TRAINING SOLDIERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1736, 6 September 1919, Page 5

TRAINING SOLDIERS.

AN IMPORTANT WORK. PEOVISION AT TECHNICAL COLLEGE. The chairman of the Technical College Board of Governors (Mr C. H. Opie) stated at last evening's meeting that in all parts of New Zealand much attention had been given to the re-edu-cation of returned soldiers, and it was unfortunate that, up to the present, owiug to lack of accommodation, they had not been able to do as much for them in the Technical College as was desirable. However, all possible equipment for instruction in motor and electrical engineering and wool-classing had been placed at the disposal of, the Vocational Training Department, whilst- instructors had been provided for special classes in agriculture and typewriting. He went on to refute remarks made at a meeting of the Repatriation Board concerning obsolete machinery. The machinery was better and more modern in some instances than that in use in some of the local factories.

The District Repatriation Officer wrote at length with regard to the difficulties experienced at present, owing to the lack of facilities for obtaining technical training for workers who are being subsidised into new trades by the department, and are required by the Act to undergo a course of technical training. The letter was received, the chairman stating that it had been arranged that the garage and two class-rooms in the East Christchurch Side School should be used for the work of instructing returned soldiers. , -

Mr W. H. Cooper moved that a committee, consisting of Messrs Busbridge, Black, and Cannon, representing the board, Messrs Drayton and Goss, representing the Repatriation Committee, and three representatives of the mechanical and motor engineering trades, be set up to/arrange for the purchase and installation of equipment for the.soldiers' engineering workshop, and to consider in detail the course of instruction to be given. . The motion was carried, the chair* man being appointed convener.