A Student Union Building

As for student life—they were all hard up; for that matter, so were we, and so was the whole community. Each and all of us were much harder up than we are today. I count the cost of living as 40 per cent, of today's, but wage rates were much less than 40 per cent, of today's rewards. Tennis balls at 4/6 a pair were a lot of money those days, and 2d, up in the Kelburn car, by concession, was more than 3d. today. The old "gym" was much the same then as now and was considered inadequate for 600 students. Funds were already being collected fora new one, which seemed just round the corner. The Stud. Ass. was involved in a solemn controversy in the wearing of gowns. They wore them at Canterbury and the vote just missed here. Perhaps the heating system was even worse in those days.

Of course, to your eyes, every-thing would seem incredibly primitive. But then, Wellington still had a pioneering look with clouds of dust on Thorndon Quay, as one struggled against a northerly to the old Thorndon station. Yet the place was much more personal in tone— everybody knew everybody. Even if we didn't have a principal (let alone a Vice-Chancellor), we had a Chairman of the Board elected for two years and carrying on the work of his chair with a miserable extra £100 for special assistance.

If you were a student you had to look out for Brookie in the corridors. He would soon put you to rights if you made a noise when lectures had begun. The Brook dynasty of caretakers lasted for two generations, and Brookie the younger had practised to perfection a snap of the fingers which could be heard a hundred yards away.

That's what we were and you know what we are. I don't want to go back to the old days and take a 9-10 Saturday lecture and a 10-12.30 Saturday lab, class. You cannot do the proper University work in odd times, with tired students and tired staff. I want the epithet "night school" never to be applied to the University of Wellington, even if it was true for Victoria in the year 1921.

—A. D. Monro.