1.—13 a.

14

[PBOFESSOR HUNTEK.

colleges three schemes nut of the hundreds that might be suggested, and. without in iiiij waj endeavouring to educate opinion on this difficult matin, to invite choice of Bcheme, opinions, and comments in order that, according to the terms of the Senate's resolution, " if a working agreement is arrived at the committee draft such a Bill and submit it to the Senate and the colleges for consideration," you will recognize that the Senate as a body neither appreciates the seriousness of the situation nor the difficulty of the task. One has to remember that this is the same Senate that after six years' work on the B.A. and B.Sc. courses has really given the matter up. It has refused to accept the opinions of the professorial conference, and lias practically given the work up. This Education Committee was told at the previous inquiry that the Senate had always consulted the professors on these questions, and that the only reason why the B.A. and B.Sc. courses were not modified to bring them into line with those of other universities was because the professors could not agree. The professors had one conference; they agreed, and the Senate threw out their proposals. The Senate understands, however, that something must be done, but makes no reasonable suggestion of how it should be done. The sending-out of three Bohemee to sixteen hundred people cannot be looked upon as a reasonable method of dealing with the matter. As far as the preceding inquiry was concerned, the main agitation for a University Commission came from this University district. There were, as I have mentioned, some opinions from Canterbury in support of the demand, but since the Senate's action at its last meeting the other centres have realized that reform by the Senate itself is out of the question, and consequently you have petitions from all the centres. The Auckland petition is signed by six of the eleven members of the Council, including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, the Mayor of Auckland, and Chairman of the Education Board, by live out of seven professors, by eight out of ten lecturers and assistants, and l>\ eighty graduates. The Wellington petition is signed by five of the sixteen members of the College Council (doubtless others would have signed, but it was thought unnecessary, as the Council had passed a resolution in favour (if a Commis sion), by the whole of the College_ staff —ten professors and thirteen lecturers and assistants—and by between seventy and eighty graduates. The Canterbury petition is signed by live out of nine of the professors and by the acting-profeesor of the Engineering School. The weakness of the petition from Canterbury is fully explained by the fact that Canterbury College is not a University college only, and its constitution does present a difficulty in any reorganization of the University; but it is a difficulty that will have to be faced, and it seems to us that it can be faced only by a Royal Commission. The petition Prom Otago ( where the proposal for a Commission was previously strenuously opposed, was signed by three members of the Council, In eleven out of nineteen professors, and ten out of seventeen lecturers; so that you find in the whole of the University 75 per cent, of the professors and 7-") per cent, of the other teachers in the University have now asked Parliament I'm , a Royal Commission. I take it there is no other university in the world in which the staffs have been m> unanimous in their demand for a Royal Commission. I think, too, that members of the Committee will be abli to see from Mr. Hogben's report itself that that leads to the same conclusion. I am qoI going n> discuss Mr. Hogben's report, but I would like to direct the attention of members to the opinion of one whom I think has had a certain amount of knowledge of local conditions, and one whose opinion stands high in the academic world—l refer to the liight lion. James Bryce. When he was here he was. as a critic of our institutions, in a very delicate position, but he said at a University ceremony. "Having the Examining Hoard of the University, which was not in such close touch witli tinwork of the colleges as some of them could desire, was another matter that presented difficulty. Before them there was a great deal of difficulty in endeavouring to adjust their University teaching to the peculiar needs of the Dominion. He earnestly hoped, and indeed knew, that the Government, and the public opinion which should guide the Government in a country such as this, would address themselves in all seriousness to consider what should be done to put university education in New Zealand on the most permanent and best footing. He trusted that public attention would never be diverted from this subject until these problems had been solved in some satisfactory manner." 1 think you could not gel a stronger statement from a guest of New Zealand. Another point, of course, that does arise is the question of expense. What 1 want to suggest to the Committee is this: that the expense of a small Royal Commission such as we have suggested is going to be very much cheaper for this country than the continual agitation which has gone on for a number of years. Professor Yon Zedlitz will explain the kind of agit'a tion which has been going on in London, where the University has been trying to combine different ideals. When you consider the cost and time of the members of this Committee, the cost of the preceding inquiry, the expenses of the Senate in dealing with this matter piecemeal, it will be seen that it will be cheaper in the long-run to have a Royal Commission set up. The Senate has already had two meetings of committee in Wellington, and its present method of trying to deal with the matter is utterly ineffective. So that it seems to us that not only would the setting up of a Royal Commission be the most effective method, but it would be by far the cheapest method of dealing with the whole issue. .Another point is this : that the Dominion of New Zealand has endeavoured in various ways to stand well in the eyes of the British public, but this is the kind of advertisement your University gives you. The reoeni report of the Baldane Commission states, " The University of New Zealand was modelled upon the constitution of tin University of London as it existed before its degrees were thrown open, in 1858, to candidates irrespective of their place of education, for students are admitted to the degree examinations from certain affiliated colleges only. In this university candidates for the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees must, as a rule, have kept terms for three years in one of the four affiliated institutions within the Dominion. Candidates for other degrees must in all cases have kept the necessary terms. On the other hand, the method by which the examinations are conducted is more external than that of any British university, for the papers are set and the answers corrected by examiners