TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 8

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

■;;.;-,-,■' ■.;■,'' - +; —:—?'.-'• , ;:■;v; PROPpSED;ENDOWMENT. ; . ' ■ DISCTISSION BY THE CITY COimOX. [ The question. of the position between the .' City Council ; and the Technical i Education 3 Hoard, in reference to tho .arrangements for 3 tho now technical school site, was raised at ) last nighPs meeting of thc'City Council. The i Finance and Property Committee recommended:' (1) That tho .council set aside'the present , Technical School' site at Mercer Street, held , by the, Technical Education Board, as an eu- ' dowmeoit for , the : purposes of-technical-educa- • tion; and that the Government be asked to set ■■ aside the building which has been erected on r the land for the same purpose., ... . . : (2) That the John Street sito'be leased to the , Technical Education' Board for ; the purpose of a technical school site, at a rental of per annum. '■". -. ■■■ . .' ■ \.. ■ •-• . (3) That the Teohnical Education Board be -. requestod to credit the corporation annually

in .the; corporation's account--in -the .board'i books with the amount of rent from, the Mercei Street sits, "and to exchange 'cheques with th< corporation,. so ■ that the ; contribution. , may ap :pear in this council's accounts. : . Councillor ' Trevor : objected to giving the Technical Board abdut"iE2o,ooo of land. The council; had already: given 'about i 14,000, and he did not approve of giving another or £5000.. He; could not say.-,that artisans Verc ■any better to-day than they vrae before tech,nical. education . was. introduced.' 'He .moved ;mat tho.clauses be referred,back, to the committee. ,'.-■- -..-■. ■■' .- ':.- -.'■'-: ■,;-.,->'■., .Councillor Luke went into the values' of.the land, and history-of-previous negotiations. What was wanted 'now, ho said, was that' the matter should be put in a. definite form, so that tho managers- of the' Technical School might go to tho Minister for Education and ask "him for. a sum" of money with which to put up a school. The last council had agreed to; pay .£SOOO to: increase the area of the Town Belt- site, by/another section,".in order that a cbmplote school might be erected. The land ■was a detached piece of'the Town Belt, of no uso to the council, except for planting purposes. The matter was one affecting all tradespeople and the,commercial classes; every section of the;: community was interested in tbo school. It had been suggested that, they were .taking ihe school too far to the south. An authority had pointed out that the tramwayshed was about the centre of the most thicklTpopukted area,.and John Street had-been re.terred to as the most convenient and most .suitable locality in. the city. ' Councillor Devine said that the'council was really-giving, a*, subsidy of about .'£7 so to technical education.',,' ■• Councillor Luke: You are. quite .right;: ' Councillor Devine continned that the council proposed, to ..continue that subsidy . and give: this site as well. This was a considerable undertaking, and, besides, the proposed 4rea '"'ght some day bo wanted for a Town Hall site. :■ He wished'.to have information as-to tt)e valuo of,.the section, together- with other .particulars..-, .- . - :-( .. v , , .... .. >. Councillor Ballinger remarked that the matof. urgency, because a. Bill was coming before the House. . Parliament iras not to/have a long session, and it was proposed to .have.clauses inserted in the.Bill, to make provision for this, lease. There was no reason for any postponement. , '•■■•: --' ~u.iui .Councillor Fitzgerald .said that he was sorry -the, John Stroetvsite had "been dedicated, for technical education, because it was quite' unsuitable. It might be suitable for residents of the south- end- of the town,- but it was too far from Thorndon. ■ ■ ■■■■.. Councillor Shirtcliffe supported the ■ motion and .urged.-that .the council , should '.encouraee : •techmcaleducahon-'tPithe utmost. He thought they need only: read of the results : . of the work in' America, and Germany to see the-value ; of technical education.'; The proceeds 'from' the' Mercer.Streetsite, as he. understood it, - could bo.used-for.no'.purpose other than that of fprwarduig , technical■: education, and the John Bite -could only be used for the pose? ;.o.f'a. technical school.--. '' '■.'• '■)'' ' Councillor';' Frost 'took exception to the tlie/particulars given'j'n the- report, which, - ; hy.considered,'- did -not furnish nearly enough- information. ." '.'■: .■.-•■:'. Councillor Smith .thought ;the JohV: Street' si te would prove to be as good a one as' could be, obtained.in the city. The Bill was ready for. presentation, to -Parliament, .and he would support the:recommendations as tbey stood.. Councillor Atkinson wanted to know what the .city was giving, and the value-of eac)i item: ' Ho would like: to have a report- from the city engineer that the town belt at. John Street is valuoless, for the normal purposes of ,a. town belt. .' .' "'. ■'}■' ■ ..v;. . ■■•;;'. ■ Councillor -Luke': "It is, only fit to plant." Councillor Atkinson: "That is a.very important .'only.'" , . He trusted that the matter would' be , a little more clearly, reported on, so, as: to. let the, council'know the. exact position., • Councillor Ballinger. thought it was;useless referring -.the.' report back.- .It ~was only a , waste of.time sending the report back.' iGounoillore knew, or they: should know, all about the John Street site.. , . ■•' ' -. . : i Councillor Trevor said the council was going, to givej the Mercer Street frontage to the Technical Board, and the board, he suggested,\yould get a mortgage on the Mercer Street property, nnd then, he' asked, where would- the City Council be.. They would mortgage tho property- in. Mercer: Street to build in Join Streot, and this was what he objected to.' ' Counoillor Luke said that the whole of the information, plans, etc., regarding the site had been placed before the council on two occasions. The endowment would revert to the council when it ceased to bo used for the purposes of technical 'education. ' ; , '■ ' Councillor Cnrriiich'nel. objected strongly .to the council parting with the freehold of either Mercer Street or John ' Street properties. He was not opposing the leasing of the sections. It was agreed to" refer the matter to the committee. - . . . ; .