VICTORIA COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 9

VICTORIA COLLEGE.

■ v ■' i ■—r —*—-—— ■ ■■ . ' ; f: MEETING OF'THE COUNCIL. 'The monthly meeting of the Victoria College council was held on Wednesday evening, there, being present :-Messrs. J. Graham, M.1 , , (chairman), 7 ! , . K. Fleming, A. W.'Ho? R , M.P,, E. D. Bell C Watson, $£ Ostfer, jTg. W. 'Aitken, A. E. Meek, E. Milium, and C. Wilson. The monthly, statement'Of'finances showed a credit balance of 6s. -lii.; payments, including a sum of ,£215 to the Unemployed Fnnd, amounted to ,£221 12s. 7d., leaving a net balance of .£2305 13s. 3d. ■•■Prospective payments totalled .£770 05. lid., leavjng a balance of .£1535 12s. 9d. A statement of receipts and expenditures' in connection with the Unemployed Relief Works showed that tho total receipts were from , the Belief Committee, with the Government subsidy of *e for ■£ added. Ont of this had been paid :-Imprest to city, engineer, -.£25; wages on earthworks, iSM 13s. 2d.; wages to carpenters, £68 lCs.; material for earthworks, ,£l2' ss, 7d.; total, i&iH.Us. 9d. There was a balance shown of £225 os. 3d., and of this .£72 ss. ,10d. had to bo paid out for timber. The report of tho Library Committee recommended that tho registrar be relieved of his present duties in'connection with the library, ami .that application hs invited for , the position of librarian, at a (salary of £&. The matter was referred to tho Professorial' Board. Permission was granted tho Officers' Training Corps to instal a closed gun-rack in the back corridor. . The council decided to approach Dr. Bell, director of tho New Zealand Geological Survey, with a view to obtaining geological specimens for the college laboratory. The enb-committee appointed to deal with this, matter was instructed to report further- on the subject. . THE CHAIR OF PHYSICS. • In a report from the Finance Committee, it was stated that Professor Laby, who had recently been appointed to the Chair of Physics, had submitted a requisition for apparatus necessary for the teaching of physics up to the requirements of the third year •pass, at a cost of .£730. This was regarded as very necessary, and it was for the council to consider ways and means. Professor Laby also asked for the appointment of a mechanician, for the construction of apparatus when required. Such an appointment would obviate the necessity of mating provision for a laboratory assistant and demonstrator. Professor Laby, who attended the meeting of the council, expounded his Scheme. The present apparatus, ho said, was quite inadequate, and the teaching of honours physics was completely out of the question. Included -in his estimates for apparatus was an item of ,£l3-t for machinery and tools, for tho construction of additional apparatus. Tho cost of ■ the machinery would, by the saving involved, bo wiped out in two years. Ho considered that it would take XIOOO to properly equip the physics laboratory, and what he had asked for was the-irmlucibla minimum. In the discussion which followed, it was stated that the only money available was a sum of .{ISOO, and it was decided, that the Minister for Education (Hon. G. Fowlds) be waited upon with a view to obtaining a grant for an additional .£SOO, thus making up the required .£IOOO estimated to make the laboratory efficient.