TECHNICAL EDUCATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 7

TECHNICAL EDUCATION BOARD.

;-,!.' —-—' —» . ■ SITE FOR NEW SCHOOL. - A FORWARD MOVE. I Tho monthly"-mooting of tho Wellington Technical Education; .J3oard was hold last night! There wcro present:—Mr. J. P. Luko (chairman) 'aucl Messrs. T. Ballinger, T. Carmich'ael, and W.. Hi Field, M.P. Leave of abs»nco was granted to-Messrs. Robertson, M'Laren, and: Aitken, M.l'. Tho. Chairman, in - moving, that the accounts bo - passed for paymoiit, stated that 1 tho Board had a debit balance of £18-5, as against, a.debit balance at tho .corresponding period' of: last year of £896. -Tliore was, ho .added,'every reason for believing that at tho eiid of the financial year tho Board would bo. in just as r 'good a posjtion! as it was at the eiid.of last year. . . . , ... With reference to the question of acquiring, a' sito for the new technical .school, the Chairman mentioned that ho had had an interview with the. Minister-for Education re-.-e' arding the prospects of Securing tho .Mount, ook site'. Among l other things-the Minister had . stated, that it .was unnecessary to wait, upon him';' further, in the matter. Ho (tho Minister) had'.pointed'out-that, already the Government had refused.'' to allow a University. College to bo erected on- the sito, and that other deputations had approached tho Government on behalf- of' the Technical Education Board. Tho Minister had pointed; out that tho Government intended to .'apply for Parliamentary sanction to enable it to cut.up Mount.\Yiew, and if the.scheme wero adopted arrangements 'would probably bo' made to giro .-the Board a suitable sito. The Question-of procuring a. site was becoming acute. A special oommitteo had. been set up to try'aftd, obtain additional aecbnijiiodation, but it. had.;not met,,'' as ho and the director had .been unable, to find a suitable place within distance of the school.He had;omitted to. mention'that tho.Minister, had t>oki deputation, , and" it had'.- been, stated' in the Press, that the responsibility, of obtaining a site should be shouldered by, the people, of Wellington. .In.reply,: ho might mention that tho. people had, made the Board , a present of: the .site occupied by the school. ■ At- tho present. time ■ the sito. repre- : sent,ed the sum .of/ .-£16,200.. '• In .his opinion 'the 'Council.had, done,its share. ..'The,necessities 'of : the school demanded , a; larger,, site , than . that which the . Board , already; pos-sessed,.,;-and . .onewhich provided ,nj siif-, ficignt. area., for ' .v; recreation,.- ground., Tho Board- might -.offer tho Govern-, ment: a- certain sum; for a ; portion of .Mount Cook, ; or mako application for a sito on Mount", View, or acquire a property, which he had hi .yiew-jn a suitable locality. !Ehe last-nisntioncd area. .would.'to. rather. expensive, hilt ..it was free of improyeßjents,, and it would, lie thought, be more advisable to, purchase-it than ,to'';'ecquirc a. plieaper ; site, which., was loaded with a great deal, of improvements. Ho.folt that'in tho matter, of site, tho. Board would receive nioro sympathy,, from tho' Couficil than from any other coiist'itutcjl authority. ,If the Council secured the sito, in .Mercer.' Street, that, , together Svitli. the' : property .which - had . been, .handed over to;-ttieni by. the'lndustrial' Association, .would, provide'them with about'£2o,ooo with, which; to . purchase a- suitable sito, in a .desirable, locality. ,;Tho Board would have, to faco, the positiori at onco in tho interests of the children, lHiotherthe Government, assisted it" or, not! .'.Tho JUnister hnd informed him .that if. a."site .were, secured. the' Government wortld do all' in; its power ill the!matter of providing buildings and equipping: them: Tho amount' jvliich' tho Government would' advance- to- : .wards ' the cost of; buildings and' equipment would;-; he (the !■ speaker) - thought,' total £15,000. The'present- time was'an- opnortnno ono' at which to approach the CityCouncil,-, : as an...; election, .-was pending. (Laughter.)\ He woidd move: 1 : 1 V; V ,~ ,VThat.-%- ; .wait on. the .Pint . anco Committee .of the - City Council with a rie\v; of the. Committeo .reporting to 1 tho Council', on the question of tho resumption of'tho laud in MercerjStreet, and tho pay-, niont: by :thb'.City' Council; to; the Board-, of/j tho value of the ■ same,'.either!"in-ai lump sum or :iii sums, spread over, a' number of; years', but at anv ratc-iri such a way as will enablo tho' Board ,to meet;, its financial obligations 'in-' connection with, tho aequisitidn- of .a new ; site."' .• Mr. Ballingor seconded the motion;. '•»' .Mr.,' Field, thought 'it .was a prcat pity 'the, , Gnvermnpnt could not see its way to grant, n. •portibn'of/tho Mount Cook site. '"It was, in' his.omrtion, tho ono sito for, tho purposes of 6 ; technical school. ■: Mr'. Ca'rmichael said tlio, citizens had - a 1 claim•' bas»d'' on justieo. -for • 'a;' portion of. /Mount' Cook:" Some time' ago the Goverh,mfent decided that:-a site!,there .should be given in exchange'for the. sito.on the market reserve : occupied L as; .a.-police station.' The motion was carried-unanimously.

' \ ;,/ OTHER BUSINESS. 7 - J Mr. Ballinger was appointed' the Board's. representative oii: the' Electricians' Board- of I Control, aiid the' director, was instructed, to' ask , the 'Electrical Contractors'*': Association 'to appoint- its representative. y- ;" A 1 letter; of coudoleiico was 1 ordered bo forwarded • to-', the' widow of the, l»to'-.■"'■Mr'ij Gebrgo' Reed (instructor.'- of the plumbihg" classes), who met his death accidentally' in the course of |iis emp!6,vraent. : ' ' The director .reported that Mr. Martyn had been appointed assistant teacher, of. classes in', mathematics, and that Miss Polo had beoir appointed office - , assistant. It was agreed that, .the', director be empowered .to advertiso .for ■an instructor to. the classes,' vice Mr. Reed (deCoa'sod). ;. ; Tho. Board, then adjourned. •■/. . y