KNOX COLLEGE.

Southland Times, Issue 17014, 12 April 1912, Page 7

KNOX COLLEGE.

ADDITIONS TO BUILDING. Advantage was taken on Wednesday 'afternoon of . the presence a: Knox College of a large number of people, who were there for the purpose of welcoming hack frorn abroad Professor and Airs Hewitson, Hy unveil two painting!? which have hern hung in ihc. entrance lull I. The paintings aim portrait:;- of Mr. .toll n Boss and Mr Samuel AUilson (deceased), and hate been placed',' them - in. honour of the vast amount of assistance rendered by each of these gentlemen to the ;c * The portraits, which are well framed, were painted by .Miss M. A. Park, a Dunedin lady, who went Home • about 20 years ago, and has stud'wi in France with several eminent painters, achieving considerable fame. Rev. A. Cameron, who acted as chairman, stated that the College Council had wished, for some time in have portraits of these gentlemen painted and huhgiin the college, but the difficulty had boon to get an artist to do the work to their satisfaction. Some lime ago. howcvbr. they learned that Miss Dark was coming Lc Dunedin, and the work .had been corr.t;,tied to her, with the result, they would all agree, that, it had been executed in nn admirable manner. Before proceeding to unveil tho pictures he would like to say a word or two about the college itself. When first erected the college was made lo accommodate 30 students. They had managed that, and by some further arrangements, had been able to increase the number to 52, .which was the present total in residence. Applications for admission, how. .ever, were so numerous'that the College Council was anxious, and .hoped soon to have.the building enlarged. The college Itself owed Us existence directly to the two gentlemen whose portraits they were going to unveil that afternoon. Mr John Ross had at the very first placed the prospect of building the college on solid ground by making them the handsome gift of £10.009. This had made it possible for them to erect a college worthy of their Church and equal to their means. Just after they had made a start on the plans and other necessary preliminary work, they received word that Mr Samuel Wilson, of Papakaio, had bequeathed to them in his will a quarter of his estate, another quarter going to the aged and infirm ministers’ fund. The sum- accruing to the funds of , Knox College from , this source was £9303, and this meant that the Church had benefited to the extent of over £13,600 by Mr Wilson’s bequests. The money had been wisely <iev6ted“by being divided between these two objects. Of course, there had been other liberal donors, one of the warmest friends of the college having ’"been Mr Bullen. Mr Ross, however, had not been satisfied with “giving £IO,OOO in the first' place, but he now proposed to give them another £SOOO for the enlargement of the college. —(Applause.) They were extremely indebted to him for the splendid way in which he had come to their assistance,' for nobody would have dreamed that it would have been possible to enlarge the building for several years to come until Mr Ross's offer had come forward, followed by one from Mr Bullen for £IOOO, and one from another friend of a like amount. The council had called’for'■•fenders'-for. the enlargement of the building by the addition of more bedrooms and attics, and by extending the building on the south and west sides. This would .give accommodation for some 35 more students. The need for these additions would be recognised when he told them that for nine bedrooms no fewer than 29 applications had been, received. He then called upon Mr J. Wilson to unveil his brother’s portrait, and did likewise himself for that of Mr John Ross.