The Name of the Rose

During the Capping ceremony Mr Kitts, the Mayor, suggested that the present title 'Victoria University of Wellington" should be shortened to "the University of Wellington." This change would be made when the four universities become autonomous along with the dissolution of the University of New Zealand at the end of this year. The virtues of this proposed change would be that (1) "University of Wellington" is shorter; (2) Vic. would come into line with the rest of the Big Three; (3) it would be gratifying to the people of Wellington. It would help to integrate the university into the city. It would make people feel that the university "belonged" to them, as a respectable and valuable asset, rather than existed as a non-profit-making, non-ratepaying lascivious excrescence, serving to aggravate the labour shortage, and good only for a satisfactory scandal every now and then. This latter image is very common, even among some students, as we see from some of the silly "disgusted" letters that come in to "Salient."