AUCKLAND TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13084, 25 January 1906, Page 6

AUCKLAND TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

EXHIBITION OF STUDENTS' WORK.

OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR

SOME INTERESTING SPEECHES

Tin-: annual exhibition of work by the students attending the Auckland Technical School was opened yesterday afternoon by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Plunket). The chairman of the Education Board (Mr. S. Luke) presided, and a number of the members of the Beard, the director of the school (Mr. George), the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. A. M. Myers), the Hon. E. Mitchelson. and a number of the public, were also present. THE CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS. Mr. Luke, in welcoming' His Excellency, stated that except those engaged in the work no one knew their great indebtedness to the; Governor for what he had doue in the- matter of technical education. (Hear, hear.) One lelt ashamed that, the present buildings were being used for technical education in a city like Auckland, and it was time something was done towards a better buildiug. The work they saw was very creditable indeed. The progress of technical education in Auckland during the last three years was wonderful. The school started with about. 30 stndents, but they now had about 800. The increase was very gratifying, and more accommodation was badly needed. (Hear, hear.) SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. His Excellency said it gave him gre.it pleasure to be present at the exhibition for the second time. It was pleasing to him to hear that good as was the work last year the work this year .surpassed it. Last year he drew the attention of the people of Auckland to the miserable buildings iu which the technical clasps had to bo carried on, and he expressed the hope that it would not be long before a really satisfactory college would be erected. Since then the anxiety of the younger generation to obtain the benefits of technical education had been more apparent than ever. He did not know if it was generally known that there were some 200 students who applied for admission and had to be refused for want of accommodation. Many others', he had no doubt, would have applied had it not already been known that it was useless. It was really most unfortunate that such brightprospects should be cramped for want of room. (Hear, hear.) The Government had promised £4000 towards the building fund on. condition. that .the site. should bo- larger than was originally intended. He was Ted to believe that the Government had also agreed to make a grant of £2 for every £1 up to a certain sum. He.thought that was a mistake. At any rate it was not fair to expect the. Government, especially a Government of a young country like this, with other equally pressing and "vital calls upon them in every direction, to build Auckland a college. It ought to be also remembered that, with the exception of Australasia, private individuals and philanthropists all over ..the world assisted bv donations institutions like the technical college. It was generally recognised now . that. a-, man without a. technical education would be outstripped in the competition of life. He thought that was generally understood and believed in New Zealand too. It was also quite clear that the young men and women in Auckland were seeking very much after , technical in-. struction. Were, they going to sit down and twiddle their thumbs, and wait for something to turn up, while the young people of Auckland were restricted in their education, and the energetic and able teachers become more and more disheartened? . He did not think so. He could not believe that Auckland was going to do that. Auckland had had in the past generous philanthropists, and he was sine they would have them again. With the £4000 granted by the Government as a nucleus, he thought the citizens of Auckland might very well put their shoulders to the wheel, and give the city a technical college worthy of the name. The present college was certainly not sufficient for the demands which were being made, and which would be made every day, upon it. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Luke said during the . Educational Conference in Wellington, the Minister for Education (Mr. Seel don) was seen, and said he would recommend the Cabinet to grant £2 for every £1 subscribed up to £2500. Since then a grant ,of £4000 had been made. The Board hod written asking whether the subsidy was still available as well as the grant.., THE DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS. Mr. George, the director of the Technical College, said when he saw the raw material I that was available in Auckland, to say nothing of New Zealand, and thought of the j poor facilities for training, it made him ! feel sad. ... There was no need to dwell upon j the wretchedness and the inadequacy of the | technical school buildings. They were obvious to everyone. When they j could show a roll number of about 800, and j many more refused admission, he thought that in any part o. the world, 'except New Zealand, they . would . have .' before now a magnificent building to house those 800 students in. (Hear, hear.) THe exhibition was for the purpose of showing the public the work done at the school during the 12 months, and he wished .them to understand that it. was done in the ordinary course of the work of the school. The time had arrived when the people should recognise that if they were to compete with other parts of the world the. youth of the colony should have the best .technical education. What made Germany start on its industrial and technical education? It was not with the idea of making money that- technical education was started hi Germany. It was with the idea of improving the race, and of improving the country in the race amongst nations. It was/a spiritual and moral sense that caused idealists' in Germany to first start industrial education, and then they suddenly awoke, and found that the nation had, by its own doing, become rich. The' danger now was in Germany that the i country, having become so wealthy, might go. back from the strenuous life/ that was being led, and sink down into the depths from which it had arisen, chiefly owing to technical education. What was possible in a town at Home of 70,000 or 80,000 people was possible in a town like Auckland. In fact a young country had rather the advantage, "for the persons that came to a young country were possessed of grit and stamina, and if that was hereditary the people here should be far ahead of the average person at Home. The raw ma-, terial in New Zealand was equal to anything in any other part of the world; but it was being sadly hampered by lack of opportunity. The time would not be long before the Auckland people wouM realise their responsibilities in this matter. It was not a Government matter to provide technical schools. The community benefited and the community should help in this matter. Everyone should assist the youth of the city in securing a training for the battle of 'life, and this could only be done by providing adequate facilities. I (Hear, hear.l ! AMERICAN METHODS. The Mayor thought Mr. George need not be so pessimistic in regard to this important matter. Public opinion was being formed; 'they were not going back. The Auckland City Council had '• recently i found it was competent under the City I Improvement Trust to grant to the Board | of Education an allotment of land in Wei- j lesley-street, which lie thought would en- I able the Board to lake the full l)enefit of j the grant from the Government. (Ap- | plause.) Me also suggested that the Go- I vernment should be approached to provide j sufficient money, not only for the present | needs of the new university, but for tech- : nical subjects, such as commerce and' art training. The Mayor read a letter from j Mr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president of the Califorriian University, on the relation j between technical education and the uni- ,

- rersity. • .The letter stated that science for I its own sake and not science for use was [the usual statement of the university ideal. Technical schools thus grew up entb-lr ini dependent of the universities. The Lawj rence Scientific School at Harvard had in | recent years, however, gradually drifted into practical and technical studies and the like, but still it gave very deficient training on the practical side of technical work. There was a strong movement to combine the Lawrence School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The State universities in the United States were required to teach, not only Greek, Latin, philosophy, history, etc., but also agriculture, mechanics, arts, civil engineering, etc., to the surprise of practically all i then risers on education. There was no ! clash between the two forms of education. At Cornell, a dairy and forge were placed on the university campus. The characteristic American university was the State university, where all educational subjects were on an equality. Instruction in agriculture, and in making and handling machinery, had now developed itself into a well-established branch of university edui cation. Training men in the real doing of things was vastly safer than training in the dreaming of things. The modern movement of training life through life-ac-tion was being adopted. It meant the training of the will, and the development of character for the actual purposes of societ v. OTHER SPEECHES. The Hon. E. Mitchelson agreed that the exhibits were an improvement on those of the previous vera'. In New Zealand there was a great drain on the Government to provide ways and means for technical schools and universities in every centre. In Australia one university was sufficient for <i£ch colony. The Auckland Technical School was going to be a greatschool, and he was sure the people of Auckland would, as they had done in the past, come to the Board's assistance for j the benefit of the community. I Mr. A. Rosser. lha secretary of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council, stated that while Lord Rani'urly would always be.remembered for his interest in the Veterans' Home, Lord Plunket would be kept in mind for starting an interest- at the other end of life, in providing technical education for lie youth of the colony. ll* had addressed circulars to all the Trades Unions, asking for their assistance in procuring funds for the new bulidiugs. The Painters' Union stated that they considered the Government should subsidise the institution—(hear, hear)—and it, was not for the union to do so. The Westfield Chemical Manure Workers' Union, at Otahuhu, had contributed £2: and the Engignedrivers' Union £5 ss, and each member was subscribing Is. Replies had not been received from many others. Shilling subscription lists had also been circulated. He suggested that a. youth i should bo given an education principally J for the occupation he intended to follow ' during his .lifetime, and that girls should | be given more facilities for learning cooking. In Belgium, girls were given a small ) sum of money, and told to lay it out to the best advantage. It was the hope of the workers that the technical school should progress, as they recognised it was to their advantageOn the motion of Mr. L. J. Bagnall, seconded by Mr. G. L. Peacocke, a vote of thanks was accorded Lord Plunket by acclamation, for consenting to open, the exhibition.

Lord Plunket, in reply, urged that the Government could not be expected to provide. everything, as the calls on it were numerous and varied. He thought the Government meant to assist the Board in every possible way, and the Minister for Education was taking a great deal' of' in', terest in the school. Those who could, should put their hands in their pockets, and assist the Government, and benefit the community. In company with the director and members of the Board, His Excellency then inspected the. exhibition of work.. - - ' THE EXHIBITS. In the opinion of the judges the exhibits are an improvement on the previous year. A good number of people visited the school yesterday, an,d greatly admired the varied assortment of artistic and useful articles. In \ the junior classes, a good display of hand work is shown, consisting of plasticine modelling, paper-folding. «nd basketwork. This is the work of children attending the primary schools. A line display is made of. the work done by the manual and training centres. This is the work of the senior pupils attending the primary schools. The exhibits from the pupils of the technical school are as artistic as they are varied and useful. Some of the joinexy and carpentry work gave a visitor the impression that it was the work of experienced artisans. Strict attention has been paid' to the minutest detail in all the work. A pretty cabinet is exhibited, together with fine specimens of morticed tenon joints, mitre corners, and squares. Specimens of doors and handrailing for stairs also make a good show. This is all the work of first, second, and third-year students.

The plumbing exhibits were most interesting and instructive. In the opinion of the director the plumbing classes alone are worth the money expended on the school in the excellent results forthcoming. Not only beginners in plumbing have attended the classes, but also some master plumbers. The specimens of wiped joints and traps in lead work show very fine skill. "Nothing finer has been seen," was the verdict yesterday. An artistic exhibit of drawing was made by.the teachers of the primary schools, who are receiving instruction at the bands of the college teachers.

The exhibition will be open again to-day.