TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23218, 16 June 1937, Page 15

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

BOARD OF,MANAGERS The monthly meeting of the board of managers of the King Edward Technical College was held yesterday, Mr J. J. Marlow presiding. There were also present: Messrs J. T. Paul, H. ,H. Johnson, F. L. Lawrence, L. Sanderson, W. G. Cocking, W. D, Sutherland, J. M. Patrick, Dr R. Gardner, Mrs W. Herbert, and Miss L, Sullivan. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT The principal (Mr W. G. Aldridge) reported as follows: Before Mr Marlow succeeded in getting the scale for public halls applied to the school the annual bill for lighting was over £2OO. The concession he received was so substantial that in 1936 the total account reached only £135 Os 6d for lighting, and £2B 5s 2d for power. Tl?e establishment of an Art School has raised the cost by at least £3O a year. Anticipating the Finance Committee’s anxiety on this point, I have made inquiries, and find that the board must face a permanent increase in lighting charges. Under public hall regulations the maximum demand indicator is put back to zero twice a year. During the ensuing six months all current is paid for at fourpence until the monthly total exceeds 30 hours’ loading at the highest reading on the M.D.I. Any further units for the month are charged at one penny each. Ido not think it possible to improve much the balance of the load in the main school. During 1936 about 1300 units were charged at a penny each, and 200 were given free. The working of the 30-hour clause prevents the school from getting the benefit of the penny rate except during four months of the year, when meters are read after a continuous month of evening school. Another general raising of the illumination standards in the main classrooms seems desirable, but before ordering new lamps I ask for authority to incur a permanent proportional increase in lighting costs, say 20 per cent, all round. For the present all Art School lighting is charged at fourpence, as the “maximum demand ’’ was set at the highest possible figure by the full lighting employed at the opening exhibition. I have applied to have the indicator reset, but I do not think it likely that a saving can result even then. In general, the annual lighting cost is likely again to reach £2OO, and the only saving that I can see probable would result from holding “open nights" under an arrangement with the Electric Power and Lighting Department for resetting M.D.I. immediately afterwards. The July meeting will be the last held during the current board year. The controlling authority has already been notified that the following members are due to retire after that meeting:—Mr W. G. Cocking, employees’ representative; Mr J. T. Paul, employers’ representative; Mr J. J. Marlow, local bodies’ representative; Mr W. D. Sutherland, Education Board's representative; Dr R. Gardner, parents’ representative. The report was adopted. SCIENCE MATERIAL

It was decided to purchase £B6 worth of science material for the girls’ laboratory and to apply to the department for a grant towards the cost.