ANNUAL PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 16

ANNUAL PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS.

The distribution of diplomas to the successful students of the Otago University for the past year took place on Friday afternoon in the Choral Hall. The attendance, as it always is on such occasions, was large, the hall being fi.led, and great interest taken in the proceedings. The pupils of the Girls' High School, under Miss Marchant (principal) and her assistants, were present in a body. The capping ceremony is practically the one occasion in the year which brings the University and its work right under the public gaze, and the busy business man who spends his days in getting the best living he can for himself, and in contented forgetfulness of all that is going on within those academic walls, is thus brought face to face with the fruit of the highest teachings in the arts and sciences of the day the community has been able to provido for its offspring. Recently, however, the University, by reason of its needs, has loomed more largely in the public view, and any prominence its functions may thus have gained could only serve to convince people more clearly of the great and valuble work it is doing in its own quiet, unostentatious way from day to day. The graduation ceremony is naturally one to which the successful student looks forward with pride, »nd the feeling of elation which achievement brings is shaded to a greater or lesser degree by the kinsfolk, who always turn out so largely to witness the crowning of the itudents' educational career— the conferring of the well-earned dip'omas. Yesterday the proceedings were full of interest, and in the first place it is pleasing to note they passed off without any serious breach of the rules of decorum on the part of the detachment of undergraduates, whose characteristic modesty invariably makes them contented with a seat in an obscure corner of the gallery. Whether they live in hope of being, like the man bidden to the feast, told to go up higher it is scarcely worth while to discuss; but possibly so exposed a fcituatiou as a front scat, under the searching eye of the authorities, wo^d have a restraining influence on the ready wit and puncr-nt comments which emanate from the secluded locality referred to. Tins would be a pity, and it might rob the proceedings of a good deal of the zest and interest

usually associated with them, while the speaker of the afternoon would no longer be compelled, during the delivery of his carefully-prepared discourse, to speculate on the probabilities of his arriving at a safe and Signified conclusion of the same.

It was just a minute or so after 3 when the Vice-chancellor (the Rev. J. C. Andrew) -appeared on the platform, supported by the registrar (Mr J. W. Joynt), Professors Salmond, Sale, Shand, Black, Gibbons, Park, Scott. Drs Marshall and Ogaton, Messrs D. B. Waters, Rev. A. Cameron, T. Scott (Mayor), John MacGregor, W,. Nicolson, ID. -R. White, and others. Apologies for ! absence were read from the chancellor of the Otago University (Mr Justice Williams), the vice-chancellor (Mr E. B. Cargill), Revs. Drs Watt and Waddell, Messrs John Roberts, C.M.G., G. G. Russell, George Fcnwick, and members of the Education ! Board. The entry of the graduates wa3 I hailed with applause, and they occupied, as usual, the. row of seats immediately in front of the stage.

The Vice-chancellor (the Rev. J. 0. Andrew), in a preliminary speech, said ho was sorry that Sir James Hector (the chancellor) was not there in person. Ho would have heen present, but he had just quitted all public employment, and had gone abroad for at anyrate some time, to spend in leisure and free from entanglement what the speaker hoped would be the Indian summer of Ins life. It was a pleasure to him (the vice-chancellor) to come to Dimedin, and really he was an old Otajjo man He had been a pastoral license-holder for many years on the Upper Waitaki. Dunedm was very difficult to approach in those days ; ho had to come over snowy mountains, and he crossed them in very different attire to tho robes he wore that day. He had been exploring in the Mackenzie Country. He came over the mountains with his clothes tied up with flax, and the only money he had in hi 3 pockets was a sovereign, and that sovereign dropped out on the way and —as lost. — (Laughter.) When he arrived in Dunedin — which was almost entirely Scotch at that time — he met with the greatest hospitality. The vic^-chancpl'or then went on to refer to the progress of education in Dunedin, and referrine particularly to the career of the Otaeo University, and contrasted ita favourable position to that of North Island colleges, where they were cl^DPndent on tho annual grants voted by the Government. He expressed the opinion thnt each of the four colWefi in the different centres of the eolonv would in the future b<Vbme conspicuous in some particular subject; and apparently the pre-eminence to be

enjoyed by Otago wag in respect to the faculty of medicine.— (Applause.) The vicechancellor referred to tho value attaching to degrees conferred by the New Zealand University, and called on Professor Gilray to address those- present.

Professor Gilray, who was wall received, said : Mr Vice-chanorllor, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Graduates of tho New Zealand University, — We are met this year under somewhat changed circumstances. The senate that, for so m^ny years, has ably managed the university education of this colony has ceased to exist ; and a new senate has been elected. One of the changes that will bo generally regretted at the four university centres is the disappearance from the academic life of this colony of Sir James Hector, who has, for so long, guided, with rare ability and courtesy, the deliberations of the senate, and whose genial face we shall sco no more at these annual gatherings. I need scarcely say that the best \Mblle3 of all connected with the four University Colleges follow Sir James Hector in his retirement, and that we all hope he may have a happy eventide after a long and laborious life devoted to the interests of science and of university education in this colony. In the preamble of the Bill that has brought about the changes to which I have referred it is stated that " it is desirable to reconstitute the senate of the Ne»v Zealand University with a view to connecting it more closely with the affiliated institutions." No one, I think, can doubt that to establish such a close connexion between the examining body and the four teaching institutions is a very desirable object. In the previous senate, the omy members that held representative seats were the convocation members, unless members elected by the senate it°elf to seats on the senato are to be considered representative members. During recent years, however, convocation representation had drifted into a very unsatisfactory state — so unsatisfactory, indeed, that, when Bishop Cowie's death took place last year, no fewer than four of the five convocation members represented one college, namely Canterbury College, and the graduates of Auckland and Otago had no representatives at all. In the new senate, 20 of the 24 seats are representative 6eats, the remaining four being filled by nominees of tho Government. Of the 20 representative members, the Unirersity Counoils of the four colleges return eight, the Convocation Courts return eight, and the Professorial Boards return four. The allocation of seats made in the Bill is exceedingly fair and just to the various interests represented., I think

we have good reason to rejoice that in Otago the recent election has made no change in the representation ; but that all the previous Otago members, two of whom have been in office since 1877, have retained their seats. The year that has passed since we last met at a graduation ceremony in this hall haa been one of great interest in the history of the University of Otago. As is well known, the university has suffered for many years from straitened resources caused mainly by a fall in the rents of landed estates managed by the Council. In consequence of this, a largo deficit existed ; and it will be within the memory of all present that, when the Government was approached on the matter, the Acting Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, promised to give £2 for every £1 raised locally. This challenge was taken up with admirable promptitude by Mr George Bell, manager of the Evening Star ; and in a fortnight or 60 the deficit was wiped off. A few weeks later, Mr George Fenwick, editor of the Otago Daily Times, started a larger scheme for the extinction of the University debt and the better endowment of the University ; and he has eince devoted a great deal of his valuable time to the work, which ho has supported by personal ad\ccacy as well as by able leaders in the Times. This movement has, so far, met with gratifying succors; but, as the needs of the University arc great, and, in the medical faculty especially, are mosL urgeut, it is to be hoped that the efforts to assist the institution will be more and more successful as the years roll on, and as the vantb of tho University and the benefits it confers, not only on Diinedin, but on Otago end Southland, and, in fact, on the whole colony, are better understood and appreciated. In the meantime, tho best thanks of the friends of the University are duo to Mr Fenwick, Mr Bell, and all the other gentlemen associated with them in the movement for the better endowment of the University, as well as to all the contributors to the fund It is very gratifying to be able to report that c large number of our graduates and holders of diplomas have been successful during the past year in the careers on which they have entered. In his interesting annual report on the Mining School, the direotor, Professor Park, says that " among the most important positions secured by old students of the Mining School during 1902 were those of Mr A. Montgomerie, M.A., appointed State mining engineer for Western Australia; Mr F. B. Allen, M.A., B.Sc, direotor of Western Australia School of Mines; Mr 0. G. Adams, A.0.5.M., director of Thames School of Mines; Mr T. O. Bishop, A.0.5.M., director of Reefton School of Mines; Mr W. S. Watt, A.O S.M , director of Zeehan School of Mines ; Mr James Maelaren, B.Sc, special Mining Geologist to rho Indian Government ; Mr Adam Hay, A.0.5.M., assistant engineer to the Abyssinia Prospecting Syndicate ; and Mr Norman R. Fisher, B Sc., M.E., assistant surveyor Dunedin Drainage Board. Besides these, many of our passed students have obtained appointments during the year in mining and metallurgical works in New Zealand and Australia." In addition to these successa.s enumerated by Profe6sor Park, I may mention that Mr Basil Lusk and Mr George Sale have secured good appointments in South Africa. In an extract from the Australian Mining Standard, which appeared in the Otago Daily Times of March 26 of this yrar, it is stated that " throughout Australasia 110 institution has so thoroughly justified itg existence as the Otago University School of Minos, and it lias to maintain a steady fight against official parsimony." The Tunes, remarking on this, continues: — "We gather from the same =ource that exclusive of endowments, Victoria spends about £15,000 a year en its mining schools; while New Zealand, which spends about half a million am.nua.lly on primary education, appropriates only £2500 in aid of the mining Eohools throughout the colony." Looking now at some of the results with Tegard to students in other faculties, 1 find tliat Dr Smythe, formerly inspector of schools in tho Wanganui district, who conducted Dr Salmond's classes some years a.go during his absence on furlough, has been appointed principal of the Melbourne Training College for Teachers; and he was succeeded in his inspectorship by Mi William Gray, also one of our graduates. A few months ago, Dr Percy Herrmg was appointed lecturer on histology in the University of Edinburgh. It has always be-eiii considered one of the chief functions of the English public schools and ancient English universities to train men for public life and for rendering signal sorvic3 to the State. The Otago University has also done something in this direction, for, among the M.H.R's. returned at last general election, Messrs Sidey, M'Nab, Bedford, Herdman, and Baume are all former students of Otago University. It is deeply to be regretted that, owing to the absence of large librarie-. literary research is practioail'ly impossible in New Zealand. I find, however, that in countries where such research is possible, several of our graduates have given a good account of themselves during the past year. Dr Salmond's eldest son, Professor Salmond of Adelaide, has published a l«arned and admirably written book on the " Prinoiplos of Jurisprudence," which has been well received in legal circles in Great Britain. Dr Smythe of Melbourne has reoontly published a book, entitled ' Truth and Reality, with Special Reference to Religion, or a Plea for the Unity of the Spirit and tho Unity of Life in all its Manifestations." And Dr Mellor, who held the E.\hibition 1851 scholarship for three years, and is now a Researoh Fellow in Owen's College. Manchester, has published an elaborate work on the bearings of mathematics on chemistry and physics, entitled " Higher Mathematics for Students of Chemistry and Physics." Nor have fche muses been altogether forgotten, for Mr Arthur H. Adams, one of our graduates and a well-known journalist, pubh'hed, some months ago, a remarkable poem, entitled " The Nazarene," which has been very favourably reviewed at Home and in the colonies. It is well, on an occasion like this, to emphasise the value of the New Zealand Univeraity Degree. I do not know if even our own students and graduates are fully aware of their privileges in this respect ; and it is advisable, from time to time, to remind the general public of the value of the degrees open to their children. When Mr Mott visited Otago University a ehort time ago in connexion with the Christian student movement, the Mayor (Mr J. A. Park) cave him a public welcome in the Victoria Hall. Speaking on that occasion. Mr Mott, who has a unique knowledge of the universities of the world, eaid that " he congratulated Otago University on its progress. He emphasised the value of a New Zealand University degree, which in point

of thoroughness of work and the standard 1 of requirements compared well with that of any university in the world. The New Zealand University had ©very reason to bo proud of the position it had taken." In the touching valedictory address delivered by Sir James Hector to the outgoing Senate, in which he had occasion to make pathetia references to the deaths of so many of bis colleagues on the Senate, the retiring Chancellor paid the most memorable of all tributes to the value of the New Zealand! degrees. He said: "There is no other university that was started in such a quiet and unostentatious manner, which • haa reached such a high degree of control over the education of a country, and which haa displayed such a thorough performance of its duty in turning out men and women well educated and well able to give instruction or to discharge duties in the country, that could only be undertaken by those wJio had received fche highest education. JTo fault can be found with the education afforded by the university. The examinations are utterly above all question. The examiners in degree work are carefully appointed from the highest men in Great Britain in their particular functions. It is they who conduct the examinations, as the Senate never presumes to do more than to see that nothing has been left out and nothing accidentally introduced The judgments allotted by those great examiners at Home, the highest that can be obtained, the most distinguished and ardent educationalists that could be found in the British Empire, aro acrepted without any question whatever by the Senate. There has never been a case of any doubt having been cast on these decisions. As a result, the New Zealand degrees have commanded, not only in the British Empire in which the Charter holds, but also in all parts of the world,honour and position; and holders of the" Now Zealand University degrees have attained positions in many other countries upon the examinations they havo gone through." Suoh being the adimttedly high character of our degrees, it is to bo hoped that no proposals will ever be carried empowering examiners resident in New Zealand to have anything to do with examinations for degrees, scholarships, and honours in Arts and Soienoe. Such a change would lower the value of our degrees and university' education generally, would oause profound dissatisfaction, and would, in the end, please nobody. There is one respect in which New Zealand i's behind the countries that have in the past shown the greatest earnestaiose in promoting education — no provision is made in the University Colleges foT the academic training of teachers in fche important business of their lives. Germany ha 9 a professorship of education in all, or almost all, of its numerous universities ; and 80 have the Universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews. In the prtsent state of the finances, the foundation of a professorship of education in the University of Otago is purely Utopian ; but, in tho interests of teachers, I hope to see, before very long, a lectureship founded on the theoiy, history, and practice' of education lam aware that some people are sceptical as to the value of such instruction, and consider 'hat teaching ia a purely empirical art. In my student days, I attended Professor Laurie's first education class in the University of Edinburgh; and I can testify from my own experience that such instruction is exceedingly valuable and most stimulating to teachers, and is well calculated to save them from many serious blunders at the expense of their punils in the earlier yeans of their professional life. • I* ama.fraid that many teao"'ers, unlike the majority of clergymen, doctors, and lawyers, do not pay much attention to the literature of fclicir profession. The methodology of teaching is rwlly a branch of applied psychology; and teachers would reap much benefit from study in" sue 1 ) works as Herbert Spp-ncer's " Kducition : InMlectual, Moral, mid Physical " Quick's " Educational Reformers " and the books written express'y on education by such writers as Matthew Arnold, Sir Joshua Fitoh, Professor Bain, Professor' Laurie. ai<d m?niv others too numerous to mention. The noblest work in modern literature on education i« Richter's " Levana," of which there is an excellent translation in Bonn's Library. As to the spirit in which a teacher should approach his work, I know of nothing better than Dr John Kerr's account of James Beattie, a poor Scottish shoemaker belonging to Abprdeenshire, who also taught all the children in his neighbourhood. James Beattie was certainly one of t^e select of the earth : and all teachers can learn much from Dr Kerr's account of this devoted man. I cordially recommend to teachers and others interested in education Dr Kert's delightful book, entitled " Memoirs Grave and Gay. Forty Years of School Inspection." I strongly advise all before me that intend to be teachers to cultivate what may- be called the gift of imaginative sympaThv — the gift that enables a te-a-cher to appreciate thp position of learners and sympathise wiHi rhpir r'-^pulties. This jarift vflries very much in different individuals; but every tencher can and ought to cultivate it; and, without it, great success in teaching isimpossible. I see from the newspapers that thPTo is considerable outcry at present about the scarcity of male teachers. For this want, thnre is only one cure. If the oology wishes able young men to enter the teachil""i 1 "" nrof" c -~inn it rrmit be T)r°-T)''r» > H to nay them adequate salaries; and. if this not done, tho wholo e'!uoation of the country will cfrievoup'y suffer. Graduates, in conc'ucline this brief and very imperfeot address, I strongly advise all of you to continue your stm'ies and extend your krowWere ;n; n the modest snirit chai-actPrHtic of the majority of true scholar*, so thit you may, in your turn, be able, in the beautiful words of Lucretius, to hand on the torch of learning to tho runners in the race. I trust that you will always be loyal in your hearts to your alma mater, and that you will do all in your power to promote her interests and nros-pp-rity. On behalf of the teaching staff I have now much nlpasure in conTatulat'ncr you on the decrees, pcho'arfb'TVi, and honours you have won, and in wishing you great success and happiness in your future

Mr J. W. Jovnt (rwristrar) said there were one or two int^rettinor fact* in connection with fche Otaco re«ult<\ The rlegrpp of Doctor of Afedirin" would be conferred for the firs»t time upon a laclv. In the B.A. decree Auckland seemed to ha%e »wept *ho board this year — (groans from tho^ undergraduates in the cfalWy) ;— which induced Mr Jovnt to make the remark *hat they did not groan ovr it in Auckland. Another interesting feature of Hi© Ust was that it was the. fir-t time the cWrop. of mining and enginep-injj had bp<^n conferred. Out of the piv K-ho'ar-Hns in romwhon with the B.A. de-aree Otago had obtained

three, in addition to the Tinline scholarship, which was awarded for English. -The list was as follows: — Doctor of Medicine. Cruickshank, Margaret Barnett. Masters of Arts. Armour, William Allan, Bressey, Florence L, Gibson, Glorianna Forsyth, Harrison, Wilkinson Lewms, Inglis, Alexander, M'Culloch, Malcolm Kennedy, Uttley,- George Harry, Wilkinson, Alexander Drummond. Honours in Arts.

Armour, W. A, second class in languages and

literature (English and French). Bressey, Florence L., second class in ment?.l science. Gibson, Glorianna F., third class in languages and literature (Latin and French). Harrison, W. L., second class in mental science. Inglis, A., second class in mental science. M'Culloch, M. X., second class in languages

and literature (English and French). Uttley, G. H., third class in menta! science. • .Wilkinson, A. D., second class in languages and literature (Latin and English). Honours in Science. Henderson, John, first class in geology. Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery. Livesey, Ernest Millmgton, Baker, Eleanor Southey. Conferred in February and April. "Browne, William Frederick, Hoto'p, Francis Rudolph, Lillie, Charles Ogilvie (M.A., B.Sc.), Marks, John Davis (B.Sc), Paterson, William Fergus, Eitchie, Russell lan, Talbot, Leonard Smith, Thompson, Isaac, Bachelors of Arts. Budd, Alice Mary, Crump, Ida Mary (John Tinline scholarship), Heatley, Frederick Joseph, Murray John, M'Kibbin, Harrietto, Newlands, Marion Smith Sutherland, Standage, Arthur Charles Weymouth (=enior scholarship in mental science), Talbot, Arthur. Bachelors of Science. Andrew, Arthur Robert (senior scholarship in physics), Johnson, Alfred Gadsby, M'Knight, Susannah Catherine Campbell (M.A.), Keil, William Fulton, Thomson, James Allan (senior scholarship in geology). Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Mining). Fisher, Norman Richard. Bachelor of Laws. White, Charles Gilbert. The degrees were then presented by the Vice-chancellor, the Ulrich medal, awarded for the first time, being handed to its winner, Jame3 Allan Thomson, by Professor Gibbons. The lady graduates were at the same time handed some very lovely bouquets and floral wreaths by their friends, and all those who had taken degrees were loudly applauded.

The Ilev. A. Cameron, at the conclusion of the presentation of diplomas, said he thought it would be very unwise if he were to detain them with any lengthy remarks — (interruption from the gallery) — on education ill general, or our local institution, which Professor Gilray had spoken on so well. He was snre they all regretted the absence of the chancellor; and not only did they regret hi« absence, but they regretted that he had not been re-elected to the senate by the Government. It seemed to him (Mr Cameron) that Government would have done "well to consider the claims of those who had served, the University so long and so well, and placed them on the senate again. Wellington, which represented the newest college, returned nine members to the senate to five for the other college*, which, he thought, was very unfair. There was nothing to prevent that being don© whenever Government was ready to nominate. However, that was not what he had intended to speak on. Ho had intended to speak on the desirableness of having something done to make our institution more effective. One way was by interesting the community in the institution That had been done during last year by the two newspapers. The Evening Star had taken the lead and the Daily Times had followed, and had aroused an interest in tho Otago University such as had not been awakened before. The result was that if Government now did it.-, duty they would be able to appoint a professor of physiology and make •their Medical School more efficient than it had been. It seemed to him that something should be done to bring the University more directly into contact with the community, and that might be done by seeking wider representation upon their council. He thought the Chamber of Commerce and City Council might be approached with the object of their having representation on the University Council, and that in that way they would awaken an interest in the community which would be the lueans of introducing life and vigour into the University, and placing it iv a position to serve- the community. That was one direotion in which they might make the dnstitution serve the community better. There was another direction in which he thought the institution might be made more effective, and that was by having in some of their classes extra-mural lectures, and it was time they had these. It seemed to him there should be opportunity given to the best men who could teach a subject to teach it when they were prepared to do so. Ho would not detain them longer, and would conclude by congratulating the graduates. When he had graduated he was the only one, and now lot them look at the row of graduates in the front of the hall.

The Mayor (Mr T Scott) expressed the pleasure he felt at being present, and thought it was perhaps considered advisable to have tiie Mayor pieseut as representing the citizens and the community generally. He proceeded to refer to the extreme desirability of uni-ting the practical with the theoretical. It was customary for University people to look down upon those who had not had a university education. — (Chorus from the gallery : " Not at all ; not at all. Wo don't.") The citizens of Dunedm thought very highly of the University, which was prized from the fart that when an appeal was made a sum of over £12,000 was raided, and he believed more could be got. He would only refer to two branches of university education, and they were the Medical and the Mining Schools, and he referred to them because he had followed the career of those who had studied in the two schools. He believed no better. •work in the direction of education had fooen done in the colony than in those two schools. He hoped that the time would come when the University and the city

would be more closely identified, and concluded by congratulating the students upon their success, and wishing them prosperity in the future.

The Vice-chancellor thanked those present for their attendance, and also the " more larrikin party " for their most orderly behaviour. The proceedings then terminated.