours, and 87 junior pass. Last year tho entries totalled 231. On Saturday morning the pass papers were worked, while ihe honours were taken in the afternoon, two hours being allowed in each instance. ■ Soveral teachers visited the examination room during the day, and pronounced the questions set down in ihe papers for the different grades to be very fair and generally excellent. The supervisors were Signor Squarise, and Messrs W. Nicolson and J. Ross, together wilh several ladies who kindly volunteered assistance. The worked papers were sealed up and posted before 5 o'clock by Mr A. J. Barth (the local secretary), Mr Nicolson, aud Signor Squarise, the cost of the postage, lo London being £1 4s Bd. The practical examinations will be held in November, and the lime for entering expires on the Ist of next month. Mr Myles B. Foster, who, it will be remembered, was sent out by the college somo years ago, has again been selected as the examiner. Il may bo added that the certificates for last year's • practical examination are now in the hands of the. secretary, and are obtainable on application. • . The .friends of Mr John Stephenson will bo pleased to learn that his condition of health has very much improved of late. Special services in connection with the Salvation Army's social annual meetings were held in the Army Barracks, Dowling street, yesterday.' The services were conducted'by Adjutant Hutcheson, late of Melbourne, assisted by Ensign Sparks. Addresses were delivered on the social work of the Army, and, in particular,-of the workings of the Rescue Homes and the Prison Gale Homos throughout the colonies. The attendances during the day were large. To-night, - a monster social gathering" is announced to take place, at which Mr James Allen, M.H.R., will preside. , Anniversary services were held at Trinity Wesleyan Church yesterday. The Rev. W. A. 'Sinclair 'preached in the morning from ■ Acts v, 15 ; in the afternoon a musical service was held; and in the evening the pastor of the church, the Roy. P. W. Fairclough, occupied the pulpit, preaching from Rev.xxi, 22. There were large congregations at all the services, especially in the evening. A feature of the evening service was the splendid rendering by the choir of "The Heavens are telling." Bishop Nevill's name was inadvertently omitted from among the list of those as--4 sombled to do honour to the chancellor of the University of New Zealand at the capping ceremony. There was a largo atrtendance at the Garrison Hall last evening, when the Rev. W. A. Sinclair wr= tho preacher, his subject being 'What is a Christian?" After dealing at length with the theoretical side of his subject, he went on to point out that there was also a practical side, such as tending tho sick ancl relieving the widow and fatherless. Some time ago they had passed a resolution of sympathy with the. sufferers by the loss of the Ohau, and he now asked the congregation to show their practical sympathy by giving to the. retiring collection al the door. The re- , suit of tho appeal was that £7 16s 7cl was collected from the retiring congregation, while 7s 6d more was promised. We have lo acknowledge receipt of £1 Is from Mr James Liston for the Ohau relief fund, and £7 16s 7d from the treasure- of the Wesloyan Central Mission, being the amount of a retiring collection taken up on the suggestion of the Rev. W. A. Sinclair. The Engineers' Band will play a number of selections in the Octagon to-night, when a collection will be taken up in aid of tho Ohau flinch When addressing the jury at a fire inquiry at Wanganui, Mr C. C. Kettle, Coroner, said that he had previously suggested that a law should be- enacted compelling persons who'insured their stock or premises to register the same, so that their neighbours or those who occupied business premises adjoining might have an. opportunity, if they thought necessary, of objecting if they thought over-insurance had been effected, In this way he believed persons would be prevented from over-insuring, and not be tempted to burn down places for the sake of . securing the insurances. .It is a* far cry, from the mystical poetry of Christina Rossctti to the " Kailyard School" of writers. But that is to ho mado to-night at St, Andrew's Literary' Institute. The Rev. J, Gibb. is to speak of the " Drumtochty Wretches ; An Interpretation of Scottish Life and Character." Something will be said of the sketches as a-contribution to contemporary literature, but the chief uso the lecturer will make of them will be to delineate and dlustrate the chief features of Scottish character—its independence, humour, sympathy, etc. The subject is in capable hands, and an interesting and entertaining discussion of itis assured. The Sydney Mail'of* June 3 makes the following announcement:—" For some time past the Minister for Agriculture has been endeavouring to secure more favourable terms for the admission of New South Wales fruit into New Zealand, as hitherto' the trade has been much hampered owing to tho very strict regulations and inspection to guard against the introduction of pests. Mr Cook has now . received a letter from New Zealand stating that the Government is anxious to avoid anything likely to interfere iv any way with legitimate trade, and that, although the present regulations have hacl the etreet of im- '' ?T"VL the qUaliiy ot tllG fruit on the mai'ke<* '' luiiy 100 per cent., it is probable they will i shortly be so far relaxed as to admit all fruit * if-accompanied by a certificate from the New faoutli Wales inspectors that it is free from disease. Tin's will he in accordance with the ': agreement arrived at at the recent intercolo- : mal conference held in Hobart, and it is satis- ' factory to note that the New Zealand Go- '

be vernment, although not represented at the tg conference, is likely to fall in with tho aril- rangements there made." The examiners of t- fruit at Lyttelton and Dunedin are not aware ;ie that any relaxation of the regulations at pi-'e-°f sent in force is contemplated, and it certainly at is not justified by experience,: which has beeii, so far, that the Sydney certificate is valxi'ec e less; in fact, every consignment which has er been accompanied by that certificate has been ; r found to bo infected. . ■ ■ X vy Lord Salisbury, speaking at the Royal re Academy banquet in London on April 29, ir referred to the inartistic dress of the period, "i He said: "Look at our dress; I do not V- mean our dress, I mean everybody's dress, ■o The ugliest dress which the English genlle;e man has ever Worn has lasted for 50 years r- without a change. But .1 refer rather to the io other sex, in whom wo had some hope lhat lho ie cult of beauty lingered still; but when we ■y gc to those who iimy be called, in a literal -c sense, ' fast '—1 mean thoso who cultivate tho h bicycle—(laughter).— there you will see the i- sense d beauty is surely displaced. My beis lief is that if there were any Dante lo write y an artistic 'Inferno,' its'lowest'circle wouldn be tenanted by the ladies who dress themselves c in the bicycle skirt or, knickerbockers:'*— i- (Laughter.) '■ Living poison by post i-1 a novelty. The ' New York correspondent of the Daily Mail says lhat Miss May Cook, a cornel soloist and ballad singer, while appearing -at Rochester c (New York) Theatre, received a box by post. t On opening it a large copperhead snake s wriggled out, curled itscll up, and prepared .to f strike. Her screams brought one of lho at--r tendant3 to her assistance. He killed the reptile. Tho police arc investigating the matter. Thero is no clue to the sender! It will probably go hard with that person; man or c woman, if caught. Curiously enough, the c*e* Washington correspondent of the Chronicle 1 stales that Mr Georgo E. Sterry, secretary I of a New York wholesale'drug firm, received through the post a small, box. When he 1 opened it out darted a small snake, whicli was > afterwards pronounced by a naturalist to be a poisonous asp, of the same species that Cleopatra is supposed to have used to kill herself 1 wilh. Its bite is almost instantly fatal. Mr Sterry cannot account for anyone' wishing to i kill him, as ho says he lias ho enemies. y The Julian Calendar, which has held its ' place so long in conservative Russia, is to ( be definitely abolished during the'eoming cen- . tury. The-first steps towards this important [ reformation were taken by the Imperial Astronomical Society of Si. Petersburg, and their project for the gradual substitution of l the Gregorian for the Julian reckoning is >• said to have been approved by the Czr.i* s Government. The process will take nearly * half the century, as it is nothing less than,an exclusion from the almanac of all the redundant days of the leap -years from 1900 to > 1948. The Ministry of Public Roads ancl :. Railways strongly recommends the change on tho ground of its importance for the inler--1 national traffic and trado of the Russian Empire. The reform is meeting with determined opposition from the Church, as ,-all orthodox Russians are named after a patron saint^ and as they celebrate their " Name's Day" muc h moro rc ii g i ous iy.';. t [, an tllcir birthday, it is contended that, 'if any change were made, many saints and thousands of ; people would be defrauded of their legiti- ' mate rights. _ A meoting of members of the Mornington ( Cricket Club was held in the Shamrock Hotel - on Saturday evening to make final arrangements for tho forthcoming carnival,. A large number of tickets have boon disposed of, and there is every prospect of the carnival being a thorough success. The list of competitions c and prizes were fixed as follows: First night • Home-made lollies (£1 l s ). fruit cakes (£1 Is)' ] spongp cakes (£1 Is), scones (10s 6d), be=t .- dressed boy under five years (half-ton coal), best dressed girl under five years* (half-ton £ coal), paper flowers (five shillings), pin cushions (prettiest and most'original, 5s each) « washing by men (10s 6d). Second night: Boot i blacking by boys (brushes and blacking lo be brought, ss), bed making h_) men (a go-oart given by Mr Lochhead). Third night: Hat trimming by men (10s), nail driving by women a (a canary, given by Mr Kerr), needle threading by men (ss). Judges for the cakes, lollies, and boy and girl competitions will boobtained outside the district. Mr Kidslon-Himter, of Dunedin, lias been elected a Fellow of tho Royal Microscopical Society,, London. Those who obtained publicans', bottle, and wholesale licenses at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Licensing Committee are reminded by the Town Clerk that the fees must be paid before 5 o'clock to-day. At tho Theosophieal Society's rooms, last „ f7rr lZ rt\ -li3S H°rne Slivered-a lecture on the Theosophieal Conception of God," and ° explained the Divine incarnation from the ° theosophieal standpoint. Mr DM. Spedding will sell crockery ware and brushware on Wednesday, aisfinst * 'I ihe Otago Farmers' Co-operativo A*™.. #&£ &£■£« *&% mg in the South Duncdin Friend*Ki£ Sales of grain and produce will beheld tn SVm ™"r S:-^°. SrS -Donald, Reid and Co 10 a.m.; Messrs Dalgety and Co., 10 30 im' Messrs Kontzson and Hopkin, 11'a.m "" -the Farmers' Agency Company ' will sell freezing wethers at Burnside on Wednesday thoroughly clean watches for^'sh 11^. T execiUe all other repairs g John Hislop oldest established WirU maker and Jeweller, 7-1 Princes sW n . tl assortment Watches, Clocks ■ Ja t v°° d Spectacles suit all sights-Ad vt J™el' ory- n To-day, at Caster's great sale, trem™dn„ a SI bargains in all departments.. __800 CS™ hable drapery being slaughtered. Call early" ti^^^^^Lm^^^^ " opposite Coffee Palago, Moray place Dunedin sl Charges strictly nioderate.-Advt mneclm-