TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 102, 1 May 1909, Page 9

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL. The Wellington Technical Education Board met last night, Mr. J. P. Luk* presiding. Other members who attend, ed were Messrs. W. H. Field, T. Bal, linger, W. Allen, J. G. W. Aitken, D, Robertson, and T. Carmichael. The total value of accounts and salai nes, which were passed for payment by. the meeting, amounted to £1059 16s Id Salaries amounted to £507 19s 9d, and the largest account was that of F. Greenshields, ,£309 -8s 4d, for apparatus. In commenting upon the accounts's£t ™ l ! llt > Mr - Luke said that Greenstnelds s account was chiefly made up ota charge for largo planes, which were absolutely essential for the proper conduct of the classes. After paying all accounts due this month, there was a. credit balance left of £34 8s 5d by comparison with a debit of £267 6s 9cT in. the corresponding period •of 1908.^ The chairman also referred to the cost of electric lighting for the school, and said it was confidently expected thnt the cost would be materially redwced in the near future by the installation of metallic film incandescent lamps. Thi> remark drew from Mr. Carmidiael tho information that an institution with, which he was connected officially had reduced its lighting expenses by 50 per cent, solely through installing tßea*' lamps. ° A report was submitted fr.om.the Electrical Board of Control, in ■which » was recommended that a grant of £100 be asked for from the City Conncil for special purposes of training pupils in electricity; also that the. City Council be asked to increase its annual contra. -£n° n fl>om £2SO t0 £300 ' the eSfc *» ±.50 to be ear-marked for purposes of the electrical classes. In regard to this recommendation, favourable comment upon it was made by Messrs. Bfelfinget and Luke, two of the council's, representatives on the Technical Education Board. They agreed that the interests of the council, now that that body was embarked on the business of electric lighting supply, in addition to tramways, demanded that everything it 'reasonably could do should be done to inn prove knowledge in regard to electricity. The report was adopted unanimously. THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. Mr. La Trobe reported, by request of the board, on the staff of the school. He recommended — (1) In view, of the present financial position of the school, the pattern class for bootmakers be discontinued, there being a lack of students. Further recommendations intha report were :— (2) That the services of Mr. P. Ellis were not necessary in tha machine-dl awing and debign class oa Tuesday and Friday evenings, and that he be offered £20 per annum to cop. tinuo ths Wednesday evening class in geometry and mechanical drawing ; (3) that Mr. J. Ellis, being now available for the wood-carving classes, Mr. J. Crawford's services, which were temporarily obtained at £40 per annum, be dispensed with ; (4) that the matter of the cooking classes be left over till were made (at the end of the quartei) for giving lessons in domestic economy to the girls in the day; commercial classes, in accordance witb' a suggestion approved by the Education Department, which would increase the board's capitation grants by about £300, without materially increasing ex-. pons&; (5) that in view of the larg* classes taught, and the important work done, in the book-keeping classes, th» salaries of the assistant instructors b» increased £10 each per annum, to dat* from the commencement of the yearj x (5) that an assistant be obtained forth* office at a salary of £52 per annum, vice the present assistant, at £80, who has resigned. The report was adopted unaltered.