TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 290, 1 September 1908, Page 8

TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

THE NEW SITE.

CENTRE OF STUDENT POPULATION, • ' I

SUGGESTIONS BY MR. LA TROBE. Iu Mr. W-. S. La Trobo, tho Wellington Technical School possesses a man of progressive ideas. Ho is healthily discontented with affairs as they stand, and in his efforts to securo a new school with room for tho present studonts and moro for expansion ho is like tho boy after tho cake of soap in tlie advertisement—he won't ho happy until ho gets itl For years his school has been cabined, cribbed, and confined in that queer structural arrangement that extends from Mercer Street to Victoria Streot. For years ho has pointed out how ridiculous it is for such an institution to cover so valuablo a block of city land, and for years he has hammered away whenever an opportunity served at tho urgent need of "moving out with the population." It has been argued that tho present site is tho centre of tho city or thereabouts, and is very suitable, but this kind of argument shows a want of grasp of tho essentials of the site in question.

A Changing Centre. Ten years ago or' more the , present site was' a very excellent ono, and not far away -from the centre of the sicdent population, but Wellington has changed magically .during the last decade. The evergrowing population has leaked through, and over tho hills east and west to tho~valleys and plains beyond, and has sprawled southward over the depression in the surrounding ramparts to ocean-lapped Island Bay. The expansion has been southward and eastward—to Kilbirnie, Miramar, Maranui, Bcrhamporc. Island Bay, Brooklyn, and tho hills beyond New-town—and there has not been anything. liko the same expansion northwards, and tho result has been an alteration in tho location of the centro of population. This is the convincing ground on which Mr. La Trobe has worked to show conclusively that tho city's centre is becoming i a city proper, without tho heavy residential population of former • years. The illustration below is more than ordinarily interesting. Two years ago tho idea of locating the centro of the Technical School .student population occurred to Mr. La Trobe, who m furtherance of his idea set to

work and divided the whole of the city into quarter milo squares (as in the sketch), and then taking the roll of studonts he took evory fourth name, and marked his or liqr place of residence with a dot in tho quartor mile block in which it occurred. • _ Then, taking into consideration tho position of every dot so registered, he ascertained that the centre was \ then about Martin Square (off Taranald 'Street, about• half-way between Vivian and Bucklo Streets). That was only two years ago. A few weeks ago tho director resolved to test tho matter again. There were then 1200 students attending tho school. As before, ho took every fourth namo on the roll and dotted down tho locality of their places of residence. The result is shown in tho sketch—which speaks louder than words.: It shows that tho centre of .tho student population (which is a fair guido to tho general population) is now Mount Cook, off Buckle Street, about a quartor of a milo further to tho southward than was tho case two years ago—and this without •taking in Miramar, which should bo taken into consideration. Further evidence beyond question comes from tho Education Board, which , body has of late years had to build largo now schools at ■ Borliamporo and Island Bay, already crowded, whilst at Kilbirnio tho accommodation has boon quito insufficient. Tho Roman Catholics aro moving their schools away from tho city towards Nowtown under tho forco of the same trend, and it is there tho now Technical School must be.

the Probable Site. Mention was made recently of tho probable new sito for tho Technical School—a bit of waste land with frontages to Wallace Street, New (or Oliver) Street, and Crawford Street, at present strewn with old tins, the historic dell better known, under tho classic appellation of Jam-tin Gully. Tho pity, w iA ovcrx admirable, its fault

boiiig the uneven noss resultant from theriso from Crawford to "Wallace Street of about 30ft. Still, it is a bright, sunny spot, and its entiro frontago could bo built upon. Roughly, thoro is about an aero of land in the section proposed to bo acquired, but thoro is another half-acro opposite tho Wallace Street sido of the block with an extended frontago to Now Street, which it is also proposed to acquire for tho purposes of a sports-playground and tennis court.

Tho Advantages of the Site. As stated above, tho centro of population is shifting southward. If it really moved a quarter of a mile in two years it will only bo another four years before -tho centre of "Wellington's population is in tho vicinity of tho proposed site of tho new school. Tho sito is not so far from tho Adelaide Road tramway as is tho present Technical School from Willis Street; it is within a minute's walk of tho terminus of tho Wallace Street tram-lino; and, further, it is on tho cards that tho tram-lino may bo carried rightround tho block and down John Street to loop up with the Adelaido Road line. Another great advantago to tho students is that tho Town Bolt is right opposito the block, giving promise of ample recreation grounds and air space in the future. Jamtin Gully will make a splendid sports ground somo day. The block proposed to be acquired is owned by tho City Council, tho Crown, and three private owners. Tho Crown only has a 40ft. section, which has never yet been used in any shape or form, and which might be made a gift to tho school. The City Council view the proposed scheme favourably, and the matter of tho acquirement of_ its interest is only a question _ of negotiation (which will probably end in the city taking over the Mercer Street property, giving tho Wallace Street land and a sum of money in exchange).

The New School Building. Mr. La Trobo does not let tho grass grow under his feet. Ho has already drawn sketch plans of tho stylo of building that could ba erocted on tho new sito. 110 proposes to erect a throe-story structure on the Crawford and New Street' frontages, dropping to a. one-story building behind, where will bo situated tho main hall (75ft. by 40ft), to bo used for lectures, exhibitions, and entertainments, and the laboratories and such other rooms which require a good top light. The main entrance to the building will bo on the junction of Crawford and Now Streets, and will consist of a broad flight of steps admitting to a spacious vestibule on to which tho main liall opens. Mr. La Trobo proposes to provido big folding doors at tho entrance to tho hall, so that on extra special occasions theso may bo opened and tho vestibule space useel by spectators. At one sido of tho entranco steps will bo an inclined way leading to tliG

basemont, where there will be a bieyclestablo, store-rooms, and the heating apparatus for the building. Along the- ground floor frontago will bo ranged the offices, classrooms, and a lecture-room. On the first floor will bo another array of class-rooms (each about 27ft. square), ,tho library, and quarters for tho commercial, literary, cookery, and dressmaking classes ; and such others that do not require special apparatus. Owing to tho configuration of tho ground tho floor becomes tho ground floor on tho Wallace Street side, and thero (on tho solid) will bo _ located tho plumbing, moulding, carpontoring, and electrica.l engineering classes. The second floor rooms will be devoted'to tho arts and crafts, with a good room for casting, over a cart entranco (which will bo a convenience in tho handling of tho bulk commodities of art), and big fitting and machinery shop on tho solid high ground fronting Wallace Street. -The entrance of the building is to bo surmounted with a tower, tho second floor of which should mako an admirable room for the lifo class. A Cause that needs Assistants. Technical education in other cities and countries has long ago been a recognised factor in tho progress of the country it servos, and has been helped along by bequests 'iyid substantial donations from thoso recognising tho forco behind a system of good technical education. Wellington ' has so far not boon fortunate in this regard, and so both art and utility havo boon retarded in this tho capital city of tho Dominion. • Bnt tho struggle is exhilarating, and tho battlo is bringing out tho. strength of thoso concerned—as witness the olaborato schomo prepared by Mr. La Trobo—a schemo complete and tangible, yet in tho air. To Mr. La Trobo it is a captive balloon that will in proper time bo drawn >to earth to materialise.. .011 tho .lineß indicatetL-aboya,