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A Foreword

The Latin poet that old men love has said:

"Tempus abire tibi est, ne . . .

Rideat et pulset lasciva decentius aetas."

Why, then, should I venture to write a Foreword for the young students' magazine? I do so at the request-of the promoters of the Silver Jubilee number of the "Spike."

This is an auspicious occasion that is being celebrated by the graduates and under-graduates of Victoria University College. Another mile-stone has been passed in the forward march of our people. It may be of interest to us to recall, even in a small way, the hopes and ideals of our pioneers in their struggle for higher education.

The settlers came to these distant isles of the sea determined to found a new nation complete in all the requirements of a noble national life. The necessity of education was ever before them. And education was not to be confined to the "three R's"—to primary instruction. Our nation was to have the highest and noblest of educational institutions. Suggestions were made that there should be, as the famous John Knox and the other Johns of Scottish fame had urged, grammar schools in every township as well as primary schools in every parish. And to crown all, there were to be university colleges. Grammar schools were early endowed and, wonderful to be recorded, a University Ordinance was passed in Otago in the twenty-first year of its existence as a settlement.

There were in these early days three suggestions made as to how to establish university education. One suggestion was that the general government should establish scholarships for the brighter youths, in connection with the universities of the United Kingdom. The second proposal made was that a university should be established in some healthy and invigorating country place away from the turmoil of town life. The place suggested was Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu—a great site in a most beautiful situation. The third suggestion was that the site should be in a large town. The reason urged for this proposal was, that the city population would be enabled to get the higher education, many of the youth working during the day and studying at night.

The third suggestion was mainly approved. The Otago University was created in 1869 and opened its doors in Dunedin in 1871. Four years later, in 1873, the Canterbury College was established. In 1872 the First New Zealand University Act was passed, the university, it was thought, was to be in Dunedin, and the Otago University might then agree to its merger, but a piece of political jugglery prevented that proposal being carried out. A new General Act was passed in 1874 and the New Zealand University became a degree granting and an examining institution.

In 1878 the Grey Ministry (Mr. Ballance being Minister of Education) appointed a commission to enquire and report on University Education. The report was made in 1879 and recommended that there should be four university colleges. No steps page break were taken to create further university colleges till 1882 when the Auckland College Act was passed. Still no step was taken to provide University Education for Wellington and the 'middle district of New Zealand. Not till 1887 was there introduced into Parliament a Bill to create a University College in Wellington.

This Bill provided for the various Government Departments of science—geology, biology, chemistry, etc., being handed over to a Wellington University, the head scientific officer of the Government being made Warden. Had this scheme been carried out, we would have had a great college of science—the first in Australasia, and the expense would have been less than it has cost us to keep so many scientific and research departments under Government control. The Bill passed the House of Representatives but was shelved in the Legislative Council. Not a single member of the Council who then held office is now alive, and therefore comment on the Council's action is not desirable. The Bill was shelved by 25 votes to 6. The six favouring the passing of the Bill were Baillie, Buckley, G. R. Johnston, Kenny, Mantell and Swanson.

Next session a new Ministry came into office and nothing was done to found a University College in Wellington for seven years. Three Ministries held office during that period. In 1894 the Middle District University College Bill was introduced, but. the Ministry of the day refused to sanction any endowment. It passed its second reading on the 26th July, 1894.

The following was the voting:

The Speaker (O'Rorke) could not vote, and Sir George Grey and Larnach were not in Wellington. The following did not vote nor pair:—Cadman, Hutchison, G., Hutchison, W. Lang, McKenzie, John, Montgomery, W. H., Seddon, Te Ao, Ward. Captain Russell had strongly supported the Bill but was not present at the Division.

The Bill passed the Legislative Council and became law. The Act came into operation and a Council was appointed and some steps taken to begin teaching. No money was, however, forthcoming and the reserves set apart in the University District for university purposes were not handed over to the College.

In 1897 the Act was repealed and a new Act passed—The Victoria College Act. The area for university purposes included in the Act was the same as that in the Middle District Act, namely, the Provincial Districts of Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Marlborough, Nelson and Westland.

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The growth of the College since 1899 need not be rehearsed. It has wonderfully developed. The ideal of old was that our children were to be disciplined not only to health and to learning but also to work and to thought. To-day the same aim still stands. As a recent writer has said, "the youth must contribute his or her share of work and must be trained to discipline and endurance as well as to joy and power. He must become accustomed to the meanest task and to the highest thought."

We have had many successes in our university history. Many of our graduates have entered the struggle for existence in old countries and they have succeeded. In the old universities they have distinguished themselves. Is not one of our graduates one of the most distinguished of British Scientists?

In Imperial service their merit is not unknown. We are proud of their success, and amongst ourselves our natives in our Dominion have been able to fill the highest offices with credit to themselves and with renown to our institutions. What is to be our future? How will our civilization stand? We know from the most recent historians and ethnologists, that there are ups and downs in the records of past civilizations. The most renowned Egyptologist, Dr. Flinders Petrie, tells us that Egyptian history discloses to us a period of 10,000 years in which we can discern eight successive periods of civilization, each separated by an age of barbarism or decline before and after it. What are we to expect? We are at present in a period of "Great Years" and in the hey day of progress and prosperity. Will the evil times of barbarism ever come to these beautiful islands of the Southern Seas, that have all their glory of climate and surroundings? To you, the students of Victoria College, and to your fellow-students in our other colleges, we must look for service and guidance. On you our hopes must rest. You are the pioneers. You head the procession, "And our visions sweep through eternity." May it never happen that our civilization shall decay and our new nation end in barbarism.