E.—s*

88

Owing to the large number of boys and girls who attend the College from the country, hostels for the accommodation of boarders could be well filled if they were available. A proportion of each day's work is missed by most of the students who travel daily by train, and the nervous strain produced by the incessant journeying is so considerable as to prevent them from benefiting to the full by their course of instruction. In several instances where students came to live in town for part of the year very marked improvement was shown in their work as soon as the long daily journeys ceased. Of course, on the other hand, good results have been obtained by most of the country students, and I have nothing but commendation for those boys and girls who walk or ride some distance to their home stations, travel to and fro daily by train, and yet prepare creditably their home exercises and give satisfaction in their class-work. The Board of Managers, recognizing the need of suitable boarding establishments, has investigated the matter fully, but the difficulties of finance have prevented any steps toward the desired end. A. private donation for the purpose of building a College hostel would be a happy and welcome solution of the difficulty, and the benefits would be far-reaching. Although the Technical College was founded by an association of enthusiastic citizens, who gave both money and labour freely to promote its interests, the tendency of later years has been to throw all responsibility for providing funds upon the Education Department. An excellent example has been set by the people of Dunedin in the financial support given to their educational institutions, and consequently these are in many respects the foremost in the Dominion. More interest has been shown .in technical education during the past twelve months in Invercurgill, and it is hoped that we art' at the beginning of a new era. Evening Glasses. —At the beginning of the year the terms were rearranged, so that the .art classes should be in session at the same time as the day school, whilst the length of the session of the evening classes was increased from twenty-six to thirty-two weeks. The scale of charges for attendance at classes was also revised, the general effect being to reduce the fees of students taking a course of related subjects. During the }'ear instruction was given to 350 individual students, an increase of fifty students over the total number in attendance in 1913. The number of classes taken shows a considerable increase, being 821 as against 556 in the previous year. This result is very satisfactory, for the average number of classes taken per studient was 23, as against I' 9 for the previous year, flood results from an educational point, of view are to be obtained only when students attend for a course of instruction rather than for individual classes. Despite the increased attendance, there was only a slight increase in the fees collected from students, who derived a substantial monetary benefit from the system introduced during the year of charging reduced fees for courses of related subjects. On the other hand, the increase earned as capitation was very considerable. It was anticipated that, owing to the appointment at the beginning of the year of full-time instructors for dressmaking and for engineering subjects, considerable developments would take place in those branches of work. The hopes entertained were fully realized, and it has also to be recorded that the commercial classes attracted unusually large numbers of students. In fact, the enrolment for the engineering, plumbing, domesticscience, commercial, and art classes was quite satisfactory, and the classes for woodworkers were the only ones in which the number of students was disappointing. As the Southland Builders' Association has intimated its desire (o be represented on the Board of Managers, it is anticipated that increased interest will be shown by employees in the classes for woodworkers in the coming years. In each of the subjects, typewriting, shorthand, and book-keeping, two classes were held, instead of one as in previous years. Morning and afternoon classes were instituted for needlework and dressmaking, and the number of classes taken weekly were five, an increase of four on the number held previously. It was found necessary to take the practical class for cookery in two sections during the first term on account of the number of students in attendance. Both elementary and advanced classes were held for plumbing, but the latter was unsatisfactory owing to the fact that the examination for registration was held in the middle of the year, and most of the students had not sufficient time to become thoroughly proficient before the examination, or sufficient interest to attend regularly when it was over. The installation of electric light in the town made it possible to institute a class for electrical wiring, which was conducted very successfully throughout the year by Mr. P. D. Beveridge. A Dominion scheme for the examination and registration of electrical wiremen and fitters, provided that it is worked efficiently, will lie as welcome to the employees in the trade as to the Technical School Managers, for the present arrangement of local examinations is harassing, and is certainly not conducive to general efficiency or a uniform standard of work. The work of equipping the engineering-shop was not completed until August, when a class of sixteen apprentices entered for a course of instruction till the end of the session. Large classes were held for trade mathematics and applied mechanics and machine-construction throughout the session. As the College is now in possession of a wellequipped and well-lighted workshop and draughting-room, there is reason to anticipate that it will continue to attract large numbers of engineers' apprentices. Students enrolled for the art classes in satisfactory numbers. A pleasing feature of this work is that the class for drawing from life, an advanced subject, has an ever-increasing roll number, owing to the fact that a number of the art students attend regularly for several years. Students are at a disadvantage from the fact that there are in the town no considerable art collections, for the study of even good reproductions of paintings, drawing's, and etchings by leading artists gives inspiration and added interest to their work. Further, when there is a collection of art subjects available for the inspection of the general public, a wider interest will be created, and students will enrol in greater numbers in the art classes. During the year students obtained awards for studies in black and white at the Canterbury Society of Arts Exhibition, and several studies were prepared for the National competitions. There was a, fair demand for instruction in art-craft subjects, including stencilling, photography, and wood-carving, and in these good work was accomplished during the session.