TECHNICAL MANAGERS

Evening Star, Issue 17956, 1 May 1922, Page 3

TECHNICAL MANAGERS

THE ANNUAL REPORT. Tho annual report of the Board _of Managers of the, King Edward technical College contains the following clauses: “In the altered constitution no provision was made for representation on behalf of subscribers, and as a result of this there disappeared from the board the Hon. G. M. Thomson. M.L.C.. the leading spirit in initiating, a quarter of a century ago, the evening classes which, under ins guidance and with his assistance, liavo nlh" inatoSv developed into the present Technical 'high School and the technical evening ela see. Throughout the period ut thirty-three years Mr Thomson, m tho successive, capacities of non. cecictaiv, superintendent, and chairman, end a.so as a member of the hoard, was always in the closest connection with the school, and it is to his ability, energy, ami enthusiasm Ghat much of the success of the Dunedin Terlmical School as it at present exists |is due. Dr Colonlionn. being about to visit Europe, declined re-election at tho annual meeting, and thus the services <u another experienced member of ability were lost to the community._ •• The School of Art, which had been closed throughout the whole of the year 1920, was reopened under the auspices of the Technical School Board at _ the beginning of IS2I : but in vi<?v/ of the c.tttermination to appoint a new principal before any reorganisation was undertaken, provision was made for only a limited number, of classes, which were continued j hv two members of the previous fiinf, at j first employed as full-time temporal \ I teachers, and afterwards as part-lime instructors. An art master and a crafts master, both of tho, Royal College of Art, London, liavo been' appointed, and Inc Dunedin Technical School Board is now in a position to reopen and reorganise ihe. School of Art with some assurance of _Ks becoming a serviceable and efficient ccucational institution. FIELD EXPERIMENTS. “Soma years ago Kempthonic Farm, Wakari. was purchased for the purpose of i carmnrr out field experiments and giving 1 the' boys of the Technical High School i practical training in agriculture. After : improvements had been effected and the house made habitable, the managers began to realise that, taking account of the size of this small farm, the situation, and the working expenses, the results likely to be achieved were not sufficient to justify the belief that the sthenic would be a success. and it was therefore decided net to 1 continue, Tho consent of the department to tho disposal of the properly having •been obtained, it was sold in October for £460 more than was paid tor it; but it has to be noted tha-t this difference represented an expenditure for improvements. Under the arrangement with the Education Department the money obtained Tom the sale of tho Wakari property was expended in purchasing the remainder of U.e action at Balmacewen, increasing 'ha etc a( the board’s block from 10 acres to Hi jjKrres, and so affording sufficient ground for plot work in agriculture. Ihe hutments which had been erected on Kempthorna Farm were without difficulty . removed in their entirety to the Balmacewen property, and will now be used toi the accommodation of boys, thus forming tho nucleus of a hostel. 'NSTRUCTION IN AGRICULTURE. ‘The appointment of a special instructor for agriculture has led to more ca.ro and attention being given to this branch. Tho course of instruction in practical agriculture entered upon is indicated m the following outline of the scheme Rotatiop of crops, four rears’ course, area, two acres in half-acre plots-Autumn-sown wheat, root crops (soft turnips, swedes, mangels), spring-sown oats, leguminous crops ired clover and cow vass). Rotation of crops, three years course, area one and a-half acres in half-aero plots Cereal (wheat under two .manurial tests', roots, potatoes of two varieties, each under two manurial tests), leguminous (three varieties of peas, with manurial tests). Lucerne nlot, area half-acre of the (Marlborough variety, under inoculated and noninoculated conditions, in _ different width of drills, with luno dressing. Supplementary fodders, area one acre, in plots each one-third of an acre, showing chon guollier, thousand-headed kale, kohl raid, under phosphate and nitrogenous treatjment. Selection of grasses in .an area of half-acre. Green manuring experiments in an area of half-acre plot. “Owing to. tho nature of the soil and its raw state, as well as to the unusually vet and cold season, the work was earned rn at a disadvantage, and,the resulting crops cannot be said to have been prolific; tut lliero is no doubt that these oxperim *nts firmed tho basis of sound training, and that the boys taking part derived c> nsidcrablo benefit therefrom. ihe n a lingers are hopeful that a considerable advance will result during the current yeai Milk-testing, for which wo have now four good machines, has become an imp i-'t.ii.t feature of the course, and the train) ig noygiven in this branch is regarded as sufficient for a specialist. BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS. “ Owing to the foresight and liberality of the late John Callander and Alexander Burt, to the thoughtfulness and consideration of members of the Otago Caledonian Society, and to the generosity of an anonymous donor of bursaries for girls taking domestic science, the students of the Dunedin Technical School arc provided with a largo number of scholarships and bursaries) Many instances can be given of students who, were it not for the money thus disbursed, would find difficulty in paying fees and providing school equipment ; and it may therefore be affirmed that, the £2OO paid out annually under this heading is of direct benefit to many deserving students.’’ TRIBUTE TO STAFF. Tho report acknowledges indebtedness to linn, examiners, and to societies, linns, citizens, and the staff for contributions, and concludes; “The managers desire to acknowledge and at (lie same time emphasise the, fact that the success of tiie Dunedin Technical School is largely due, to tho energy and enthusiasm of the members of the teaching staff, nod especially to that of our director, whoso whole-hearted service deserves our highest commendation.’ 1