WOMEN STUDENTS' HOSTEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 6

WOMEN STUDENTS' HOSTEL.

' FIRST PILE DRIVEN. THE GOVERNOR ON "CURIOUS 1 CEREMONIES. In a sudden radiance of sunshine, breaking auspiciously towards the end; of a wet.and gloomy day, his Excellency the. Governor drove the first pile of the Victoria College Women Students' Hostel yesterday afternoon. Rain had been expected for the ceremony,; and the chief guests assembled under 1 a canvas' shelter,,hung with gay-flags and bunting. It is the : examination season at the College, so there were 'few spectators. After his Excellency the Governor had.'arrived, with Captain Lyons, A.D.C., tho Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wallis) expressed his rogret for' tho absence of ■ the Rev.- Dr. Gibb, .who had taken a very prominent part in tho preliminary business', of the hostel.' Apologies' were also read from Archdeacon 1 Eancourt and' Professor von Zeidlitz, and later on a telegram [ was . received from Sir Joseph Ward, expressing'his rogret that parliamentary;, duties .prevented him from being present,.and his best wishes for the hostel's success; ■.-.'.■"' •■',■•.. THE PURPOSES OP 'THE HOSTEL.; Mr. J, G. W. Aitkeh,M.H;R., said that in the country from which.lie came whenevei in. the country from which .he, came, whenever .there, was- a good; work: or foot, the ; question was immediately asked, "Where are. the; -ladies?". . and .the ladies came, forward and did it. It was only duo to the ladies of Wellington to say that they had started this- effort- on their own accounts and ; he thought that every credit was'due.'to Mrs. Wallis, Mrs: : Gibb, and the other organisers of'the movement for .what had been done... These ladies, from a-general interest'in the youth of the; Dominion, and particularly, iii the young ladies who attended Victoria Collogo - and the Training ' College, had :been led to consider the question of accommodation for students coming from' beyond' Wellington, who found - it, very, difficult to obtain suitablo homes.' Very wisely, as ho thought, they determined to ,seo what could be dorio in erecting "a building of. theii own. 'as a. hostel for these, students.: Theii efforts sov far had .been crowned with success, and he'did not doubt that finally they would meet with a success beyond tho ladies' .expectations. A number of people might question, the advisability of erecting'such a building, but the young women students themselves .had hailed the' suggestion with the greatest applause, and expressed the greatest gratification that such a building was going to bo. put up. i In the hostel would have a place, where .they could meet .together in the evenings, rub-shoulders with', ono. anothci and point out. the weaknesses'of one another in very plain language, and that would bo an education whieh could not .be attained bj any other means. The objects of the home wore, first, that it should bo a suitable place of residonce/ with .suitablo food' and accommodation, for their women students; >and secondly, that it would enable parents-at £ ;long distance to know, that the home welfare of the students was being cared-for. . The men students were showing their practical appreciation of the project by collecting among themselves : a sum of money,-whicl: they would hand over at tho New Year, t< dofray'tho expense of furnishing. Already in tho course.of only a few days, they hac subscribed £30, ; which thoy hoped to'increase considerably by the end of the year. The monoy for tho building "itself liad been bor rowed under a guarantee by six gentlemen one of tho conditions being that tho buildinj should not cost more than £3000, and shoule bo furnished without additional cost to them .Bishop Wallis read the collect,, which be gins, "Present us,o Lord, in all our doings,', and this was followed by the Lord's Prayer The Rev. J. Gibson Smith, in the absence of the Rev. .Dr. Gibb;- whom he had bee: asked to represent, and in,the name of the Church of,the Province of New Zealand anc the Presbyterian Church, which had c'ollabor atod in tho establishment of the hostel, v ex pressed .gratitude ■to his Excellency for. hi: presence, and asked'him to graciously drive i the first pile of the. building. .-.■■.-' ~-' , His Excellency'performed the cerenionj •'' well' and truly, in the name of ;tho Father and',of the. Soil, and of. the Holy.'Ghost." ..; : ,-; THE, G OVERNOR'S, SPEECH; : ' ; The Governor, in a happy speech, said'hi had performed'many interesting audi quaini ceremonies in Now Zealand;: He had.openec an Exhibition, which was full.of people, -laic the foundation stone of a great, municipa building when •it had already reached 'the first floor, and, 'at Palmorston North;the other day, opened a hospital wing abroad] crowded with., patients. It was somethinj new.to him, however,, to lay, the foundatioi stono qf-' a .'building,' under .circumstance: which might' indicate a funeral party. Hi did not think, however, that they had an; such gloomy feelings as that might suggest They were orccting a ' Hospital for younj women attending the college, and that sucl was required there was no doubt But they were doing,much more than that They were also securing a placo where then would bo'a religious atmosphere, and that ho thought, was of ,the very greatest im portance. It was often said that in sue! institutions religion was rammed dowi people's throats, and ho had ino doubt i sometimes was, but that was not tho inten tion of tho ladies who had organised this movement. No ono would be. compelled te stay at the hostel,,'or-to attend,the regulai prayers there, but there would bo a religious . atmosphoro which could not but help the students. The movement was more than it seo'med at present. Quito sober-minuec people had indulged in dreams of tho greatness of Victoria Collego in the-future, nne ; this hostel was tho beginning of something similar to Girton, Newnhain, and SomcrWile. He thought there was no reason why its students, should not proudly point tc being the first students in' what' would •somo day be ono of-the most famous ladies' colleges in the now world. , Ho congratulated tho ladies who had engaged in this work; from the bottom of- his heart ho congratii ; latod tho two Churches which had; been united in it; and last, but not least, he congratulated Mrs. Wallis, who had .'been periiaps the author of tho idea, and who had worked as hard as anyone . could , possibly work to bring it to.a successful issue. THE MAYOR'S REMARKS. \ Tho Mayor (tho Hon. T. W. Hislop) -said ho thought thoy might congratulate themselves on the possession of the six publicminded mon who had joined 'together to onable tho hostel to bo built, and congratulate also tho ladies. Like, wise women, these had gone to Otago, for their Superintendent, moved no doubt by a consideration of tho economy which would bo necessary at starting. As Otago had boon tho "first placo in Now Zealand to establish higher education for women, "and to" establish, a university collegs, they could bo certain that the lady

vould possess the necessary qualities. AM ,hcy had to. do was to" co-operate with the adios in attempting to get as heavy subicriptions' as possible,-and to see that'the somfort of the students was looked after. "• .MINISTER FOR EDUCATION. The Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, said he looked upon the occasion aa a very important one. The hostel would ba a valuable adjunct to the educational machinery of Now Zealand. The true college atmosphere and concentration of college traditions were best fostered in residential colleges, and he hoped that this was the beginning of a movement that weald extend very largely in the. future. li could not be doubted ■ that it, would bo of great benefit to the lady students, and he hoped that its success would be so apparent to all'that,.cach - of the other colleges in' Now Zealand would Follow in their steps, and that, residential colleges would be provided, not only/for tho ladies, but. also for the gentlemen. students. WOMAN'S MISSION. ;'' Tho Hon. Dr. Findlay, referring to the happy auspices of the • sunshine-- that /had brokri upon His Excellency as he laid the pile,'siid that the hostel certainly- deserved, thoso auspices, together with the future-he predicted for it. They touched hero one of the greatest-■ movements of the day, the higher education of.women. With every ob- . : stacle removed from the path of tho,. women,' who attended l the university, the best: rity was given for the' futuro of the country.. -. He believed that the future of this country ; ■ would depend more and more on its educa-. ted women. -The 'control' of'its affairs, it-, seemed, would be more and more hi their hands, and, as had been' said,; they .must educate their masters.,, A foiling: of esprit do corps would ■ be ' engendered by.- the' hostel which he believed would help to foster the valuabld work which women were■ setting themselves to do in this country, and, indeed, in all civilised, countries. As regards the. lady superintendent of the hostel, he pointed but that though she had,spent some year's, iii Otago, sho had been-born-'in-. Canterbury (laughter).'. . -..-.-, - ' l; "- •'..;-..-'.'/: ' .'. A collection was then taken on the pile towards tho funiishiug funds! : ' ' THE NEW BUILDING;, -. ; ;'■;.'. . ' Tho hostel. will bo built from plans'pre. pared by Mr. W. Gray". Thfc main entrance,', on the ground floor, is placed in the middlo of the south side, and leads into an o'ntrarica hall, seventeen teet by sixteen; foot.- From this hall' access is given l " to tho dining room, matron's, sitting room, visitors' room, and Commons' room, and also to the upper floor, by means!of a wide flight ol stairs.* Tho dining room, twenty-six,, feet six inches by sixteen, feet, will bo fin-, ished with wood-paiinolled. walls to a height., of eight feet, abovo which will be a plaster, friezo. The walls, of tho entrance hall and* Commons' room will bo similarly'finished.-' A service, room leads, from" the dining. room . to the'kitchen quarters', "where ample accom- •; m'odation.is shown, provision being made.for,. a. ldtcheii; sixteen, feet by sixteen feet with.' modern; equipment.- On the ground floor there.are five single-bedrooms, while on .the upper.-, floor .there- are twelve single and nine; ddublo/' bedrooms, with the' f necessary; bathrooms,-., lavatories,' etc.- One bedroom upstairs will'/' have a-ftreplace, and boused as'a sick room.' On'/the, front'.of "part, of the.north side: of the building there, will, be, a verandah' and.] balcony;, -, ■ . -:.<\ : ■ ■~- :,. ;,_•-',. ''..'.■•/.■ i . ! .'--T ,