PBOFESSOE LAISY.

65

1.—19 a.

L 5. And are you also aware of this, thai the Accountants' Society have voted money for that purpose? —Yes. 16. Are you also aware of this, that the Law Societies in the four large centres have also voted money for the purpose of teaching? —Yes, but I do not think they have done it in all. 17. Do you think,, for the purposes of the Accountants' Society, if the University colleges are requested by the society, and that request is backed up with a promise of £200 per annum to undertake to do the minimum that may be required for the purpose of accountant students in commerce and law, which means the provision of one lecturer, do you think the colleges should he prevented from doing that? —1 think that provision only provides coaches, and if the principle you lay down is to be followed we will have ultimately an engineering and medical school in each of the four centres. We will establish schools in each professional subject in each centre. 18. Do you say that result would follow from the establishment of a single lectureship?— Why apply the principle to law and commerce and not to other subjects? 19. Those who want the teaching are finding most of the money? — There are students who want, teaching in medicine in Wellington. 20. Can there be any comparison?—l think there would be very good grounds on the principle you mention for establishing a medical school in Wellington, but I think it would be very disastrous. 21. Are not some of the subjects which now form [tart of the medical course taught in other centres, such as biology? —That does not mean that medicine is taught in othe r centres. 22. Supposing you take what will ultimately, no doubt, be aimed at and secure in Wellington the establishment and equipment of a large law school on th<' lines indicated by Professor Adamson as existing in America, like Harvard and Yale?— That would not be possible under Mr. Hogben's report. I think such a thing would lie rendered impossible by Mr. Hogben's report. A certain amount of money is available for University education in New Zealand ; the amount is determined by the number of people in New Zealand, and it cannot exceed a certain amount. Let us assume that the people of New Zealand will spend more on University education than any other people in world —they are not doing so — that would give a certain total sum, but thai total sum woidd be quite inadequate to establish good schools in law, commeroe, and so on, in all the four centres, and that is why it is necessary to have specialization at the different University oentres. 23. I quite understand that; but you have the accountants and others who are asking for a minimum of teaching in legal subjects sufficient to enable the students to qualify in law for the purposes of the Accountancy Examination, and should that not be given in the four centres? —No. 1 think it should not be given, because such work is merely coaching for examinations. I think it could be better done by professional coaches, and directly the University does that work true university work disappears from the University, and not only does it disappear from the particular subject in which it is done, but it affects all other work of the University and lowers the whole character and tone of the University. I think Mr. Bryce's advice on the subject ia such that great weight may be attached to it. He gave specific advice on the point you mention, which was that a law and commerce school should be placed at Wellington as a special school, and Mr. Hogben's report makes no provision for any such specialization. 24. You understand that Mr. llogben's report is only based upon the minimum requirements of the University as they exist.' —He does not provide finances adequate to meet the minimum he himself lays down, and therefore I think his report will be the maximum, anyway for many years to come. It would give Victoria College a deficit. 25. In estimating the money that is required for Victoria College, is not the chief difference between your estimate and Mr. Hogben's one of the probable amount of fees to be paid by the students? —Yes, Mr. Hogl>en's estimate of fees is the main difference. I think his estimate cannot be supported at all. 2G. There is a difference of about £1,000 between you? — More than that — about £2,000 or t:5,000. 27. The ('Ji<iirwrin.\ Did I understand you to say just now that you would not recommend teaching of law and commerce subjects in any but the one centre? —That is my personal opinion —that until the standard of work has been very much raised in all the existing subjects that are taught the teaching of law and commerce in the other centres should not be introduced. When all subjects had reached a University standard, then I see no objection to the introduction of law and commerce teaching in other centres. At present the majority of subjects are a long way below the University standard, and the effect of teaching of all those subjects in all the centres would be to keep them there. 28. You would be inclined to put law and commerce in Wellington on the same footing as mining in Otago? —Yes, because we are in a community that cannot afford to pay for University teaching in all centres. 29. Then what are you going to do with the numerous young men who are already learning law practically in the various centres and earning their living by that means —what opportunities are you going to give them? —It seems to me they would be under no greater hardships than the students in the various States of Australia, which I think are comparable to New Zealand, where there is a single university, and the solution has been in some of those States to found scholarships to enable them to go to the place where the university is. Mr. Hogben in his report says that is impracticable. I think if he went on his own figures he would have arrived at the conclusion that it was quite practicable. I think it is an economical proposal. 30. You advanced somewhere in your evidence figures regarding the districts served by the various University colleges?— Yes.

9—l. 13a.