850 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 677 



free countries are, however, encouraged to 

 believe that each has a right to an opinion 

 and to give voice to his opinion. 



Manitoba is unique, not in her provincial 

 or state university, but in the fact that she 

 has limited the power of conferring degrees 

 to that university, and it is eminently fitting 

 when a state decides to establish an educa- 

 tional mechanism that she should control 

 the situation. This assumes what should 

 be the case, that the state is stronger and 

 better able to do what she undertakes than 

 private individuals or corporations and the 

 chief advantage lies in the avoidance of 

 duplication of effort and expense and in 

 the possibility of maintaining a universal 

 high standard throughout the confines of 

 the state. 



The education of succeeding generations 

 of students is a matter of great and vital 

 public interest and therefore one with 

 which the state may deal directly if it sees 

 fit. That Manitoba was far-sighted when 

 nearly thirty years ago she decided to place 

 the responsibility and control of education 

 in the hands of the state, is a matter of 

 gratification to us all. That she is still 

 striving for the highest ideals and greatest 

 practical efficiency is indicated by the re- 

 cent appointment of a royal commission to 

 investigate and make recommendations on 

 university affairs. She naturally wishes to 

 see the limits of her educational respon- 

 sibilities in order to approach the problem 

 in a business-like way but if her university 

 is to be what the name university implies, 

 namely, a center for the dissemination of 

 all phases of human knowledge, it must be 

 first of all a center for the accumulation 

 of all phases of human knowledge. It is 

 therefore apparent that limitations can not 

 be set nor the future of education be fore- 

 cast, since it goes hand in hand with or 

 rather should precede and inspire social 

 and economic progress. Indications should 

 be available, however, in ample time to 



anticipate development along important 

 lines. 



Manitoba should and doubtless will avoid 

 the pitfall of young universities which are 

 suddenly confronted with the necessity of 

 having available the most accurate and ex- 

 haustive information on every conceivable 

 matter of human interest. Many universi- 

 ties content themselves by meeting their 

 responsibilities on paper and publish 

 multitudinous, awe-inspiring, polysyllabic 

 courses of instruction all out of proportion 

 to the number and qualifications of their 

 staffs. Such dangers may be met by pro- 

 vision for the groundwork of the humani- 

 ties and the basic sciences with -later de- 

 partmental specialization first along lines 

 which present the most pressing practical 

 and local necessities, or where conditions 

 furnish local opportunities especially valu- 

 able to any one branch of knowledge. 



A university presupposes, however, that 

 there shall be a continual intake of knowl- 

 edge on the part of those who are to give 

 it out. This can best be done by a com- 

 bination of two methods, both of which 

 should be utilized to the fullest extent. 

 The first is stimulation to research and the 

 second is opportunity to know practically 

 and at first hand what has been done and is 

 in the process of completion by other work- 

 ers along similar or even widely divergent 

 lines. 



Research is only possible where ample 

 facilities and time are available in a sym- 

 pathetic environment. In these days of 

 gauging results in financial terms, the value 

 of research is apt to be overlooked unless 

 it has an immediately practicaJ application. 

 Imagination is often sadly lacking in the 

 so-called practical man who is so likely to 

 be limited in his field of vision if not short- 

 sighted. Ideal results are to be obtained 

 by the cooperation of the man who thinks 

 with the man who works. 



Many people use the word research so 



