VICTORIA COLLEGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8555, 14 October 1907, Page 7

VICTORIA COLLEGE.

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 13. Since 1889 the number.of students at Victoria College has grown from 115 to 350, and this year the number of students has increased by thirty •compared with last year. In the English class alone there are 139 students. No class room in the building can accommodate this class, and the result is that the Professor has to divide it into two sections, and deliver his lectures twice. These facts were placed before the Minister for Education by a deputation yesterday. Mr Hogg, M.H.R., introduced the deputation, consisting of Messrs T. R. Fleming (Chairman of the College Governors), H. D. Bell, H. F. Von HaastandC. P. Powles (Registrar). Mr- Fleming pointed out that the growth of Victoria College had been of a very steady character, and to show that the advance would continue in the future he stated that the Wellington district had 54.000 students in its secondary schools, as against 33,000 at Auckland, 25,000 at Christchurch, and 29,000 at Dunelin. The deputation did not ask that the large hall or the museum shou'd be completed, but it urged that the unfinished class-room should be fitted up, and two additional classgreeted at the rear of the V 'TS&tfXk, the cost being estimated at £3,200. The Minister (the Hon. George Fowlds) said that he vvou'.d be only too glad if he could comply with the request of the deputation, but money was scarce, and the money for buildings for educational purposes this year was pretty well exhausted. He did not know that it would be possible to provide sufficient for two extra class-rooms, but he certainly thought the Government would find enough to complete the class-room in the .up-stairs portion of the building. He undertook to place the matter of the two additional class-rooms before Cabinet.