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Professor HaSlam said that under the present system considerable value was attached to New Zealand degrees in educational centres in England, lie thought that was a thing worth preserving. There was a great deal of difference between the value attached to our degrees and those of other colonial universities which conducted their own examinations. Educational authorities at Home said they knew where they were in the case of our degrees. Ilis experience did not agree with that (if Professor Kirk in regard to students nut going on with their work whilst awaiting the results of the examinations, lie was opposed to the notion thai the University professors here were very much like "coaches." He had never acted as such, and never would. Mr. Watkihs thought that if the change suggested in the motion were carried out there would be danger of our degrees falling in value. Professor White must say that he had not yet been quite able to see the reasons for the change. The objections that had been raised to the present system applied to almost any system of examination, and applied to almost any body of examiners to a greater or less degree. They were of a trivial nature, it seemed to him, and were not quite significant enough to weigh very much with the Conference. He had often heard it said that the change should be made in order that the examiner might know something of the personality of the examinee. He did not know what that meant. To know something of the personality of an examinee in the case of a written examination did not seem to him to count for very much. The examiner judged by results or by the papers set. Were the New Zealand professors who advocated the change advocating it on behalf of the students who passed or ought to pass, or on behalf of those who failed and who ought not to fail.' It was not at all cleai to him where this vital question of originality entered in a matter of a written examination. He could not sec very well how it was to be estimated. Then, again, it had been urged thai the teacher was always the best examiner. That was one of those statements, it seemed to him, of too general a character to attach very much importance to. It might be true in an abstract kind of way, but an examination was a very different kind of thing from teaching. lie was to some extent disposed to think that there ought to lie two sets of persons concerned in every examination. He thought the teacher, alone was not to be trusted 111 this matter he meant so far as results were concerned. ll would not be a wise thing to give all teachers or professors I lie power of passing students through. It had been suggested that an examiner should be appointed with the teacher as a kind of compromise. ll seemed to him that under the present s\slein they practically got that. He would rather rely on the judgment of two independent examiners than on the teacher and an examiner. If a teacher said, " Unquestionably I think this student ought to pass.'' it could easily be seen that the examiner might to some' extent be influenced contrary to his own judgment. He would like to know the object of the proposed change. Wasit to raise the standard of the degree examinations in New Zealand? lie presumed it was not meant to lower the standard. It would be just as well for us to take a less optimistic view of our work, and be prepared to pass on what we did to men of world-wide authority and reputation, and let them appraise our University degrees, and not ourselves. He was inclined to think that it would be sounder policy to let well alone for some time to conic Dr. Anderson thought that New Zealand had reached a time when it might stand on its own dignity and say. " We do the best we can within the limits of our University," and trust to the public outside the Dominion to recognize that we were doing good work. He did not see why a general practice should not be followed of allowing the professors of I he University colleges to set the papers in association, each of the professors so engaged having, say. two others from different centres associated witli him in the award. That would meet the difficulty that might be suggested of one professor unduly favouring a candidate, and it would bring about a closer association with the teaching than existed at the present lime. He was surprised to hear Professor White give utterance to the opinion that teaching and examination should be entirely dissociated. He thought it must be recognized that the closer they brought the two together the better it would lie for the University. He had much pleasure therefore in supporting Professor Kirk's motion. Mr. JJii.wK moved, as an amendment, to omit all the words after the word "That," with the view of inserting the following: "it be a recommendation to the Senate of the University of Nev Zealand to arrange that all pass degrees in arts and science be conferred on the basis of joint reports of ihe Home examiners and the professors of the colleges from which the students come." It seemed to him almost outrageous that the men who knew the work of the students through and through should have no voice in saying whether their students were to be awarded a degree. As a compromise, he would like to see his resolution adopted. Mr. Gray seconded the amendment. Professor Haslam pointed out that the annual college examination weeded out from the candidates coming up for the degree such students as the professors thought were not worthy to pass. Those who went forward had practically the imprimatur of their colleges that they were fit to pass for a degree. Professor (In.KAY saiil the Professors here already had the power of slopping students going forward who they thought ought not to do so. Mr. Straohan traversed at some length the arguments put forward by Professor Kirk. If the idea embodied in the original motion were affirmed it would tend to permit a single professor to li\ his own programme irrespective of what the University thought right. The value of the degree must depend on the standing of the men wlio granted it. The examiners at Home were men who were known in all corners of the earth where their subjects were taught. It had been said that there were other degrees granted in New Zealand -namely, the tiL.B. and the medical degrees. Now, it happened that in connection with the former each country claimed the right to see that before men practised in law they must prove that they came up to that country's standards. And every one knew that our local medical graduates were not satisfied until they hail journeyed Home and had some Home experience, and possibly gained some Home degree. Our present examiners were men who had not only passed their examinations with high honour, but. what was even more

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