180 president's address — SECTION I. 



But the most obvious educational topic is the establishment 

 within the year of a new univei-sity in this very city where 

 we are meeting-. On behalf of one of the sister colonial 

 univei'sities, I offer the right hand of fellowship to our new 

 sister, and wish her every suceess. A new university, of 

 course, is small, but universities like Sydney and Melbourne, 

 which are no longer small, began not much more than a 

 generation ago with beginnings that were even smaller, A 

 -journey through the United States six and twenty months 

 ago, on which I saw something of no fewer than ten 

 American universities of various shapes and sizes, and during 

 which I read a good deal about the universities in the 

 States, makes me desirous of giving one warning to the 

 Australian Colonies and to Australian statesmen. It is not 

 wise to multiply universities. In this matter the law of 

 supply and demand cannot be trusted, if it ever can be in the 

 matter of education ; and the Legislatures should be very 

 careful not to permit the promiscuous conferring of degrees. 

 Let them increase teaching facilities as much as generosity 

 may make possible, but not lower the standard, as at least in 

 higher education competition does. In America there are 

 five or six degree-giving universities to every million inhabi- 

 tants, and a degree by itself has no value. 



If Australia were one country, as it ought to be, two 

 universities would probably be quite enough, or, better still, 

 even one, but it would need to be arranged somewhat on the 

 pattern of the University of New Zealand, with teaching 

 bodies in different places, but one uniform standard of 

 examination for each degree. This would lead to emulation 

 between the different teaching colleges, and would surely 

 have liappy I'esults. Unfortunately, Australia is not one, and 

 at present it looks as if, in spite of the wishes of the people, 

 our absurd divisions were likely to continue. Yet it is worth 

 consideration whether the universities might not agree upon 

 a common standard, and arrange that the courses in the 

 universities of the different Colonies should be parallel and 

 homogeneous. Educated luen should be the first to show 

 that the day of discord is over, and to welcome the arrival of 

 unity and co-operation. One last word uj)on education, which 

 I have felt I should not treat as the main object of my address, 

 but rather as a side-subject, and it is this : — Examinations 

 are necessary, or, if the j>hi-ase bo preferred, are necessai-y 

 evils, but neither in universities nor in schools should they 



