IN HOSPITAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1174, 15 February 1919, Page 7

IN HOSPITAL

♦. VOCATIONAL AND CURATIVE TRAINING.

SOUTH ISLAND ARRANGEMENTS. WELLINGTON, Saturday. Arrangements for curative work for useful occupation, and where advisable vocational training of soldier patients who will be in hospital at Christchurch and I-lanmer arc well in hand, as shown by the, report of the officer in charge of this subject, who with Lieut.-Colonel Christie recently visited Hanmer and the Chalmers Orthopaedic Hospital in Christchurch. A carpenters' shop has been provided at Hanmer which will serve for carpentry and other occupations. It is intended to provide instructions in bootmaking and tailoring. The carpentry instructor is already at work. It is proposed to give instruction in motor car repairing, and there are several cars lo be maintained which will provide good opportunities for instruction. It is intended to appoint an instructor in accountancy, and also for teaching primary and secondary subjects. As Hanmer is isolated, there will be difficulty in getting an instructor in university subjects, but it may be possible to get a school-master wilh university degrees who can take the whole range of education. Land has been acquired to provide opportunities for instruction in farming for those patients who will be flt for the. open-air work. The Y.M.C.A. has undertaken to build a recreation club at Hanmer. Equipment for the making of splints and other appliances for the wounded, including surgical boots, has been obtained from England, and the erection of the machinery at the Orthopaedic Hospital for Ihis work was almost completed at the time of the visit. There is also a good carpenters' shop and a room for other occupational training-. Mrs Templer has been appointed in charge of occupational work. She has already done, valuable service in a voluntary capacity, and has now been placed on salary, and given an assistant. Professor Hight has taken a great deal of trouble over the arrangement of university education classes, and as

the vocational officer (temporary), Captain Moore, is himself an M.A. of Canterbury College, it Is anticipated that there will be no difficulty in completing the matter. A satisfactory arrangement was made in regard to primary and secondary education, the Director of Technical Instruction offering to provide the necessary instructors in these subjects. The Director of Agriculture has offered to give every facility for his officers to provide farming instruction, and Lincoln College was visited to discuss the matter with the director, Mr Alexander. He offered to personally give lectures on the breeds and management of sheep, and thought that Dr. Hildendorf would give lectures on the rotation of crops and other farming matters. The Director of Technical Instruction, Mr Howell, subsequently informed the officer in charge of vocational training that he could make arrangements for lectures on farming subjects to the soldiers either at the hospital or the technical college. The vocational officer in Chri»tchurch is now arranging for this to be done, so that full provision has been made for instruction in all branches of farming. Doubtless arrangements can be made lator on for the completion of the training in a practical way on State or private farms.