“ NOT SO BOISTEROUS.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17352, 17 May 1924, Page 11

“ NOT SO BOISTEROUS.”

CAPPING CEREMONY. CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY URGED. The capping ceremony at Canterbury College yesterday was marked by the usual merrymaking by students, but it was much more polite and much less boisterous than at previous capping ceremonies. A chorus of students at the back of the college hall with a piano for accompaniment, sang snatches of songfa ar.d made the ceremony quite lively, but no speaker had anything to complain of ; each was allowed to say all, apparently, that he wished to say, although Dr Chilton was counted out. Students, with their friends and relatives, invited guests, professors and others filled the hall. The Mayor (Air J. A. Flesher) was amongst those on the platform. An apology was received for the absence of Professor J. Macmillan Brown, Chancellor of the New Zealand University, and Mr H. D. Acland, Deputy-Chancellor presided. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, M.P., also apologised for absence. On the serious side, the most important feature of the ceremony was a demand by several speakers for a Canterbury University. ADDRESS BY MR ACLAND. The chairman said that he regretted that the chancellor was not present to preside and confer the degrees. The remark was followed by the students singing in a finished style, " John Brown’s Body Lies A-Aloulder-ing in. the Grave.” “ I am glad to say,” the chairman went on, when he was interrupted again by the students giving as a ringing chorus, “ Glory, glory, hallelujah ! ” “ I am glad to say that one part of the audience agrees with me in regretting that the chancellor is not here,” the chairman continued. Going into the subject of his address without any further very disconcerting interruptions, he said that he wished to congratulate Canterbury College on the number of degrees obtained during the year. The position was significant in respect to the question whether or not Canterbury College should be separated from the New Zealand University, and should itself be a university. Whether the New Zealand University had outlived itself, and whether the time had arrived when, there should be four separate universities in this Dominion, would be the burning question in university politics in the next few years and Canterbury College had considerable buildings, and a staff oi' professors and of lecturers fully competent to run a university of their own. The chairman’s reference to the pro-

fessors and the lecturers caused the students to break in with “ For Thev are Jolly Good Fellows,” sung with evident feelirg and followed by a hearty “ Hipray, hipray, hipray.” “ And the material to work on. judging by .capacity,” the chairman continued. “ is competent to carry on a separate university. There will be a university in Christchurch sooner or later. The criticism aimed at the movement —the criticism that always will be aimed at it—is that our degrees would not be accepted, and would not have the same status, as degrees of the New Zealand University. I have no doubt that, in the early days, the same criticism was levelled against the degrees of the New Zealand University, when it was established. As a matter of fact, it will rest with the standard cf teaching at each university ; and I am quite satisfied as to the quality of the teaching at Canterbury arid indeed, at the other colleges. I was told that a gentleman in Wellington said that the movement for separate universities is fifty years before its time.

My reply is that he is fifty years behind the times. If Canterbury has a separate university, she will retain her independence. The experience of the college board, as governors of a secondary school, is that the central authority is trying to take away ever.- sort of independence from the local authorities. Unless there are separate universities, the next move of the Education Department will be to have the New Zealand Universitv merely a branch the Department in Wellington. We don't want that, and we’re not going to have it. How many people in this ro<jpi know where the New Zealand University is ? If you want to go to it, you take the lift to the fifth or sixth floor in the building of the Dominion Farmers’ Institute, Wellington, turn to the right, stop at the third door on the left, knock and enter. If you ask any persons in Wellington, they don’t know, but point to \ ictoria College, which some day will be Wellington University. If you have to hunt for the New Zealand University you are likely to get lost in the Forestry Department, which is on the same floor. Several years must elapse before Canterbury University is established and steps should be' taken at once to have it done.” MOVEMENT SUPPORTED. The Mayor said that he hoped that Mr Aciand some day would be addressed as Deputy Chancellor of Canterbury Universitv instead of by his present title. University teaching could be managed as well by a local authoritv as by a central one in Wellington. The students : Much better. Ihe Mayor said that he agreed that it could be done much better. He strongly believed in local administration. People in the South Island could manage their own affairs better than could those who lived on the other side of Cook Strait. The students : We also believe in a South Island Parliament. The .Mayor said that he was a strong '

believer in that idea also, and he hoped to live to see it an accomplished fact. When the New Zealand University was established fifty years ago the country had a population not much larger than the population of Canterburj- to-day. Degrees given by a Canterbury University would be respected all over the world as greatly as the New Zealand University’s degrees were respected now. No institution in Christchurch, in Canterbury or in New Zealand had a higher reputation than Canterbury College. The citizens justly were proud of it. Dr C. Chilton, Rector, who was received with a vigorous haka-song, said that he hoped that Mr Aciand, as deputy-chancellor, would see the university disruption to which he had alluded, and would secure as many parts as possible for Canterbury. At the start of her second period of fifty years Canterbury College had done well. He was sure that even greater progress would be made in the next fifty years, lie asked friends of the college to help to obtain £6OO or £7OO still required to erect a memorial window in the college hall. A building for the Students’ Union was needed : the accommodation for men students was utterly inadequate. The college hail now was too small for some of the examinations.