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The Spike .. or .. Victoria College Review

The Editorial Committee invites contributions, either in prose or verse, on any subject of general interest, from students or officials connected with the College. All literary communications should he addressed to The Editor Victoria College, Wellington.

Subscriptions are now due and are payable to Mr H. Oram, Financial Secretary, Victoria College.

"Beside the entrance door
Of a sort of temple—perhaps a college-Like nothing I ever saw before
At home in England, to my knowledge."

—Browning

The most noteworthy event which has happened since the Spike last appeared, perhaps the most noteworthy since the establishment of the College has been the opening of the new building. For the last seven years this has been looked forward to both by students and professors, and the congratulatory speeches made on the opening day but marked the appreciation by all of the fact that with the acquisition of a building, the difficulties under which the work was being carried on whilst we were at the Girls' High School would, in a large measure, disappear. Most of the speakers dealt with the progress of university education in this district and the difficulties contended with, but appeared to think that now we had a building very little more could be desired, at any rate, for the present.

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There is one point to which we should like to draw attention. That point is the desirability, we might almost say necessity, for the establishment of a residential department. Of course we shall be told that the Council has no funds, and could not think of considering such a scheme; but a consideration of the need for it may induce members to look into the question. Of this need there can be no doubt. We have nearly four hundred students attending lectures this year, and of this number probably two-thirds are living in lodgings. In most cases a boardinghouse is not an ideal place for study. Students are not welcomed, hours of lectures, of study, etc., interfere with the routine, and the student in quest of "digs" has a hard, and often but indifferently rewarded task. In fact, the difficulty of getting a suitable place can be appreciated only by those who have tried it.

Probably a residential college in the usual sense of the term would be too big a project for the Council to undertake at present; but a system such as that at Christchurch might be adopted. There a start has already been made. The Students' Association passed a resolution urging the necessity for the establishment of a residential department, which the Professorial Board cordially endorsed. The Board of Governors have acted on the recommendation, and a students' house, under the charge of an experienced lady will be opened at the end of the short vacation. Till the establishment prove a financial success the manageress will receive a bonus. We hope the Council may see its way to attempt something of the same kind here, where the necessity is even greater than in Christchurch.

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We note with pleasure that some members of the Council have a proper appreciation of the need of an up-to-date library in the College. Mr. C. Wilson at the last meeting remarked that a college without a library was like a cart without wheels. He put down the cost of even a modest one at something like £1000; but probably the Council will not be able to afford this amount-at least at present. We hope that Mr. Wilson's attention will not be devoted exclusively to furthering the interests of the Science and Arts departments as regards the books to be obtained, and that a few crumbs may be allowed to fall in the way of the Law School. The books in the law section must have cost the Council very little, and though we have the nucleus of a law library more books are absolutely essential. Students are quite unable to purchase reports, the price being far beyond page 7 their means. Such reports as we have might surely be brought up to date-we have none later than 1894, and some of the more expensive text-books of authority added—so that when law students have to hurriedly vacate the lecture rooms to make room for other classes they may be able to do some of the case reading which such high authorities as Professor Salmond and Dr. McArthur maintain is absolutely essential—with a nonexistent library, such advice appears to savour of sarcasm.

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On behalf of the students of Victoria College we have much pleasure in welcoming to our midst the new member of the staff, Professor Salmond. With the appointment of two professors the College may be really said to have entered on that specialization in law which is supposed to be one of its features. Professor Salmond has a high reputation as a writer on legal subjects, and there is no doubt that the scientific study of law will benefit immensely by his appointment. We give elsewhere a short sketch of his academic career, which we are sure will be read with interest.

We would also take the present opportunity of welcoming Mr. W. Gray, the Lecturer on Education. His appointment is all the more gratifying, seeing that he is a graduate of the New Zealand University.