THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15130, 22 October 1912, Page 8

THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

MR. HOGBEN'S REPORT. BUILDINGS INADEQUATE. WOULD COST £75,000 TO REPLACE. [AT TBLBOBATM— COBRKSrONnEXTj ( " Wellington, Monday. The Inspector-General of Schools (Mr. G. Hogben) states, with reference to the Auckland University College in Ins report to the Minister for Education on the four colleges, as -Follows :—"The present buildings arc dilapidated. The lecturerooms are too few in number and too small and the overcrowding gives rise, in many cases to insanitary conditions. With the present number of students the total unsuitability of tho buildings for a university college, always well known to those engaged in tho work, lias become patent, to tho most casual observer. " Tho laboratories are insufficient," Mr. Hogben states, " and cannot bo improved except by an expenditure that would not bo warranted in tho case of such/old buildings. The college is almost entirely wanting in the accommodation of all kinds for the staff and the students, which such an institution should possess. In short at, present the college is a credit neither to the University nor to tho city of Auckland. . . "The site is centrally and conveniently situated, but is far too small- li _is greatly to bo regretted that the question of a new sito still remains in suspense. The large number of studencsof arts, law, and commerce engaged during the day who attend the college renders it desirable that the site chosen should be central, and the nearness of the training college (from which a considerable portion of the students come) to the present University College is an argument in favour of the same .contention. The area of tho site chosen should be sufficient to provide for future expansion. " If a site were provided near the present site the building of the new college could take place gradually, part of the old buildings being still used while the work was in progress. It was difficult to estimate the total cost of a new college, which had been variously set down at £50,000 to £100.000. Probably it could not bo less than' £60,000, and tho sum required to complete the building, if really adequate in view of probable future needs, might be £75.000. If, however, £50,000 could be provided during, the next five years and £25,000 during the five years following, a thoroughly good and suitable building could be erected, sufficient to meet the probable needs of the university district for the- next 50 years. The building should, of course, be "planned with a view to the final form it would assume, and the parte added f rom time to time so as to be immediately available and yet not, be open to criticism from an architectural point of view. I might add that some park of the present building show such signs of age Ijiat (hey cannot possibly last much longer. I Tho college has no funds out of which it could meet any portion of the cost of the new buildings. Perhaps if the Government were to find the cost of what is absolutely essential, some help might be forthcoming from the generosity of private citizens, which in other ways has already i benefited the city and the "university college. J "The college. has other needs, but -In my opinion." Mr. Hogben adds, " it would be a waste of money to patch up or add to the present building.?, and I do not recommend any grants for such purpose. All the requirement*! brought under my notice would bo met in the most suitable way by rebuilding, and not otherwise." A suggestion is made by Mr. Hogben that if the present attempt to cany on part of an engineering course at the college were relinquished the temporary School of Mines could be used for a time as a\ science laboratory.