Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/852

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836 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

fully vindicated," says Dr. Burwash, "and you could not induce our church to go back. We are planting all our new colleges in the West Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia on the same basis." The church's educational and financial secretary for Canada, Rev. Dr. John Potts, one of the best-known Methodists on this continent, writes, concerning co-operation :

We have had sufficient time to test the value of the relationship. I think there is but one opinion now as to the importance of it. We gain distinct financial benefit by having all the expensive part of the university, such as sciences, etc., without any cost to us, and we have at the same time the opportunity and privilege of moral influence over the students, and the privilege also of exerting a moral influence over the university.

Dr. A. H. Reynar, dean of the faculty of arts, Victoria Col- lege, thinks that, when the church cannot supply all the latest and best requirements of university work, it is the course of "policy and honesty to work, if possible, in co-operation with a state university."

In regard to loss of identity, Dean F. H. Wallace, of the faculty of theology, says :

We have gained for our students the advantages of the equipment and the wider courses and the prestige of the degrees of the University of Toronto. At the same time we have retained almost intact the individuality and autonomy of our own college life. Our students are very loyal to their own college, and maintain its societies and traditions, even its own sports.

And, touching the religious atmosphere, he continues :

And, above all, we find no loss of religious life. The spiritual side of our work was never stronger and more satisfactory than today. Indeed, our removal to Toronto and association with a large university have made it more possible than formerly to come under the influence of great religious leaders and movements, such as the International Committee of the Y. M. C. A., the Students' Missionary Volunteers' conventions, John R. Mott, R. E. Speer, etc.

There is no question about the success of the Victoria College experiment. Similar reports come from all the other federated colleges.

William MacLaren, of Knox College (Presbyterian), says: "We have had many years' experience with this arrangement, and are satisfied with it."