BY J. BROWNLIE HENDERSON. XXVil. 
The advantages of a University from a higher stand- 
point have been so often proclaimed that it is needless for 
me to repeat them to-night. 
One is tempted to look forward and try to show some 
of the results of better education. Try to picture Brisbane if 
governed by men who had been well trained in public health. 
No more would be heard of our present foul “ sanitary ”’ 
system, or of foods manufactured solely to sell—not for pro- 
viding nourishment. It is undoubtedly only a matter 
of education (which is in this case “ time”) until we will 
force all candidates for civic honors to prove by passing 
a@ non-competitive qualifying examination that they know 
sufficient about finance, public health, and similar subjects 
to justify the citizens in putting them in charge of their 
city. We would then have a proper system of drainage, 
a drinkable water supply, a freedom from plague, etc., and 
I have no doubt, a smaller overdraft. The same thing will 
apply in the future to politicians. I feel certain that a 
well-educated people will demand from any man who 
proposes to make their laws and govern them some proof 
of his competency to do so. I do not suggest a literary 
standard but a qualifying examination before nomination, 
on the principles of Government as applicable to our local 
conditions. We do it in every other profession—why not 
in that profession which should be the noblest of all 2 
It is also-a question of only a few years till education 
will cause the present barbarous system of war to be 
abandoned. It is against the laws of nations to kill by 
Shells containing poisonous gases. Why? Would it not 
be infinitely more humane to fire shells loaded with a gas, 
which if it did not kill (and that painlessly) outright would 
leave men strong and well as ever, than to fire shrapnel 
which smashes and maims and tears and leaves what was 
aman a hideous mass of torn flesh, and even when it only 
wounds leaves men maimed for life? That old professional 
soldier, the knight, objected to the introduction of fire- 
arms; it spoiled his sport and made war more, instead 
of less, dangerous to him than to the ordinary soldier. The 
modern European military expert objects to gases which 
would kill without maining or leaving any wound because 
it would spoil war from his standpoint. Instead of being 
