THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE MEETING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 11.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 35

THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE MEETING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 11.

On Tuesday evening at the Metropole Hotel the meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute was held to hear a paper on the Rhodes Scholarships read by Dr Parkin, who at one time visited New Zealand. Earl Grey, the Governor-designate of Canada, presided, and among those in the body of the room were Lord Ranfurly and Mr W. Weddel. Dr Parkin, Sn the course of his paper, first eulogised Mr Cecil Rhodes,' whose favourite motto had been that the greatest happiness is to be found in the constant pursuit of a great purpose. Then, with reference to the scholarships, he said that whether it so wishes or no, Oxford must stand henceforth at the bar \of a, public opinion which will constantly be weighing the accuracy of the judgment passed by Mr Rhodes. Oxford had already a large outlook on the outer world. One of her sons ruled over South Africa, another was Viceroy of India, many others were filling national posts of almost eoual importance abroad as well as at home. But a scheme which opened a possibility for leading spirits of the Anglo-Saxon world to learn their lessons at her feet was, even for her. a. wonderful widening of opportunity. Whether at first Oxford felt all this was doubtful. A nervous tremor certainly ran through the Common rooms of the ancient university at the first announcement of the bequest. The fact of 200 young men being drawn to her from the ends of the carth — from South African veldt and w-estern prairie, from New Zealand bush and rocky mountains, awakened visions of nniamed cowboys and boimdary-riders, of howic knives and revolvers invading the High street — rather trying Ho the imagination of cloistered scholars. But a.ny such feelins: was temporary and limited. Oxford as a whole welcomed the larger opening ; with knowledge of educational conditions in the communities concerned enabled anyone who knew the colonies or the United States to give assurance that even from th-e most remote, tK6ugh there mitrht occasionally bo sent material crude in form and rough in manner, it would always be at least vigorous, hard-working, and full of purpose. A series of questions ■which, in behalf of the trustees, Dr Parkin addressed to the separate colleges soon brought out the fact that every college was ready to accept each year a number of the Rhodes scholars proportioned to the size of the college ; some colleges would only receive men prepared to read for honours; that most of them

, ' were ;.-rei7ared to tab 6 either ii'vi<uvi.achiaTe:: » of more advanced slivcli-Tiis. But evs" l where tne various colleges had expressed j££*_fnelr willingness to accept the students. ; " much yet remained to be done. 1 Dr Parkin went on to remark that wherl ever through the colonies he had gone the i potentialities of the scheme as a mighty j binding force within the Empire had been freely recognised. It might bo 20 or it E might be 50 years before its full force was i felt ; but it was planned for the centuries, , and we could abide, with patience its full - development. Wherever he had gono r through the United States the idealism of Mr Rhodes in regard to international relar tions had been accepted as nobly true. The . question of domicile presented difficulties, > and had requred careful oonsderation. In • New Zealand a vigorous argument was r made for the- selection of native-born candir dates only, but this was felt to be inconsds- > tent with the conditions of an Empire in > -which population shifted from one point to another. Speaking generally, it had been I decided that candidates should __ be s free- to elect whether they should s apply for the scholarship in the > province or State in which they . had their homo and legal domicile or that r in wh'ch they had chiefly received their \ qualifying educational training. In places i like New Zealand he had been constantly t asked, " Will these young fellows return?" |i He thought that in the majority of cases > they would. But he was not at all sure it r was always best that they should. When in i New Zealand the question was put to him, ' ) and' he said to the querist, "Did you notice • the other day that the British Association ; and the Royal Society in London, asked a. j young New Zealander, now a professor at i the M'Gill University, with probably the l best scientific instruments in the world, to i assist in presecuting his researches, to disi cuss_ before them the properties of radium? ! Is it not a good thing for New Zealand i that he should have had these magnificent ) opportunities for scientific research and to ; be called to London to discuss the question?" — ("Hear, hear.") s It was admitted that Japan had lately - taught the nations of the world many ' striking lessons. How had she done it? By picking tho brains of the world. Sh© : ■ had sent out her students to every civilised i country ; they had selected there everything that was of the best in national knowledge, practice, and organisation ; and when they had made themselves masters of all this, 1 they had gone back to pour out upon their own country all their gains, to give it the 1 advantage of everything they had learned. What could be better for young countries ' like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa — and one might add, too, the ' United States — than that in like manner large numbers of young men should go forth for the same purpose, and bring back for the good of their own countries the fruit of their studies and investigations? ' 4 The Rhodes scholarships placed ;t; t easily within the power of the younger countries of the Anglo-Saxon world to draw upon the* deepest and richest fountains ,of (knowledge in England, and even in Europe. — ("Hear, hear.'') Lord Brassey having spoken. Lord Ran- * ~ furly said as one who was in New Zealand - . during the arrangement of rules for the i splection of the Rhodes scholars, and as ' chairman of the selectors, he naturally took a great interest in the subject and in those '. who had been sent to Oxford from the vari- ! ous parts of v the Empire. People little ■■ knew how difficult had been the task of the selections. In New Zealand they had had! : six namfes. Two they were able to eliminate without difficulty; the other four were balloted" for. and they came out eqaal. They were then taken in t>airs. and again they came out equal. They had six or seven ballots before they manaeed to get rid of one of the four. Then, feeling confident that they would come equal again if he (Lord Ranfurly) voted — he had refused to give a casting vote, as in his opinion all the candidates were equally good men and equally eligible — he dioT not vote at the last ballot. The result- was thai; one candidate was selected. And he was glad to hear from Dr Pax-kin, -who had s«*«n the New Zealand Rhodes scholar at. Oxford', that he would] do good credit to th? country arid to those who sent him. — fA.pnla.use.) He (Lord Ra-n-furlv) felt that the bringing of these young men from the different parts of the Empire would cement it together. His reason was 1 possihly different from that Eel^ by others — > youne men would learn that Eneland' was . "home." They would haw an opportunity of seeing th^ country, and hp trusted they ' would go hack much benefited and true sons of the Empire. — (Atvnlause.) In conclusion. Lord Ranfurly said he hoped in a few weeks to so to Ox-ford and' see the> > t- Rhodes scholars there. — fArmlanse.) • I/kTv Hamilton and Sir F. Yo"nsr having ■ snok^n. Mr H. I'RatrWpy pointed out thai; i Mr Rhodes's will, which tWv h?d to carry i out. was only a " first edition" Had * the '< testator lived he would have had tbe result ■ of experience to guide Mm in framing a, scheme. ' I A heai'tv vote of +hanks to Dr Parkin concluded the proceedings.

' The purchaser of rubies in Burma (says \ tho Jewellers' Circular W-eekly). placed near ' a window, has before him. a large copper plate. Sellers come to him one by one, j and, each empties upon his plate his little , i bag of rubies. The purchaser proceeds to arrange thpm for valuation in a number of small heaps. Tho first division is into three [ grades, according: to size: each of these '. groups is again divided into three piles, ; , according to colour, and each of these piles t ' in turn is -again divided into three groups, according to shaps. The bright copper I plate has a curious use. Sunlight reflected s from it through tho stones brings out, with ' true rubles, a colour different from that : with red spinels and tourmalines, which are J. . thus easily separated. Buyer and seller [ I then c;o through a very peculiar method . J of bargaining by signs, or rather grips, in ' | perfect silence. After agreeing upon the . ! fairness of tho classification, they join their . ' right hands, covered with a handkerchief k , or tho flap of a garment, and by grips and! j pressures mutually understood among all '. ', theae dealers they make, modify, and accept ' j propolis of purchase and sale. The hands ' are then uncovered, and the prices are recorded. \ i — Tho soil of Cuba is extremely fruitful. • Cabbages there are so large that heads i weighing 201b each are common. All • ! vegetables da well. Radishes may be eaten from 14 to 18 days after sowing, lettuce in. i five weeks after sowing, while corn proI . duces three crops per year. Sweet potatoes l i grow all the year.