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The Spike or Victoria College Review, October 1903

Capping Day

page 30

Capping Day

Haberdasher.—Here is the cap your worship did bespeak.
Petruehio.—Why, this was moulded on a porringer.

Taming of the Shrew

Sketch of mortarboards with words capping day written on them

The time-honoured ceremony on the afternoon of Diploma. Day passed off with a decorum and dignity which reflected the highest credit on the authorities. In extenuation of the behaviour of the students it has been pointed out that they used their lungs to good purpose in the evening and that they were saving up. Their conduct, however, was untraditional, and it went hard indeed when the Minister for Education insinuated that an attempt at "For lie's a jolly good fellow" had proved a failure. We venture to assert that had the Minister been present in the evening he would have absolved us from the stigma of insipidity.

Among those on the platform were the Chief Justice, the Premier, Hon. T. Y. Duncan, J. Duthie, M.H.R. and Or Fitchett, and, to use the words of a contemporary, they "bore themselves with a degree of restraint that rendered the proceedings much more seemly than on previous occasions." The Vice-Chancellor "kicked off" so to speak, with an eloquent tribute to the work done by the retiring Chancellor, Sir .Tames Hector. The Chairman of the Council, the Reverend W. A. Evans, after reaching the top flights of eloquence on "Universities as instruments of Culture," descended to the sordid depths of "Universities as instruments for the extortion of Government Funds." The Minister of Education, the Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, explained at length that the matter of Victoria College Buildings was being kept "steadily in view," but committed himself to one definite statement, that the Students should not suffer when the time came For building. Professor Easterfield, Chairman of the Professorial Hoard, paid a high and well-merited tribute to the students, lie also paid a high tribute-to the Professors. His speech was warmly applauded by the "specialist" party. Mr. J. W. Joynt and Dr Findlay also spoke. The proceedings were relieved by the presentation of diplomas and a choir dispensed sweetest music from the back benches and explained doubtful points in the speeches as occasion demanded.