NEW TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 10

NEW TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

£3OOO REQUIRED. A well-attended and enthusiastic meeting was held in th© Town Hall on the 12th to consider ways and means for raising toe balance of the money required to enable tho Board of Management to proceed with the erection of tho hew Technical School. There were present representatives from tho City Council and other local bodies in and about Dunedin, from the Port Chalmers and Green Island Borough Councils, tho Otago Rugby Union, and the Caledonian Society and other bodies. A number of apologies were received, including ono from his Worship* the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr W. Burnett). Mr T. Scott (chairman of the Technical School managers) was in tho chair.

The Chairman prefaced his remarks by commentirug an the 'very representative attendance, and remarked that it augured well' for what was to follow. Some short time ago, he said, a meeting had been held in the Technical School to discuss arrangements, and it had been then decided to leave the whole matter stand over untd the design for the new building had been selected. That had now been dene, and they had met that night to decide what to do to raise the balance of the money required. The late Minister of Education had stipulated that they must raise £SOOO. From local bodies they had now been promised amounts aggregating £2BOO, and the teaching staff of the schcol had promised £loo—(applause)—which showed that the heart of the teachers was in the work of the school. Their staff at present numbered about 50 day and evening teachers included, and the institution was really bigger than most people imagined. It was almost the duty of the citizens of Dunedin to support what had really become a trades college. He would put the matter in a nutshell. If they raised £SOOO, then, with the sale of the land and present buildings, and the Government subsidy and grant, they .would be able to erect a building worth £20,000. That was the estimate that had been given to the board, but, as they all knew, there was often a substantial difference between an estimate and _ the actual price. However, their architect would have to give a written contract that the final cost would be within 10 per cent, of the estimate. Everyone would agree that the proposed site was an admirable one. During the whole life of the school they had never had an opportunity of getting 9uch a site. Every oitizen should assist them in trying to attain the object they had in view. Though they had done good work in the past, the present building was totally inadequate for the work that was now being carried on. Mr J. H. "Wilkinson said be had been asked to move—" That a well-equipped technical school would form a fitting memorial to the late King Edward, and that thos3 piesent are prepared to assist the Building Eund Committee in forwarding the movement for the erection of same." The mover said he had no doubt that the gentlemen present would give their heartiest support to the movement suggested in his motion. The motion was seconded by Professor White.

On being put to the meeting the motion was carried.

Mr J. J. Mar low moved —" That, taking account of the public nature and value of the work undertaken by the Technical School, this meeting of representatives considers the project worthy of the support of all local and public bodies, and heartily commends it to them. At the same time, the action of the following donations mentioned is worthy of notice and deserving of thlanks:—Dunedin City Countil £IOOO, Savings Bank Trustees £IOOO, Roslyn Borough Council £l5O, Port Chalmers Borough Council £IOO, Mornington Borough Council £SO, St. Kilda Borough Council £SO, Maori Hill Borough Council £SO, Taieri County Council £4O, Waikouaiti County, Mosgiel Borough, Green Island Borough, West Harbour Borough, Bay Town Board £25 each, Waikouaiti Borough £5."

The motion was seconded by Mr J. H. F. Hamel (Mayor of Boslyn) and carried. Mr M. Cohen moved: —" That a vigorous canvass of the city and districts be made, and that associations, trade unions, athletic societies, and other clubs and bodies be approached, and that the following mentioned be thanked for support already accorded I : —Otago Employers' Association (50 guineas), Otago Rugby Union (15 guineas), Otago Teachers' Intitute (10 guineas), Cale- , donian Society (offer of use of grounds). j He said that it was a well recognised fact I that the credit of starting the school was 1 due to the Caledonian Society, and the early managers could not be thanked enough I for what they had done. To him it was. I a considerable gratification to know at i last that their eyes had 1 turned in the direction of a site that he had long known as the most suitable site for a technical school ' or college, as he would prefer to call it. He was satisfied that if they appealed to the citizens of Dunedin the answer would immediately be such as to encourage them to go on with their work. I The motion was seconded by Mr W. Scott, who said that the time had come when employers and employees and pub' : o bodies should join hands and help, the j work that had been started. He was con- : vinced that the_ emploeyrs were prepared +o : do something in the matter. . Already a committee had been set up with that end in view. They should also get a little more support than they now did from the I Trades and Labour Council. If any institution appealed to the trades unions it , should be the Technical School. In Christ- . church the Trades Council not only sup- | ported the school, but was directly' reprei sented 1 on the board of managers. j The motion was carried. I Mr T. W. Kempthorne moved: " That ! the press_ be asked to open a list inviting contributions, and make a special appeal to ex-students < and working-men to make contributions in aid of the building fund of the King Edward Technical School." In recognising that the appeal was to the press, said Mr Kempthorne, they must re-

cognise its power, its influence, and its good nature in forwarding objects for the 1 public good. ': Mr S. L. Asher seconded the motion, and suggested that they should go a little further, and make the appeal not only i through the press, but individually, for the i reason that a very large number of people I would not take any trouble to contribute j unless personally waited on. ' i Mr G. C. Israel said that if everyone in 1 Dunedin were to contribute something they would have no difficulty in raising the amount. A shilling a head would provide the required £3OOO. The motion was carried, and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had carried the scheme to its present stage.