TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3068, 2 May 1917, Page 6

TECHNICAL SCHOOL

STIFLED FOR LACK OF ROOM

DIRECTOR'S REPORT

The Director of the Wellington Technical School (Mr. W. S. Latrobo) refers in his annual report, presented to the School JBoard last ni»ht, to the urgent need for better accommodation for the classes, and lie also expressed approval of the scheme for the establishment of the school with certain adjuncts on the site at Mount Cook. Following is the portion of the report which deals with this question :— "As in former years, 1 have to report that tbo natural growth of the college is still being stifled by lack of reasonable accommodation. The position is becoming worse- year bj year. Tho unsuitability and inadequacy of our present buildings, and the absence of reasonable breathing space, tho overcrowding of class rooms, tho absence of proper lighting. a:;u the difficulties of sanitation, due partlj to ill-ventilation of many of tho most important class rooms, all render the work of tho staff 'very difficult, and all militate against the efficiency of the work doneby tho students. The Technical Education Board has lost nc opportunity (luring tßfe year 1916 o ureiii" tho removal of these great drawbacks to our work, and tho GoVerriment has lent a sympathetic ear, but unfortunately, no steps appear tc have been taken as yet to place the collo"c in a favourable position. "It, would seem, however, to be extremely important to the future of industry in this country that some general scheme of technological developmen should be considered and adopt*l no* since the attention of tho people la been violently directed to the necessit for organising, the science- and art ol ndustiy, so that this Dowinjonßβ not lag behind the other States in th : Empire. The technical colleges mu naturally havo a large &hare n thi developnU, and a scheme for Wellin E toii should cortainlj b Vh?Swhid,li.» been suttee for our main Technical College » par of a largo site which-.could well b adapted to nationa science and ar purposes. Thero is ample room, loi technological laboratories, museums art galleries, and store-houses of th archives, of the it wi site. There is no doubt that it w be necessary to provide, independently Sf University, or of any techno <, gical colleges,-a range .of technology laboratories in which expert scientist and technologists may be able to wor at the many prob ems which will ar s< in connection with industry- • 1 »' been found undesirable in othei : cou ■ tries to get sucli work done either u he universities or in the lactone, of private companies. In Now Zea : land the difficulties of university J private work are much greater than ir tho large industrial centres, and i i. certain that Government hboratonei iWillbe adnsaWc that these should he connected « technological museums, m which,sornf o She materialsio.•researches may bj found, and in which the; results of ie seiches may well be exhibited forthi XSonofthepublie.Ajud.cioiu scheme could easily be evolved. an< Sained partly by .direct contribn tions from the mdustr.es beneated. / well-eouipped technical college m th, . immediate neis-hbourhood of na tional physical and other laborator e: would gain enormously by the associa tion. and would, in turn, he of eora considerable assistance in P ro7l °'"f from its own workshops, and by itsowr staff much of the special apparatw necessary for industrial research work and probably such mechanical and othei iunior assistance- as would be required "Judging by what is now being don< in the direction of science and art or eanisation in Great Britain, it woulc seem to be advisable to conduct i general policy and establish at leastpreliminary organisation at the earliest opportunity,- without waiting for postwar conditions. It is certain that al branches of technology must be tai more seriously studied, and nuieh_ better provided 'for, if the country is tc receive the maximum benefit from tlif material available; and training which, before the war. was exceedingly desirable, has now become imperatively necessary." .