ACCOMMODATION AT LINCOLN

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24899, 12 June 1946, Page 9

ACCOMMODATION AT LINCOLN

STUDENTS MAY BE TURNED AWAY

SCHEME FOR TEMPORARY BUILDINGS

Unless temporary accommodation can be arranged, there is a strong possibility that at least 100 students will have to be turned away from Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, next year, according to a report submitted to the Board of Governors of the college yesterday by the Director, Professor E. R. Hudson. Professor Hudson reported that he and the lecturer in engineering, Mr A. W. Riddolls, inspected building at Westerfield Military Camp, which were found to be ot a Stannard would justify -their long-term use if they could be moved to the college. Consequently, a plan which envisaged their use as workshops, cottages and accomiriodation for some of the departments had been prepared. The first use of the buildings would be for temporary accommodation ot 80 students, until the new permanent dormitories were completed in 1949. 'Fhe temporary accommodation could then be devoted to its long-term purpose. ‘

Huge Claims Mr C. T. Aschman said he was a little disturbed that acceptance ot temporary buildings might prejudice the lull permanent programme. There were huge claims from all over New Zealand for new educational buildings at a cost amounting to millions of pounds. “I am afraid that, if we accept the temporary buildings, we wi)l be told we can wait for the permanent programme as we have something to go on with,” he said. The claim of the college, to permanent buildings might be pressed on the ground that students were being turned away. He realised the difficulties ot refusing students at this time, but ft was a question of which course was wisest. Mr H. S. S. Kyle said he did not share Mr Aschman's fear, because the Minister had promised that the work would be pushed oh. The temporary buildings were designed to become part of the permanent scheme. They would be put to temporary use only. Mr Clyde Carr, M.P., said he was a member of a committee engaged in surveying the building needs of the Dominion for the next five years. The time had gone by when building should be undertaken as a result of the activities ot pressure groups. His committee was weighing the urgebey of all schemes submitted, and was allotting priorities so that building could proceed in an orderly way. ‘I have no fear that the temporary use of these buildings will prejudice the permanent programme,” he said. “Mr Aschman’s tear is groundless. It would be a fatal, foolish, and, indeed, wicked policy to put off more students than necessary because of our refusal to make use of temporary buildings.” “I have always been very much against temporary buildings,” said Mr W. O. Rennie, "but the teaching staff is working under such handicaps that I think we should take the temporary buildings while we have the chance,”

Ultimate Use Professor Hudson said that the whole matter rested on the use to which the buildings were ultimately to be put. He described the buildings to be obtained from Westerfield, and showed that all but a few minor ones would eventually fit in with the permanent scheme as workshops, stores, laboratories or cottages. In the meantime they would be used for accommodating students. "Apart from rehabilitation and other special courses altogether, the number ot students coming forward Is only what might have been expected from the increased numbers offering before the war,” he said. “We will probably be handling six times the number that we were before the war."

Mr J. E. Strachan said it should not be forgotten that the buildings were part of the permanent scheme, and would accelerate the permanent scheme. The Minister had given the building scheme a very high priority, and work was being pushed on on the plans. . A letter was read from the Minister saying that work on the plans pi the permanent dormitory and reactqry were being pushed ahead with the utmost apeecf The shortage ot draughtsmen was a problem, but authority had been given for overtime to be paid to press the work on. -The Government was fully alive to the urgency of the need for the new buildings.. The director’s report was adopted.