TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Southland Times, Issue 19100, 19 November 1923, Page 6

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

ANNUAL EXHIBITION. To anyone who may have had any doubt in regard to the usefulness of the instruction given in the Southland Technical High School, the ‘annual exhibition of work held on Saturday would have been sufficient, to convince them that those who attend both the day and night classes are being admirably equipped to take up whatever occupation they may choose to follow. The fact that 90 per cent, of the work exhibited is that of the day pupils also serves to remove what seems to be a fairly general impression, that the purely technical side of the instruction given is practically confined to the evening classes. Saturday’s exhibition was in most respects similar to those held in .previous years, but the scope of the work is gradually extending, and during the last twelve months several new classes have been formed with the result that this year’s exhibition is more varied than it has hitherto been. Probably the most useful addition to the curriculum is the instruction given in blacksmithing to first-year agricultural students. While their earlier work is fairly simple, it gradually becomes more difficult and they are taught to make many things in general use on farms. Under the supervision of their instructor, the agricultural students have built a complete model bungalow, showing how each part is constructed. The knowledge thus gaiped is in itself of great advantage to the boys, who are made sufficiently conversant -with the methods of building to erect any farm buildings which they may require. The display of mechanical engineering is one of the most interesting features of the exhibition, and the work of the first-year students is of a £ar higher standard than one would expect to find. Third-year students are given more difficult work to do and their exhibits include engineer’s vices and machinery parts for experimental vertical steam engines. Evening school students have made a highly interesting exhibit of which the most interesting is probably the Vernier caliper, measuring to one-thou-sandth part of an inch up to seven inches. Some of the students with a natural aptitude for engineering have some interesting exhibits of their own design and these are a striking example of the value of the classes. The electrical department also claims a lot of attention from those who visited the exhibition, and the equipment provided for those taking up this study is very complete. Interesting displays were also given of the work done by those attending the art and woodwork classes, while the exhibit of sign-writing, which was chiefly the work of first-year evening school students, w’as highly instructive. In addition to being instructed in commercial subjects the girls are also required to learn the more important elements of domestic work, and the cookery, dress-making and millinery exhibits were highly creditable. One of the features of the Exhibition was a series of cartoons signed Blick, covering a wide range of subjects and displaying both humour and excellent draughtsmanship.