SCHOOL OF MIKES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1101, 10 December 1884, Page 3

SCHOOL OF MIKES.

The adjourned meeting of the Committee appointed to take steps for the establishment of the Sohool of Mines in Lawrence was held in the Oounoil Chambers on Monday evening. There was a good attendance of the Committee, and Mr Herbert (as convener) occupied the ohair.

The Chairman explained that the meeting had been called with the view of appointing a sub-Committee to look after the interests of the whole Committee ; but, in the event of anything of importance cropping up, the whole Committee would be summoned.

Mr Smythe moved: "That a subcommittee of seven members be ap- ; pointed." Mr Copland said that the Committee already appointed represented the public. They had a member in the House of Representatives, and a good deal about mining had been said during the last session. It had been rumored that Mr Brown was to be appointed Minister of Mines. If he got that position well and good ; but what this district particularly wanted was not a Minister of Mines but a School of Mines. There had been great changes in this district during the last ten years, and he was pleased to see the young men and women whom he had known as children a few years ago attending Professor Black's lectures. These things pointed to the urgent need of a School of Mines at once, and there should be no delay about it. The public who had heard the recent science lectures were fully alive to the fact. There were fathers in this district who desired their boys to get a knowledge of mineralogy, and the Bons of farmers who wanted to know something about agrioul* tural chemistry. He would propose : "That a petition, signed by the inhabitants of Tuapeka district, be at once prepared and presented to the Premier at Dunedin by delegates appointed for that purpose." Mr Stenhouse seconded the proposition. Mr Darton proposed, as an amendment ; " That, inasmuch as the School of Mines, as at present . constituted under the University of Otago, has, from a variety of causes, after sufficient trial, failed to realise the object for which it was instituted — viz., the wider diffusion of knowledge necessary to the successful development of the vast mineral resources of this Provincial district — it is hereby resolved that a Committee be appointed to confer with the Council of the University and the Government with the object of reconstituting the School on a more practical basis, and its establishment at Lawrence as being the principal mining centre of Otago." Mr Darton spoke at great length in support of his amendment, which was seconded by Mr John Thompson.

Mr Harrop supported the amendment. As far as he was aware, the Government had, in the meantime, withdrawn their support of a Minister of Mines.

Mr Joseph said that the meeting was hardly treating Mr Smythp fairly; and if he would be allowed heiwould second that gentleman's motion. —This being ruled out of order, Mr Jenner Baid that the public had already been appealed to, and the public constituted the Committee which had been appointed ; therefore, in th&resolutions already passed, they had theK public at their back. He considered tfiat the less said about the failure of the School of Mines the better. Last year the Government had decided not to give any further support to the School, so that the Professor must in fnture depend entirely upon the University for support. The Government had already sent a practical man to report upon the Ballarat School of Mines, showing that they were prepared to move in that direction. Our Mining Institute was also thoroughly in earnest, and was waiting to co-operate with the sub-Committee of that meeting. Other places were crying out for a School of Mines. They had no objection to that. Lawrence had made the first move, and therefore had a prior claim. Mr Selby said that the chief fault in Mr Darton's amendment was that it covered much the same ground as Mr Copland's motion. It would be better if the motion and amendment were combined.

Mr Harrop said that a cart-load of petitions would have no more effect than the representations of a sub-Committee.

Mr Byrne waß in favor of a petition. It would help to back up the views of the delegates.

Mr Campbell remarked that the public had clearly expressed their views at tho first: meeting, so that there was no need for a petition. Mr Herbert said that as Chairman of the Prospecting Association he had been in communication with the Government. The Inspector of Mine 3 had been sent to this district, and that gentleman mentioned, before leaving, that he was going to Victoria to report upon the School of Mines. Mr Gordon had been requested, when in this district, to enquire why the School of Mines was at Ballarat instead of Melbourne.

Mr Copland withdrew his motion.

Mr Stenhouse then moved as an amendment to Mr Darton's motion ; " That a sub-Committee, to co-operate with the Athenaeum Committee for the purpose of placing before the Government such information as will bring about the establishment of a School of Mines on the goldfields, be appointed."

Mr Joseph, in seconding the . amendment ; stated* that there were two pronounced political parties in the district ; and as some were under the impression that %t the first meeting one party had been purposely ignored (cries of " Yes " and "No"), though such was not the case, it would be well in forming a subcommittee to avoid giving occasion for a similar misunderstanding.

Mr Taylor objected to the amendment, as it traversed the same ground as the motion before the meeting. After a good deal of discussion, Mr Stenhouse withdrew his amendment, and proposed : " Thai a sub-Committee, consisting of Messrs Campbell, M'Hattie, Riddle, Goldsmith, Jenner, G. F. C. Browne, Morrison, Pilling, and Herbert, be appointed." Mr Copland seconded the amendment. t This provoked a lot of discussion, the sub-Committee being objected to as being too large. . Mr Stenhouse withdrew his amendment.

Mr Darton having consented to delete the first clause of his resolution, his motion was put to the meeting and declared carried.

On the motion of Mr J. Thompson, seconded by Dr Withers, it was resolved : "That a sub-Committee, consisting of Messrs J. C. Brown, Herbert, Jenner, Campbell, and Darton, be appointed to co-operate with the Committee of the MiaW Institute."

Mr Campbell proposed, and Mr Taylor seconded : " That the sub-Committee report to the full Committee as soon as their labors are completed."— •Carried. Mr J. Thompson proposed a vote of thanks to the chair, and the meeting dosed.