TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1917, Page 3

TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT c 1 Mr. A. Gray, technical director, rc ' f ported as follows: s The New Plymouth technical day i classes resumed 011 Cth inst. There arc a it present 174 students in the following ( classes.•—Commercial 91 (43 first year, ; J7 second year and 11 third year); en- ) iineering, 45; domestic, 8; agriculture j [); arts and science, 18; woodwork, 3; , total 174. Of these 174 students, ninety- ( nine are travelling by train This mini- j ber is so large as to necessitate super- s vision, and I have been trying to evolve ] some scheme, but there are great dif- ] Acuities in the way. However ?o.no- j thin" will have to be done in thi.-; con- ( nection. < 'he new engineering building is 11' it j yet ready, and consequently we still , have to use the Whiteley Hall and the Baptist Sunday School. It will be a ; very great relief when the whole school , is housed together. The following can- j didates were successful in the lOlti City ] and Guilds of London examination:— , Plain cookery, Dorothy-Dean; electrical engineering, Rupert George, William ■ Penman, Haddon Smith; motor car en- . gineering, Leslie Allen, Herbert Crockett, Henry Feakins, Angus Garner, Rupert George, Frank Senter, Dermont ; Street, Charles Wieksteed. During' the past week the engineering students have visited various machinery plants, which have proved very interesting and instructive, due, largely to the courtesy of the managers and engineers who conducted them round and explained the working of the machinery. On Tuesday morning they were shown over the factory of the Sash and Door C'o,., by Mr. Northern, and s.<w the operation of the various machine; connected with the wood-working trade. 111 the afternoon a profitable time wi;., spent at the Moturoa Ironworks, where the engineer, Mr. Smallbones, explaine.l the different processes required in ilie manufacture of iron from ironsand. They also visited the engine rooms of the Rarawa and Karamu berthed at the wharf. Wednesday afternoon th. loco sheds were their objective. ThirC they had explained to them the principle of the Westinghouse brake. The new freezing works at Smart road claimed their attention on Friday. Mr. Godfrey conducted them through many departments. The engine room was probably the most interesting, and provided a fine example of a modern power plant. Commercial.—There is still a great demand for clerks trained at the college, and there are now none .i f 'Mm, year's students who are not in positions. One of our students, Miss K. Purdue, was successful in passing the shorthand atul typewriting examination (junior division) held by the Public Service Commissioner. Domestic class. —This class ji still a small one, but it has always been worked under difficulties. The dressmaking class is held in the science romi, as there is nowhere p'*.e to hold it. Failing any better accommouation, I wvuid suggest that the present engineering room be fitted up as a dressmaking room, and that- application be made to the Department for a new art I'oer.i. The present art room could then be divided into two class rooms, one of which would be utilised as a typewriting room. This arrangement wouid probably he satisfactory in the meantime. Manual classes.—The woodwork and cookery classes are being conducted as usual. The numbers attending are:— Central 5, cookery 27, woodwork 31. P. 35 and 30; West End A, 27 and 22, B, 16 and 10; Fitzroy A, 20 and 8; Bell Block A, 3 and 14; Waitara A, 19 and 36. The Waitara classes are being held in New Plymouth pending final arrangements with regard to a building at Waitara It will be noted that some of the classes are rather large. Stratford.—At Stratford the evoring classes have not yet commenced bi.t the usual manual classes are being h-'ld Tlie evening classes will resume in March in common with all parts of the district. Eltham.—The manual woodwork classes at Eltlinm are! unavoidably held np until the instructor is appointed to work round the mountain. As this instructor will finish up the week at Eltham school on Fridays, it will be possible to arrange for him to take a technical class in carpentry on Friday evenings. At the suggestion of Mr. Lvtliburne, local supervisor for this centre, a meeting of parents and pupils will he held in the Eltham Technical School on Thursday, March 1, when questions affecting technical inntruction in that town will be discussed. Round the mountain scheme.—Since last reporting to the Board, I haw visited the following centres with regard to the proposal to teach woodwork, \iz, Okato, Rahotu, Oaonui, Opunake, Manaia, Kapuni, Kaponga and Mangtoki. The school committees of seven of these live definitely agreed to raise the sum of £lO per an nil.u towards the salary of an instructor. Although 110 definite reply has been received from Mangatok! I have every reason to believe that the ' progressive committee will raise a like amount. The Department has been a], proaehed as to what assistance it will give the scheme. The main item of concern at present is the necessary outlay for a motor bicycle. I would suggest that an arrangement be made by which if the Department's reply is satisfactory application could be immediately called for the position of instructor. As already ponted out the classe.s which have been customarily held at and Eltham are held up pending final arrangements. I think everything possible should be done to bring the proposal to a successful issue as it will provide a valuable course of instruction to the very class of boys who will take most use of it. I should like to express my gratitude to various chairmen and members of committees visited. Their .kindness made the organising of this part of the work not a task but a pleasure. I may say also that I found in the country' districts a growing interes! and enthusiasm about technical work generally, so much so that I believe the next few years will see a great demand for technical work for country studenis HAWERA. The day classes at this centre opened on 12th inst. There are at present fifty-one pupils attending classes as follows: —Commercial, 38; domestic, one; engineering, five; arts and science, five; agriculture, two; total, 51. Of these 12 are travelling by train. The staff consists of Messrs Jackson and Tugwell and Miss Holford. Miss Eiso travels from New Plymouth each Monday to take art work, while the psychology and FLI-KEELO is the only insect powder manufactured in New Zealand by Britishers. NO FLIES CAN LIVE where FLI-KEELO is used. Flies carry diseass. FLI-KEELO kills flies. Obtainable from all cbc.iai*U aAd store-

singing will be taken by myself. Arrangements for calisthenics will be nude within the week. As the Departmental regulations insist 011 a certain amount of general education, I beg to recommend that an instructor be appointed to take general work. The salary I suggest is £l5O per annum. I am well satisfied with the number of students already enrolled, although I should like Xo have seen more entries for domestic and agriculture. The type of student offering is distinctly good, and the dccitif>n of tne Board to establish the classes lias been amply justified- When the people become acquainted with the class of work that is being carried on. I am confident that the numbers will largely increase. For some unknown reason somebody has been at work deliberately deceiving parents as to the work to be done, and I understand this underhand procedure has fad the result of causing several intending pupils not to attend. However, this oan have only a _ temporary effect, as a year's working will prove the utility of the classes. Since the courses of work carried on at this centre are now the same as those at New Plymouth and other centres, I recommend that this institution be known in future as the Hawera Technical College. The desks at Hawera are not suitable for the students, inasmuch as the seats are attached to the desks behind. If possible it would be a good thing if the building could be entirely redesked. 111 any case twenty new desks are urgently needed. I append a list of apparatus required at this centre. WAITARA, With regard to Waitara I understand the amount in hand is now £lO5, and as this is nearly the total required, I beg to suggest that the Board ask for the money to be paid in, apply for a subsidy and immediately proceed with the erection of the building. It is possible that the Department may be inclined to do a little more than pay the pound for pound subsidy. I have ascertained that there ia a likelihood of children attending from Waihi and Tikorangi, and these, together with the children from Waitara public and Convent schools, tate the services of an instructor for two periods each week. This may cause a slight reorganisation of the present arrangement. In answer to the chairman in regard to the round the mountain seheem, the director said the Department had been written to asking the Department to pa\ the cost of . a motor cycle for an instructor. The scheme would cost £3OO. Capitation would amount to £lO2, donations totalled £IOO, and these would be subsidised. He admitted the schenit would take all its time to pay, but he felt- its importance warranted the Board going on with it.