TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 141, 18 June 1902, Page 2

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

At the l.ttle social gatheriog of the friends and employees of the firm of Smart Brothers, to which we referred in our last issue, Mr Geo'ge Smart, made some lenoarks which, although! not intend-d for publication, a>e de tewing ofJjW'ious attention by oil w 1 wishers of jh i iown at.'d district. In referring to ihs loyal assit-ttnce tha firm bad received from nil i's fm phyee?, Mr Smait said if. was a gient i draw-back th"ie b ing no technical ichool in Ta'aniki. In Rawera and Strafford, and le undmstood the Bam » thing w»s to be the mle in New Plymouth when the new lean w-ts ctnied, lonly licensed plumbers wcu'd be employed in connection with the sewerage system. This he said would be a very great handicap, a- d would letd to the imputation of men from other dis tricts, bec.mse the facilities w< ra not provided here for men what w;is ri quired to qu'lfy for a 1 c nsp. | He himself had secured a icens ,as it was hia indention to establish a t tunica! class two evenings a w. ek amongit i his own (mployees, si as to tnib'e ! those if tbem who wis'iad to quil f/ for a I,cense, Mr Brooking, chiirman of the Borough Works Uomunittee, in speak.ii g a little liter, said he would endorse wba*. Mr Smart had said regarding ihi linteatinn of the Borough Council, as it was absolutely necessary in connection wi'h a thoroughly up-to-date I drainage, that the plumbing should

only bo done by competent men, {otherwise the' heahh of tho peop'e ; would suffer. H« congratulated Mr J Smart on his determination to qualify 'all bis men and keeping hie firm up-to-date. Mr Allsworth Raid he was delighted ;to heir the remarks of Mr Smart and Mr Brooking. He had urged the esÜbl shoie'.t of a technical school in season und out of season, and he hoped | wlut had b<eo said would help to sho* the necessity of such «n establishment. It was a great los* to young men in many other trades besides this one that |they b,ad no opportunity of attending technical olasiis and qualifyiog themselves, jf they ware sb a to save a li tie [money, to go into business on their own acount. The great difficulty in J New Plymouth was a site; bus h* hoped ih it difficulty would b» got over. If they had the site stvxral thousand pounds wore uvailab'e for a building. :Hi felt sure such a schcol would hs a success, considering the Urge number of yaung people it would benefit.