A YEAR’S WORK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18598, 28 December 1920, Page 5

A YEAR’S WORK.

CANTERBURY COLLEGE ACTIVITIES.. '

IMPORTANT SCHEMES

The year Unit is -just. closing has been au evehthu one at canterbury which, during the past riveno mouths; entered upon several' important new branches of work. The establishment of a School of Education was onu of the most important steps the Board of Governors has taken since it was established about forty-seven years ago, Professor J. Shelley, foi> meriy Professor of Education at the Southampton University College, England, who was appointed the first professor of the new school, haS entered on his duties with great The school lias been approved by the Education Department, and will be used by it for training secondary school teachers from all parts of the Dominion. The year is notable on account of the gifts and benefactions the college received. The late Mr T. W. Adams, of Greendale, for many years a member of the Board of Governors, gave £2OOO in cash, and land worth at present about £3OOO in order to endow a School of Forestry. The land is planted with a great variety of trees collected by Mr Adams from ail parts of the world. The bequest is charged with ad annuity to Airs' Adams, and during her life time there will not be sufficient income from the bequest to establish a lectureship in forestry, but the Government intends to set up a School of Forestry, and it is believed that Canterbury Will be the centre chosen for it. A gift by Mr It. Bell of £3OOO to found scholarships in journalism enables the Board of Governors to establish a School of .Journalism, and Mr A. G. Henderson was appointed lecturer. The late-Air A. H. Alabaster gave £IOOO for scholarships in classical literature, aud the lute Mr It. Triggs made a bequest for founding scholarships in technical education. Professor J. Alacmillan Brown gave £IOOO to provide bursaries, to be known as Helen Alacmillan Brown Bursaries, for students in residence at the Helen Connon Hall. Dr J. Higlife, who had occupied the chair of History and Economics, was appointed Professor of History, and Professor J. B. Condliffe was appointed to the chair of Economics. A«'a result of a series of conferences between members of the Board of Governors and members of the Professorial Board, proposals were adopted to bring about a closer relationship between the college and the industries of the Dominion. Another important step is an effort to extend the external work of the college, especially in country districts. During the year, the Rhodes Scholarship was awarded to Mr S. P. M’Callum, and Miss Helen M. Richmond was .selected as the Royal Holloway Scholar for. 1920. Several changes were made in the personnel of the Board of Governors. Dean Carrington was nominated by his Excellency tho Governor-General to a vacancy caused by, the resignation of Bishop Julius at rile end of 193.9 ; Air G. T. Booth, who had represented members of, Parliament, did not stand for re-election, and the Hon G. J. Smith, M.L.0., was appointed in his place; Air O. 1\ Ascbman was elected Jjy school teachers in place of Air J. O. Adams, and Mr Adams was elected by members of Parliament to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Atr T, R. Davey. Air H. D. Acland was re-elected chairman.

In individual institutions controlled by the Board of Governors, .there was notable progress. On .account of a large increase in the number of engineering students, it was necessary to enlarge the accommodation and the staff at the School of Engineering. Air R. A. Campbell was appointed Lecturer in Civil Engineering; the Government gave a grant of £15,000 for extending tho buildings and of £IO,OOO for plant, and apparatus, and recognised the institution ,as a national School of Engineering. Air C. E. Bevan-Brown has natived from the "position of headmaster of the Boys’ High School, and Mr G. J. Lancaster has been appointed to. the position. Plans for a new Boys’ High School at Riccarton were approved by the Education Department. The Government gave a grant of £25,000, with authority to raise the same sunf on mortgage. The board purchased about three acres of land at Avonsido in order to enlarge the site of the Girls’ High School there. Plans for the new school have been prepared. It is estimated that the first part of the building will cost £35,000; exensions may be made later. Three acres and a half at Merivale, with frontages to Papanui Road and Shrewsbury Street, were purchased for the Girls’ High School boarding-house. Plans for the new hostel were approved by . the Education Department, but, ns in the case of the Avonside building, the work is delayed because the Government cannot find the money; girls at present are accommodated in two houses in Webb Street. During the year, the hostel ‘ was taken over by the board, and Airs Fraser was placed in charge. There are now more than forty pupils in residence there. The School of Art had a. succes? 'al year. In the open competition of'the New Zealand Academy of Fine A rts it won four first prizes, five second prizes, and one third prize. The gold medal for the best work in all classos in these competitions was awarded to Miss Evelyn Poison, a student of the school, the judges describing her drawing of an old man’s head, Class 1, as one of the best samples of students’ work ever shown in Wellington. In the Otago Art Society’s competitions, the school won four first prizes. Air- A. F. Nicoll was appointed director during the year. By arrangement with the Domains Board, an additional area of land was obtained for extending the buildings of Canterbury Museum, but this, like many other building schemes, will have to wait until conditions are more favourable.