THE SCHOOL OF MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15132, 24 October 1912, Page 5

THE SCHOOL OF MINES.

CHANGE OF CONTROL URGED ■;:: ;: V- , \': :^V^''>v-'''f;;r;'.^;-'-:v/^^-^.--"'V.;f, :::c'-', , --;: : ' ■""■- ■■Y-:Yr; : -i.-yi:--\rj-/■,-,:■:■:; MR. .GEORGE GEORGE'S SCHEME*' r - TECHNICAL COLLEGE SHOULD „ TAKE IT OVER. Tee director of technical education (Mr. Geo. GeorgO) yesterday reported to ; the .Education Board, as follows:'— ~," Tb)t> Board will remember that, some six years ago the Auckland /University Collogo Council decided* to establish a School of Mines in connection with -the college. ' For this purpose,' special : grants were i voted by Parliament, and a professor of mines was appointed. vAn iron \>uM>ing was erected adjoining the Choral Hall, and : \ "tho School of • Mines was duly opened. ; The .school was ; very poorly patronised, but ,:; in spite of this., fact the staff ■■[ was added to by the appointment of lecturers in mechanical and electrical: . engineering, "Last year, after five years' work, ; the professor of mining resigned his position to take up a past on the staff of ■•the Waihi, Grand Junction Gold -fining Company. ;As the school had been practically a failure from .the}mining;-'.standpoint -through- lack of students, the College Council did nob appoint another professor of .mining. .The services of the lecturers in mechanical and, electrical engineering, however, were re-] teined, arid these gentlemen have been en« gaged during the present year in holding | classes in their respective departments at i the School of Mines. These jejasses to . a | largo extent have been overlapping with J similar ones that have been ©inducted for | many years a* the Technical College. r j " In a irecent report to the Minister for I Education on. the /University, College, the j inspector-Genijral of Schools.; (Mr. Q. Hogben) suggests that'.;■'. if .the present attempt to carry on part, of an engineering course at the college was relinquished, i the temporary School of : Mines could bo' used for: a; time .as a science laboratory." j Oh several occasions I have previously : pointed out that in a city like 'Auckland, j there is jnot room for two departments in I enguieering,* one at the Technical College and the other at the University College. : It would appear from Mr. Hogbon's report, I that he is also of this opinion. _ "In- the new Technical College, which will shortly bo opened, tho electrical and mechanic! engineering, departments have been especially well, provided ; or. : .These rooms have been' designed, on most modern lines, and-the arrangements Jiavo : been: Ixighly ' approved of by eminent engineers who have visited the college. • - v j '"The cost of a separate building, em- ' bracing : such ' department!!, woitldi, at the, present time; cost from £12,000 to £15,000 for erection, - and it seercs to be- in the best the engineering . trades that they should bo utihasd .to .their lull extent. The professional engineer, _ the captain > of- industry:requires to beiraihed, as far as practical engineering is. concerned, largely on the same lines as the engineer who-is • ; to be a shop foreman, and.this is gjnerally recognised in the United' Stato}! of America, where the-;, engineering departments of the universities are all. equipped with workshops 1 for practical instruction. At the Auckland School of Mines, on the other hand, there is-no provision of workshops, ; so that except ' for laboratory practice, the instruction given thcro 'is' largely theoretical. ;-, ' ; "In view 'of the above-mentioned' c ,!r ". cumstances|Sl respectfully; recommend the; 'Board to approach University College Council with tho view »of holding a conferenoe'with the Board, at which the In-spector-General of Schools should be asked to be present, with the idea of seeing if it were not possible for the Technical College to take over the engineering department of the School of Mines. If this >.wire done, the country wouhl be saved a. considerable expense, as 'V mulch of the engineenng laboratory equipment at the t School _ of Mines could bo transferred to the Technical College. I have no doubt also that arrangements could bo made whereby the present lecturers at the University College could be transferred to the staff of the Technical College. i '.' _ , vln making these suggestions, I have further to point out that both in Bristol and in Belfast, towns very much larger than Auckland, it has , been considered unnecessary to ' duplicate engineering teach-, ing, which in each case is carried out at the Technical' College" "'' ' The. report was adopted. f . :