100 years ago — from our archives
THE director of King Edward Technical College (Mr A. Marshall) reported as follows: ‘‘The day school, officially designated the Technical High School, opened last week with a slightly increased attendance upon that of last year. The actual enrolments to date are 299. The new pupils seeking instruction in commercial work are again out of all proportion to the number of firstyear entrants for other branches. This large enrolment is no doubt in a measure due to the thorough equipment provided in the Technical College for commercial work, to the conspicuous success of the students in the Government shorthandtypistes’ examination, and to the important positions secured by a large number of the students. Nevertheless, the fact that in our day school nearly 200 students are taking a full commercial course, while there are less than 30 girls attending the full domestic course, can hardly be a matter for congratulation. It is true that the girls of the commercial course receive tuition in one or more domestic subjects, but this is not to be regarded as by any means equivalent to the training received by girls taking the full domestic course. A number of the boys in the industrial course have entered for instruction in agricultural subjects, and although we have complete practical courses in ironwork and farm blacksmithing (Mr Fletcher), woodwork (Mr Selby), science and agriculture (Mr Williams), mensuration, etc. (Mr McFadyen), and woolsorting (Mr McGregor), we have no ground for the practical work of the most important part of the subject. They had 16 boys taking the agricultural course, but they needed 16 or 20 acres somewhere handy to the school, where the boys could spend a forenoon on the place in turn once a week or perhaps could live there for a time. A committee of five was set up to take the whole matter into consideration and report to the next meeting of the board. Mr G. M. Thomson pointed out that girls were getting a lot of work in offices, But, he said, there was going to be a slump in the demand within the next 12 or 18 months. When our 60,000 young men came back the girls in offices were going to have a difficulty — at least he hoped so. We knew that in many big businesses the places were being kept for the men who had gone to the war. In a year or two the girls would find that the offices were not running after them as they were at the present time, and then the domestic course would come into its own.
A deputation composed of over 20 ladies waited on the City Council last evening with the object of impressing the necessity of increasing the dressing accommodation at the St. Clair Baths. Mrs C. E. Statham acted as principal spokeswoman, and read a memorandum signed by 180 women, asking that something should be done. Mrs Statham explained that the majority of the patrons were workers, and could go to the baths only at certain hours. Mrs Brugh said that sometimes ladies had to go away without a swim, not being able to wait to get a dressing box. The Mayor (Mr Clark), after complimenting the ladies on the concise, terse, and emphatic manner in which they had put their case explained that the council was extremely anxious to do what it could to improve the accommodation at the baths and on the sea front at St. Clair generally. As they had pointed out, however, it was war time, and it would be unfair for him to say anything regarding the attitude the council would take. The matter would be considered on Monday by the committee concerned, and he could assure the ladies that the council would do whatever it could for them. — ODT, 22.2.1917.