KING EDWARD TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

Evening Star, Issue 15139, 22 March 1913, Page 11

KING EDWARD TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

FOUNDATION STONES LAID. BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND THF MAYORESS. Only six of the invitations sent out bv the manngers of the-Dunedin Technical benooi for Thursday afternoon wem answered by excuses. All who could attend deemed it a privilege. It was a representative crowd—clergvmen, legislators, professors, lawyers, doctors, membcis of public bodies, captains of industry, and men of leisure—xind if the' ma-naw" found a spare moment in which to "scan the t.irong fhey must'have been gratified to 6se in. it. many 'mothers whoso presence gave to the function its true point of interest. a« associating the college with the family life of the eomniuiiitv. The fathers jould probably have been "there, too, but for being at work. The proceedings Were such as to suit a mixed assemblage of men and women who were sparing an hour from ordinary daily duties m order to give, countenance to a. noble- and practical scheme for tho uplifting of the national life. The talking and the ceremonies occupied but a short time—to be precise, from 4.25 to 5.5. Hint was hmch better than spinning it out and weaiying evcrvbodv. Further, mere linmmery was r'igidlv excluded, hueh acknowledgments as were due were politely rendered, but time was not wasted in flattery nor in meaningless ceremonial, the speeches were short ahd to the point. Everybody seemed to be pleased that Mr W. F. Masscy, the Prime Minister, had contrived to make a rim to Dunedin for this occasion. His cheery ways and-bis ringing voice helped to '.carrv' the function to its successful issue. ].! v the. Wav, it- may be mentioned that nob'odv in the gathering charged -Mr Massev with at fault in regard to his late 'arrival. The proceedings were announced to begin at 4.15. It wae 10 minutes later ere he appeared. Meanwhile, tho Technical School Cadets, under Lieutenant Bracks, stood at ease, and the Albany Street School drum and life baiuU directed by Mr James Renme, occasionally played a tune. The programme intimated that the band would strike up " some patriotic air" as Mr Massey came on to the scene. Each time the music was heard the people cast their eyes down the street. There were two or three such false alarms. The lifers tooted forth 'Tho Wearing of the Green; and a baker's delivery man hove in sight; ' Yip I Addy' was wasted on- a coal van. These, however, were merely preliminary pleasantries. The band boys made jio mistake when Mr Massey did come.. They received him with 'The Red, AATtite, and Blue,' and played the jolly old air /.in fine style. Tho Prime Minister was piloted by Mr T. Scott, chairman of the managers, and accompanied by .Mr Angus Marshall (director of the school), the Hon. J. T. Paul, Mr T. K. Sidey, Mr G. M. Thomson,- and Mr C. K. Statham. At the foot of; the platform they were joined by Mi- R. Scott, another M.P., and the party were ' introduced to tho Mayor and -Mrs AA'ilson, also to the architect (Air Mandeno), and the contractor (Mr AA 7 . M'Lellan). It was learned upon inquiry that the unpunctuaiity was caused by a misunderstanding about the lime of meeting the motors' Mr T. Scott's address occupied but a few minutes. He traced the rise and progress of the Technical Schools Association, it started in October of 1888, at a meeting in the Town Hall convened by Mr G. Mv Thomson. Three of tho present managers were at that meeting—Messrs A. Burt, G. M. Thomson, and T. AA r . Kempthorne, and they were that day on the platform. The classes were, started with 288 pupils in tho most suitable building that, could be got-; then'the placo was outgrown, and the present site was purchased, and for 12 years the school was canied on without any aid beyond the voluntary subscriptions of the public; and in 1910 tho Goveihment formally recognised technical education, and the school was put on a proper footing. Very soon the buildings were, totally inadequate to accommodate the pupils, so steps were taken to organise a, big scheme. The Otago Education Board, acting in a spirit of extreme liberality, ga.ve. the Stuart street site on condition that an up-to-date building was erected, and-by tho help -oi the Government, and the, generosity of the public tho finance was arranged. They all felt much obliged to Mr Masses- (or coming to Dunedin specially to lay one of tho foundation stones. It was the Prime Minister's finst public function in Dunedin. The Prime Minister stopped forward and duly laid the stone, declaring it to be well and truly laid. The King Edward College, ho was informed, would be the best and most modem technical college in the Dominion. He deemed it an honor to be invited, and it gave him much pleasure to be present. Tho Albany Street Band here plaved a. verse, and Mis John AVilson laid the second stone, after which the boys, plaved ' God Defend New Zealand.'

Tho architect and the contractor jointly presented Mr Miistcy with a silver" trowel and a- mallet, and to ill's Wilson they gave a pretty mallet of honeysuckle, each of these nie.nentocs being suitably' inscribed. Xhe .Mayor then addressed the people. Ho mentioned that 512 girls already attended the school, and it was expected that there would bo accommodation, in the new wing for over 1,000. In this connection he noticed that no provision was made in the plans for the physical training of girls, and he suggested that such provision would be an advantage. The site of thenew buildings was one of the best that could be got, and it turned out to be fortunate that such a noble area woe lying vacant and obtainable. Its- nearness to the Town Belt would enable the managers to Gome day arrange for classes in practical gardening and agriculture. He thought the City Council acted wisely in voting £I,OOO for the college, and ho hoped that the council would support the managers in making this " the " technical college of the Dominion.

The Jb'i'inso -Minister's rising was grectpd with cheer?. In the course of a short speech he said that the event was a strong indication of the progress of education in Otago, and of the general interest taken in education by the people. Otago had always taken the lead in educational matters. He gladly acknowledged that this had produced great results. Young men who had been educated in Otago wero to be found right through the Dominion, And in Australia and other countries, many of them taking bight rank in fho professions. Otago was fortunate in having men who gave- the test years of their lives to promoting the- cause of education. Prominent amongst these was Mr G. .M. Thomson. Many men hero were also very generous in aiding education with money." The need for technical education of a high class was proved by the experiences of Germany and America, and no was glad to say that our Parliament was now impressed with the importance of the subject. He had been in the House for 19 years, and lie did not remember one occasion on which a., proposal to increase the expenditure on education had been, seriously opposed. " The fact is that tho Parliament, and behind them the People, have made up their minds that are going to be the best; educated people in the world. It is a great ambition : at js a laudable, ambition. I hope that in the centuries to come numbers-' of our young people, natives of Otago, natives of other parts of New Zealand, will be so equipped here as to do credit to their parents, to their. teachers, to this great- institution, and to the land in which they were born, brought up, and educated." (Great applause.) Tho only other speaker was Mr G. M. Thomson. He said that he felt verypleased to find the work that lie had started still progressing after a quarter of a century. The motive that animated the promoters at the outset was that opportunity should be given to everyone in the community, however humble in position, to get the- benefits of higher education, no matter whether he could pay tho fees or not. The only return asked "of those who got. free education was that thev should make good use of it. He claimed that this principle had been the means of enabling many persons to complete their primary education and rise from the ranks. Education to be of any value must be solid. His impression was that in our primary education we had been spreading too much, and m the technical school they had found that the primary education lacked depth. It was essential for success in chemistry, and nearly all branches, to have a thorough, grounding in mathematics. Though it was heresy to say so, he also held that our education was weak in tho observational (acuity. Our young people had to go to the University to get the anatomy and the biology and other things that thev shuold get in tho primary schools. How many farmers knew tho names of all the weeds and the insects that, cost them thousands of pounds a year? There was another heresy : the belief that tho wealth of a, country lies in its muscle He denied that. J.he wealth of a country lies injts brains. History proved that." What had iuissia done with its millions? Contrast it with a. small country like Scotland that turned out educated men. The office of the educationist was first to find the brains am then to train them. The work this college was doing was in that direction.