“THE OLD CLAY PATCH”

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11293, 19 August 1922, Page 5

“THE OLD CLAY PATCH”

COLLEGE WINCS OPENED GOVEBNOBrGENEKAL PERFORMS INTERESTING CEREMONY. WELLINGTON LAST IN FIELD. The two new wings at Victoria University College were opened last evening by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Viscount Jellicoe, who wae accompanied by Lady Jellicoe. The ceremony took place in the new library before a large gathering. Mr P. Levi, M.A., who presided, pointed out that the north wing building was commenced in 1919, and the south wing last year. Both wings were four st-or io,an-i the addition had been made possible by Government grants. Victoria College started with 150 students, rising to 500 in 1913. In the war years the number went down, but to-day the roll stood at 750. Therefore, they would realise that this accommodation had not been provided before it was required. It was a valuable addition for which they were indebted to the Government, for the college bad no endowment such as founders had foresight enough to secure in earlier yeara. NOT BEFORE ITS TIME. Lord Jellicoe, who received a cordial ovation, said it was a great pleasure to know that his first visit to the college was connected with its extension, which had not come before its time. The history of Victoria University College was of considerable interest in that it indicated that competitive spirit between the various lo calities. ft was the junior of the four colleges in the Dominion which formed the University of Nerw Zealand. He could well imagine the feeling in Wellington in 1878 when it was pointed out that Otago and Canterbury both had colleges, and in that year a campaign was started to secure a ..college for Wellington. No doubt owing to the exhortations of the Wellington members of Parliament of that day a Royal Commission was appointed and reported favourably, hut nothing further was done. 1n.1882 Auckland made a start, leaving Wellington to pursue its solitary path until 1897, when the college was started, and in 1904 the foundation stone was laid by the then Governor of New Zealand. The final step was taken in the year of the Diamond Jubilee, hence the name Victoria, ot honoured memory. The name Wellington also had its associations, so that the college had great traditions. Therefore, it was an honour and pleasure to declare the two wings open as he did. He wished all who came to study in that college would leave it with that knowledge which, in the motto of the college', was better than gold, that they would go forth into the world for the battle which lay before them well prepared, and that they would battle with every success. (Applause.) The Govornor-General and Lady Jellicoe were then conduoted through the new wings by the chairman and Professor Marsden. A SPLENDID LIBRARY EQUIPMENT IN LABORATORIES. When the new wingp at Victoria University College were _ opened, the chairman (Mr P. Levi, M.A.) explained that the window in the library not yet filled in was to be a memorial window to those students who fell in the war, and that appropriate brasses would be affixed when the work was complete. No plaster work has yet been done on the walls, as it was felt that the need for equipment and appliances was great, ana each of the workshops and laboratories have been fitted up with modern instruments and equipment, some parts of which have been made in the college workshops. SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS. It would require an expert to give a. detailed description of the many wonderful instruments which are provided in the various rooms, for they include seismographs and radio activity, oscillograph, electro-magnet, electro-dynamical experiments, spectrometer, wireless, photometer, and many other contrivances which come in the course of the student’s career through the college. There was a set of standard instruments in connection with the physics department, including volt-meters, animeters, watt-metera, weights, plantinum resistance thermometers, transformers, standards of lengths, and others, practically all of whioh carry the certificate of the National Physical Laboratory. It served to emphasise the need for the establishment of a bureau of standards. WIRELESS TELEPHONY. There was a wire telephonic apparatus by means of which it was hoped to be able to communicate with Professor Jack, of Dunedin, later in the evening. The visitors were shown round the Various laboratories and experimental rooms, which proved of great interest. There wae'also a model of Man gall ao, showing the reservoirs and the way in which the water is released to the power station at Shannon. On one wall was a chart showing tho records of balloon work at various altitudes up to 20,000 feet, and with the knowledge gained of the changing air currents, eto., it was possible to forecast the weather for 48 hours ahead with a fair degree of certainty.