charge, his influence on the character of so many students for so many years, his work in moulding educational legislation and the sentiment of the country, will give him a very important place in the history of the Province." In the Assembly, on March 14th, in reference to the decreasing salaries of the teachers and in response to an inquiry from Mr. C. E. Tanner, the Premier stated that the payments under Provincial grants to the various classes of school teachers had steadily decreased during the past five years. In 1895-96 Class A. received $220 and in 1899-1900, $206.84. In 1895-96 Class B. received $120 and in 1899-1900, $112.81. Class C. decreased from $90 to $84.61, and Class D. from $60 to $56.41. He would make no pledge as to increases in these payments.

66

Considerable discussion upon the subject of text-books took place in Nova Scotia during 1901. In his annual Report, submitted in February, to the Lieut.-Governor, Dr. Mackay made some reference to the matter, although he deemed any present change inadvisable. Up to date the Council of Public Instruction had not seen a set of Readers whose good points, above those in use since 1877, would compensate the public for the expense of a change. Petitions had been received from Farmers' Associations against any such action. The cost would be $25.000, at least, to the parents of the Province, besides a loss to many booksellers. Sometime soon, let us hope, a new Series may appear whose merits will compensate for the cost of change, for the irritation of those constitutionally averse to the new, and for the hostile anonymous criticism of the disappointed promoter which will infallibly follow the introduction of the best texts which can be produced." He was prepared, however, to recommend the authorization and use of some new supplementary Readers to be utilized only after the ordinary texts were mastered. Reference was made to the Temperance text-book as satisfactory and the instruction as efficient. In the Legislative Council, on March 13th, the school text-book question, generally, came up for discussion. The Hon. Mr. Mack, the Hon. Mr. Drummond, the Hon. Mr. Armstrong, and Messrs. Goudge and W. T. Pipes, spoke upon the subject, and after some severe criticisms upon the books used-especially the History of Canada-and a defence at the hands of Mr. Pipes, a Resolution was carried declaring that some of the text-books had outlived their usefulness; recognizing the difficulties connected with the selection of such works; commending the subject to the Government as one of urgent importance; and suggesting early action with a view to changing some of the text-books now in use.

Dalhousie

Halifax

Early in the year the death of Mr. Charles Macdonald, Professor of Mathematics, created a serious vacancy in University, the staff of this institution. Under the terms of an old endowment, by which the Presbyterian College of Halifax had inherited from the Presbyterian Church of Canada the right of appointment, it was announced on April 26th that Mr. Daniel Alexander Murray, B.A., Ph.D., a graduate of the University, and Instructor in Mathematics at Cornell University, had been nominated

for the position by the Board of Management of that College. He was confirmed at a later date. The annual Convocation of Dalhousie was held on April 29th, when the degree of B.A. was conferred upon 25 graduates; that of B.Sc. upon 4; that of LL.D. upon 12; that of M.A. upon 7; and that of M.D. upon 10. Bishop Courtney, of Nova Scotia, was present, and the President, Rev. Dr. John Forrest, delivered his annual address. He spoke in an optimistic tone of the progress of the University since the time in 1880 when its whole endowment barely sufficed to pay working expenses. During the ensuing two decades it had raised half a million dollars, and now had four Faculties instead of one. He deprecated the indifference of the Provincial Government toward higher education, and the neglect of the City of Halifax concerning one of its most vital interests. A properly equipped School of Mining and Engineering would do the city more good than any industry which it could start. If the students of Dalhousie should go abroad for their education, it would take, at the lowest estimate, $40,000 a year out of the Province; yet the Government only gave the University a grant of $1,000 a year. "Our Province as well as our city must do something if both are not to drift into the background. Dalhousie College alone has brought into Halifax about $400,000 of investments and over $600,000 of expenditure, during the past twenty years."

The past year, according to the President, had been most encouraging. The number of students was 340; the coming of Dr. Murray was most gratifying; and the appointments of Dr. G. L. Sinclair, as Dean of the Medical Faculty, and Dr. Norman E. Mackay, in the Department of Surgery, would continue the good work in that connection. He also announced the appointment of Mr. Henry S. Poole, M.A., F.G.S., F.R.S.C., as Lecturer in Geology. The Hon. degree of LL.D. was conferred upon Principal Charles Frederick Fraser, M.A., of the Halifax School for the Blind, and the Rev. T. Watson Smith, D.D., of Halifax. Addresses were delivered by these gentlemen, and by Lieutenant-Governor the Hon. A. G. Jones. Amongst the graduates in Law were Mr. N. G. Murray and Lieutenant J. C. Oland, who had served in South Africa, and the latter of whom had gone back again with the Constabulary. Of the graduates in Arts and Science, 21 came from Nova Scotia, 6 from New Brunswick, 5 from Prince Edward Island, and 3 from other places; of those in Law, 10 were from Nova Scotia and 2 from New Brunswick; all of those in Medicine were from Nova Scotia. The increase in the entrance of students for the new Session was 20 per cent., and the number 125. It was announced a little later that the Rev. Dr. D. M. Gordon, and the Rev. Dr. R. A. Falconer, had been appointed Lecturers on Biblical Literature.

On May 23rd the Halifax Chronicle announced that the late Prof. Macdonald had left $2,000 to the Dalhousie College Library Fund for the purchase of books in English Literature-the interest only to be used. This was commended as a useful step, following upon the Alumni Association's grant of $100 for scientific works, and the yearly assistance given by the students, ranging from $50 in 1895

to $231 in 1899. The Halifax Herald, of two days later, urged others to follow this example and do something, however little, for the excellent purposes of the University. "From every point of view Dalhousie is the best investment in this city or Province." At the meeting of the Governors of the University, on July 19th, Professor Stephen M. Dixon, M.A., Professor of Civil Engineering in the University of New Brunswick, was unanimously chosen to fill the Chair of Physics vacant by the retirement of Prof. McGregor. This position he accepted. One of the principal events of the year at Dalhousie was the appointment of Prof. James Gordon McGregor, M.A., LL.D. (Glasgow), D.Sc. (Lon.), F.R.S.E., F.R.S.C., to the Chair of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, in succession to Prof. R. G. Tait. Such high promotion for a native of Nova Scotia, a graduate of Dalhousie and, since 1879, its Professor of Physics, was naturally a subject of congratulation in the Province. The St. John Telegraph, of June 20th, declared that "the appointment of Dr. McGregor will remove from Canada one of the cleverest scientists in the country, and one of the very few men in the Dominion who has devoted much time to original research." The St. John Sun, of the following day, pointed out that this appointment to succeed one of the most eminent of British scholars, in a famous Chair, in the greatest of Scotch Universities, was a profound tribute to qualities practically unknown in Canada.

A banquet was given to Prof. McGregor, in Halifax, on August 27th, with Mr. John F. Stairs as Chairman, and Senator Power, Dr. Russell, M.P., Mr. D. C. Fraser, M.P., the Hon. J. W. Longley, K.C., Mr. J. H. Sinclair, M.P.P., the Rev. Dr. Gordon, the Hon. W. S. Fielding, Dominion Minister of Finance, Mr. Justice Sedgwick, of the Supreme Court of Canada, Senator McKeen, the Hon. Arthur Drysdale, K.C., the Rev. Dr. Forrest, Dr. A. H. Mackay, United States Consul Foster, the Rev. Dr. Allison, and many others, present. Mr. Stairs, as Chairman of the Board of Governors of Dalhousie University, deplored their loss, but was proud of the fact that this was the first Canadian appointed to a great British University. Professor McGregor, in his reply, very modestly credited his selection to the Imperial feeling aroused by the South African War. He strongly deprecated the "book-learning" of the present educational system and urged the better training of the intellect. "We do not want to 'pump' knowledge into our students, we want to cultivate power, the ability to do something, to initiate. An equipment for the Laboratory of Dalhousie was absolutely essential to anything like a training in Applied Science. He hoped the Government would establish a Technical School. On September 19th the annnal Convocation of the University was held, and the Hon. degree of LL.D. conferred on Prof. McGregor. The degrees of M.A. and B.Sc. were granted Mr. Samuel N. Robertson, B.A., Principal of the Prince of Wales College at Charlottetown, and two M.D. degrees were conferred. Prof. D. A. Murray then addressed the students for the first time, and dealt at length with the study of Mathematics and its importance to the acquisition of general learning.

King's

College and

Acadia

University

The University of King's College, at Windsor, N.S., which was opened in 1790 and given a Royal charter in 1802, held its annual gathering on June 20th. The celebrations of the day began with a morning sermon in the College Chapel by Dean Partridge, of Fredericton, and in the afternoon the degrees were conferred in the Convocation Hall. Amongst those present were Chancellor, the Hon. E. J. Hodgson, of Charlottetown, President, the Rev. Dr. C. E. Willets, Bishop Courtney, of Nova Scotia, Dean Partridge and Archdeacon Kaulbach. The Chancellor in his address referred to the deaths of Capt. M. G. Blanchard and Lieut. Harold Borden-two representatives of the University in South Africa. The Valedictory address was delivered by the Rev. C. R. Quinn, B.A., and the Alumni oration by the Rev. L. J. Donaldson, M.A. The Honorary degree of D.D. was conferred upon the Rev. J. Roy Campbell and Archdeacon Botswood; that of B.D. upon the Rev. W. J. Cox, M.A., and the Rev. T. C. Mellor; that of M.A. upon Mr. R. J. Wilson. The degrees of D.D. and B.D. (in course) were given to the Rev. C. W. Vroom; that of M.A. to the Rev. W. J. Cox and Miss Annie M. Begney; that of B.A. to the Rev. A. H. Tyree, the Rev. C. R. Quinn and Mr. P. G. Corbin; that of B.C.L. to four other gentlemen.

The closing exercises of Acadia University, Wolfville, N.S., commenced on June 2nd, with a graduating class of thirty-two and addresses from the Rev. A. T. Kempton and the Rev. Professor Pattison of Rochester, (N.Y.) Theological Seminary. On the following day Dr. Pattison addressed the Alumni Association and on June 4th the Horton Collegiate Academy and the Acadia Seminary-the two branches of the College life and work-held their closing ceremonies. At the former, Principal H. L. Brittain, M.A., was able to state that the year's attendance had reached the total of 130, of whom 76 were in residence, and had beaten all previous records. The newly established Business course and the Manual Training department had been very successful. At the latter Principal McDonald was able to state that the past year had been very successful. The staff had been greatly strengthened and the attendance numbered 118. The University held its Convocation on the following day, when it was stated that during the past year there had been 139 students in residence, of whom 32 had now completed the course. Of the $60,000 which the authorities had undertaken to collect for special work $45,000 had been subscribed. A new Chair was to be established with the money recently willed to them, under the title of the G. P. Payzant Professorship of Hebrew Language and Biblical Literature. In the Arts course a department was to be added under charge of the Rev. Dr. A. W. Sawyer and dealing with Pedagogy. There were 32 graduates given the degree of B.A. and 5 received that of M.A. The Honorary degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon the Hon. W. S. Fielding, M.P.; that of D.Sc. upon Mr. George U. Hay; that of D.D. upon the Rev. Arthur C. Chute and the Rev. J. H. Saunders; that of M.A. upon Mr. H. F. Adams. President, the Rev. Dr. Trotter, then

addressed the graduates in eloquent terms upon the duties and responsibilities of higher education. On June 7th it was announced that the new Chair in Hebrew was to be filled by the Rev. Dr. A. C. Chute, of the first Baptist Church, Halifax. At the same time the resignation by the Rev. J. H. McDonald, of the Principalship of Acadia Seminary was accepted and the Rev. H. T. De Wolfe, B.A., a former graduate, was appointed in his place.

Allison

Institutions

During the year an effort was made by the Mount The Mount Allison Alumnæ Society, of Sackville, N.B., to raise $5,000 in order to honour the memory of Mrs. Mary Mellish Archibald-who had so long been connected with the Mount Allison Ladies' College-and to promote the education of deserving girls. The work commenced by a Resolution passed by the Alumnæ Executive, on February 19th, and was assisted in the further progress of collecting money by the Halifax Herald. The annual exercises of the Mount Allison Ladies' College and Conservatory of Music took place on May 27th, when the degree of M.L.A. was conferred upon five graduates in Arts and diplomas given to five graduates in Music. A number of prizes were also awarded and the Principal, the Rev. Dr. B. A. Borden, paid a high tribute to the late Mrs. Archibald. He declared that the accommodation was now entirely inadequate and that a new building was essential. Plans had, therefore, been prepared for a new wing costing $25,000, and he hoped the necessary money would be obtained. The Board of Regents, however, did not feel justified, a few days later when the matter came before them, in incurring so great a liability at present. The registration of students during the year was about 200. the same day the Mount Allison Academy and Commercial College held its annual gathering. Principal J. M. Palmer, M.A., reported that the attendance of one hundred and fifteen during the year was the largest in his seven years official work. The Commercial graduates numbered twenty-five, and those in type-writing and shorthand, eight. Amongst the students were natives of Jamaica, San Domingo, Cuba, Bermuda, Newfoundland and the United States, as well as the Maritime Provinces. A Committee was appointed to help in providing a suitable memorial to the late Lieutenant Harold A. Borden.

On

The annual Commencement of the University of Mount Allison College was held on May 28th. The President, Dr. David Allison, was in the chair and the degree of B.A. was bestowed upon sixteen graduates and that of M.A. upon four. Mr. Raleigh Trites, B.A., delivered the Valedictory and the Rev. F. W. E. Des Barres spoke eloquently upon "The Prophets of History." At a meeting of the Alumni Society, Mr. F. B. Black, B.Sc., was elected President and in the evening a dinner was held under its auspices with Principal Palmer in the chair. Speeches were delivered by Mrs. Crowell, VicePresident of the Alumnæ Society of the Ladies' College, Mr. S. D. Scott, B.A., of the St. John Sun, the Hon. H. A. McKeown, M.P.P., Dr. Allison and the Rev. Mr. Scott of Bristol, England. At the session