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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 76

Here and There

page 88

Here and There.

A contributor who signs himself "X.Y.Z.," but who fails to forward his proper name, sends us two samples of alleged sanity. [unclear: Th] first is entitled "Scraps from Seldeniana Ceremony." It [unclear: say] "Ceremony keeps up all things," but would it keep up a pair [unclear: o] trousers or support a family ? "Of all people, ladies have no [unclear: reason] cry down ceremony; for were they not used with ceremony—[unclear: wi] compliments, addresses, and kissing of hands—they were the [unclear: pitiful] creatures in the world." We should pity the modem Selden who [unclear: sa] this to a New Woman or a lady med. Mr Selden may have been [unclear: a] authority in his own day, but his modern disciple should, in [unclear: future] head his contributions "Notes from Seacliff." The second note is [unclear: a] unwarranted attack on the methods of amusement adopted by [unclear: th] medical student. We have handed the article to the J. L. [unclear: Sulliv] of the Medical Faculty, who will be pleased to discuss the matter [unclear: wi] "X.Y.Z."

It is a pity that the Debating Society is not bettor patronised by [unclear: th] students. However good a subject may be, a debate cannot be a [unclear: succe] if there is but a small attendance of students. The [unclear: Parliaments] debate was the best of the year, and the warmth with which some [unclear: of] the speakers entered into the debate was worthy of S. M. J. himself.

We quote the following from a private letter from Dr. Chilton:[unclear: —]"To-morrow is the Capping Ceremony here (Edinburgh), and [unclear: the] are, I think, eight New Zealanders, and one of them—W. J. Barclay[unclear: —]is the "Ettles Scholar "—i.e., the most distinguished graduate of [unclear: h] year; while another, P. T. Herring, gets his M.D., with a gold [unclear: meda] for his thesis, and a valuable scholarship, so that the New [unclear: Zealand] are well to the front again. I see that the Capping Ceremony has [unclear: been] revived with you on a new, and I hope, a more satisfactory basis."

Dr Chilton is still acting as house surgeon to the Eye Ward at [unclear: t] Infirmary, and intends continuing his studies for some time on [unclear: th] Continent before returning to the colonies.

In the last report of the Director of the School of Mines we [unclear: not] that complaint is made of the limited space available for [unclear: laboratory] purposes, and a proposal to remedy it by extending the North end of [unclear: th] Mining School six feet towards the tennis court. We have no [unclear: dou] that more space is urgently required, but we would point out that the proposal is taken up by the Council it means almost the [unclear: annihilation] of the tennis court, as it at present stands. Even now [unclear: there] little enough room for back play, and should the Council find page 89 necessary to make an extension of the building they should, at the same time, extend the tennis court at the north end. Tennis and Fives are the only recreations we are allowed—and that on sufferance—within the grounds, and it seems to be only a question of time when they too will be shutout by buildings.

One often feels tempted to say a great deal about the want of space around the 'Varsity, but it would be to little purpose. Many students are compelled to spend the greater part of the day about the buildings, either at lecture, or waiting until the next one comes on. The latter is almost entirely waste time. Study is out of the question; in the students' rooms it is impossible, and the use of the library and class room for this purpose is prohibited. Recreation is possible only to the limited few who can occupy the tennis and five courts—eight at the most, and the result is that the greater part of the time is spent in useless loafing. It takes no sage to see that if a football and cricket ground, with two or three tennis and fives courts, with a well-equipped gymnasium were at hand, they would be largely made use of, and what is now waste time would at least be used in healthy exercise. With the leasing of the Castle street block for building sites the last hope of the students in this direction has gone, and there seems to be nothing for it hut that our 'Varsity must become a place for mere lectures and cram.