TECHNICAL CLASSES ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 18

TECHNICAL CLASSES ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the Board of Management of the Technical Classes Association waa held on the 19th inst. Those in attendance were Messrs G. M. Thomson (in the chair), J. H. Walker, W. Scott, G. 9. Israel, T. Scott, J. F. Arnold, M.P., and the Rev. P. B. Fraser. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter from tfoe-Otago Education Board notified that £1100 had been granted for additional buildings to the TeohnicaL School as per plans approved, and that payments •would be made from time to time on the architect's certificates.— Some discussion arose out of the consideration of this grant, Mr Israel urging that it was very little good spending money on the present buildings, as, in the course of a. very few years, they would have to be pulled down and schools erecte dniora worthy of the city. After discussion, during which it was urged that the Normal School site ought to be secured and the various schools provided for under one roof, Mr Walker eaid the discussion ,vas too late, as the plans for the additions had been submitted and approved of. He mo\ed that tenders be 'called for the addition*. —Mr W. Scott seconded the motion, which was carried. The Ota.go Education Board notified that £653 15s 6d had been granted for the purchase of appliances for teaching mechanical engineering, payments to ba made as amounts were spent on apparatus. — Received, and referred to the Works Committee to select tho machinery required. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ASSOCIATION. Mr Israel called attention to the very inadequate contributions made to the support of the association, and submitted a statement showing that the contributing bodies to the Christchurch Technical School contributed £539 15s, out of which -h& City Council gave £300, and all the tra-e'es unions were contributors in varying sums (22 in all). In Dunodin they only received £100 from the City Council and £185 from, other contributing bodies. Elsewhere the students paid higher fees than in Dunedin. He thought the local fees should be increased, for he was afraid young people were too apt to judge the value of the benefits they received by the amount they paid for them. — The Secretary pointed out that proposals had been made more than once for increasing the foes, but they had been negatived. — After some discussion T he subject "was left over for consideration at the next meeting of the board.