THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21247, 20 August 1934, Page 12

THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE

- - --♦ New Memorial Hall FOUNDATION STONE LAID JJY GOVERNOR-GKNERAL The foundation stone of the new memorial hall of the Christchurch technical College was laid by the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) on Saturday afternoon. His Excellency was accompanied by Lady {Bledisloe, and with them on the tplatl'orm were the chairman (Mr ['McGregor Wright; and members of it he board of governors, the principal (Dr D. E. Hansen), the past principal (Mr J. 11. Howell), Dr J. Hight (first chairman of the board), unci Canterbury members of the Legislature. His Excellency firs! of all. inspected a guard of honour from the college cadets, and before addressing a large number of past students and parents was presented with a mason's outfit. This, consisting of a gave! and trowel in a case, was ihc' work of pupils of the school. La civ Bledisloe was presented with a sample of the work of the girls. On behalf of the Board of Governors Mr McGregor Wright welcomed their Excellencies. He recalled their previous visit to the college, and expressed to them the hoard's wishes for a happy future .and pleasant memories of New Zealand. Beginning of Effort The board had decided 18 years ego. he said, that a hall would be a'fitting memorial of the old boys who were killed in the war. A ;fund had hojn begun in 1917, with fhe proceeds of a sale of work, and of concerts. Since then as it could afford it. the b nrrl had added any monevs it had to spare. The total reached was £14.000, though all of it was not now available. He acknowledged contributions from local bodies, associations of employers and employees, and private individuals. The present work would provide ji hall to so.it flflO persons, and later a gallery to seat another 250 would be added, making hist enough to enable all the oupils of the clay school to assemble together. Later it. was hoped to build a two storey addition to the west end of the hall for a library, and reading and club rooms. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan. M.P. > said that all New Zealande---regrcttecl that Lord and Lady Bledisloe were not staying in the Dominion. Probably no GovernorGeneral would leave <he country carrying a higlvv respect and efreclion from the peonle than Lord Bledisloe. The teachers and the students of the college would share in the general -egret, because of the wonderful way in v:l ich their Excellencies had associated themselves with the. welfare of the people of the country. It was pleasing, Mr Sullivan continued, that the long argument about the memorial hall had at last been satisfactorily concluded, and ih.t the p.-rsistence of the chairman nnd the board had been successful. He knew something of the wont of the board, and of its arguments with the Minister for Education, and the Depigment, and how it had held to its p..inf. It was because or the board's efforts that the obstacles had been overcome. Mr Sullivan felt sure that the new liall would be an inspiration to the students, as well -,s being of great use. Lesson of Sacrifice Mr J. H. Hovvei!, the first principal of the college, who was intro- • duced by the chairman as "the founder of tecimic-.l education in Christchurch." expressed his deeo 'satisfaction to 1.0 among his old colleagues and pupils and some of their parents. The day's ceremony marked the fulfilment of a wish that, had been long cherished. Those who had been associated with the school in his day had known the ■boys for whom the hall was a memorial, and they had resolved to have a place where the memory of those boys should be for ever kept alive. That wish and that resolve were now being made actual. On such an occasion it was disturbing to think how little progress had been made towards making an end of war. The nations were again concerned with the worn out lie that, if they wished for peace •they must prepare for war. They were piling up armaments, when the people needed > bread. It was small wonder if men began to despair for western civilisation. If fhe schools did not take up the burden and teach the lesson the sacrifice made by the men who died 'm the Great War would have been in vain. The teachers must so train young minds that they thought rightly, and did not accept ready-made opinions, feeling malice to none and charity to all. He would like to see inscribed in the hall as a guidingprinciple ihc words: "God has made of one blood all nations of the earth, and we are His children, brothers and sisters all.'' Growing Pains of School The present principal of the college (Dr. D. E. Hansen) expressed his debt to Mr Howell. The new hall would be of great value. ' both to the staff, the dav school and j the old students. Most of all the j college needed more space. It had never ceased to have growing pains I and it always seemed to be wearing! tight boots, 'fhe difficulties caused by lack of space told heavily on the I si a IT. ' | The school bin Id in;.: had been , planned for a maximum of 2*>o! pupils, but there wt-ie now ll'jo! day pupils. The pupils of Ihc school wou'd f ind the hall a great, benefit, as would the old students, who were a very active body, with clubs devoted to all forms of athletics and dramatic and debating activities. In conclusion Dr Hansen read the lisr. of old boys of the college who were killed during the war. What impressed him most about toe school was the constit.u ion of it.; governing body, said Lord I'.k-di.Joe, wdh representatives of ihe parents, local bodies, the Canterbury Education Board, associations of employers and employee.-:-, and of the . '-hon| commit e. s. If. ..'il I) . uch .i govrliiiig b cly in h ■')•- ! i Minious co-operalion, a school could not be suco'sslul, hj" doubted v.lKlber any x.hool yoold be. lie wished that another great educational institution could have so i e- i prescntative a board of geee mo: ■"• '

In a comparatively long public life he had given more attention to education than to any other branch of human effort. He was more convinced now than he was 40 years ago of the importance of training not only the mind, but the hand and the eye as well, if a nation was to achieve its best potentialities, and to hold its own in competition with other nations. The laying of the foundation stone of the nobly conceived memorial hail appeared to him to emphasise four forms of equipment for the perfect man or woman —patriotism, efficiency, thoroughness. and uprightness. Patriotism wa?> founded on the love of home and school, radiating out into a love of environment, and blossoming into fervent love and pride in country and empire. It was a love finding expression in a sense of duty to the extent of facing death in pursuance of a high ideal in the confidence that compatriots would have a belter life and that the world would be a Letter place to live in. Life without ideals was moribund, and there was no greater stimulant than patriotism. Efficiency Needed The school had been founded years ago to promote efficiency. It was necessary to realise that the mere culture of the mind—neglecting the body and the soul—led to lopsided human development, and a lack of self confidence when faced with the vicissitudes of human experience. Lord Bledisloe had met in relief camps many men—university graduates who were excellent classical scholars or accomplished theoretical scientists—who were eating out their souls because they were asked to use a pick and shovel. At school or college they had never attempted to use their hands in a useful task. He recalled Ruskin's statement that: "Every man from the King's son down should learn to do something finely and thoroughly with his hands." Thoroughness and meticulous accuracy were essential if in the face of severe competition men were to succeed in life. Since the war and in its aftermath of wild speculation, indefinite objectives, and get-rieh-quick outlook, accuracy had unfortunately been at a discount in i many pursuits, and the quality of | output and handicraft, had fallen off correspondingly. New Zealand " should be proud that Lord Rutherford, the greatest scientist in Em ope. was born here. But it should be remembered tnat one thing characterising him was the meticulous accuracy and thoroughness of all his scientific work. Science and Practice In days wlien in many fields of industry the production of the world for the time being exceeded absorption, and restrictions on imports were being imposed, quality of output was an essential of personal and national prosperity. Only by accuracy and thoroughness based on strict scientific principle could that prosperity be achieved. A great deal had been said of the so-called strife between science and practice. Yet most persons or industries in their productive effort used the output of science, witnoui which they would not be able to earn their profits or livelihood. The debt was not acknowledged. About 15 years ago, when he was invited to be chairman of the board controlling Rothamstcd agricultural station, he had asked that all scientific results should be expressed in terms of s. d.. as only in that way would it be possible to convince the farmers of the valuof the research being done. Science and modern practice were not divorced, and the two had to go together if success was to Irj achieved. ! Uprightness—typified b\ the; working tools of the mason wr'i i which he had been presented, by the level surface and straight sides of the stone he was to lay, and by the fcrro-mncrete which wfjuld keep the building stable even in an earthquake—was the most ant of all. However great the o.ner qualities of its people, lacking uurightness, the nation and empire would be degraded. Using- Opportunities ] Lord Bledisloe suggested that all concerned with the college should remember the words of Shakespeare: 'There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune." The work of the college was intended, when opportunity came, to enable its i students to take it at the flood in I their own and everybody's interest. ! If a person could not swim the re j was danger, even when the eco- ; nomic weather was favourable, of sinking or merely floating, rather, than progressing to the goal of high achievement. In conclusion Lord Bledisloe congratulated those concerned on the past achievements- of the col- j lege, which was a really great in- 1 stitution, and he hoped that ad j success would attend it in the! future, to the advantage not merely ; of the students and instructors. (rut through them to the land of oppor- ; tunity which was theirs, and to the j greatest empire of the world to-day. I Ilis Excellency then laid the j foundation s;o r .e, in which wn. j olaeed a bottle containing copies of Hirj morning's newspapers. While ! doing so he remarked: "After this ! I shall have to join the mesons' j union." ; The stone was presented by ;i j member of the hoard (Mr J. W. j Graham) who is an old boy of the i college, and the architect ' for the i building (Mr A. H. Manson) is also ' an old boy. |