TECHNICAL COLLEGE RESUMES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 211, 5 March 1912, Page 4

TECHNICAL COLLEGE RESUMES

AN OPENING DKXEIi. A pleasing function took place last ■night at the opening of the evening cessions at the New Plymouth Technical College, when a number of ladies and gentlemen partook of a dinner prepared by the pupils of the day cookery classes. Owing to the lack of a suitable room, the dinner was served in the entrance hall, and in consequence not a great number could be accommodated at a time. The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne) presided, and amongst those present were the director (Mr. W. A. Ballantyne), the technical organiser (Mr. F. J. Heatley), Mr. MacDiarmid (chairman of the' High School Board), Mr. E. Dockrill and other citizens and their wives. The dinner reflected great credit on the instructress (Miss McDonald) and her assistant (Miss Tiplady) and the pupils—chiefly High School girls—and gave evidence of the thoroughness of the instruction given. After the dinner, Mr. Browne briefly proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the officials for the daintily-prepared dinner. Mr. MaeDiarmid, in seconding the motion, expressed his plea-sure at being present, and said the High School girls were deserving of great credit for the way in which they had worked in their class. The director (Mr. Ballantyne), in returning thanks, said that comparison could not fairly be made between the children's efforts and those of older cooks. The school did not aim at turning out cooks, but rather at making the girls conversant with the processes—to be made perfect by practice—and it also dealt with hygiene and physiology. Just as they did not aim to make all the boys carpenters, but to cultivate dexterity, neatness, and method.

In the opinion of Mr. Dockrill, much kudos was due to the instructress, Miss McDonald, for the training given by her to the girls passing through her hands. A mumber of apologies far unavoidable absence were received -. ■ The other classes were all in full swing, and the visitors were afforded every 'opportunity of seeing students at their work.

In the woodwork room several of last year's students put in the evening, under Mr. F. W. Sandford's direction, erecting framing to carry the motor and shafting required to drive lathes and boring machines.

The day classes commenced yesterday morning, and were well attended by children from the country and the outlving parts of New Plymouth. All of the pupils arc aiming at receiving industrial or commercial training, with the idea of taking up business or mechanical pursuits.