Position of Belfast in Relation to Technical Instruction. 55 



something similar for their respective places of business. 

 Nothing, however, had ever been done. He spoke in favour 

 of drawing and the teaching of the chemistry of common 

 things, and said that without some practical work even the 

 elementary teaching of chemistry would be useless. There 

 might be a danger of the cry of technical schools supplanting 

 the proper work of other schools. 



Mr. Wheeler asked on what principle Mr. Gray had arrived 

 at the figures representing the two divisions of the ^55,000 

 grant. 



Mr. May inquired what class of people would be benefited by 

 the teaching in the school regarding woodcarving. 



Mr. Gray in replying said there would be a prescribed course tor 

 pupils, with an examination, and after two years they would be 

 put to practical work. The Technical instruction given in the 

 Central School would be limited as much as possible to those 

 practising it in the way of trade. No encouragement should be 

 given to mere amateur aims after educational embellishments. 

 All must be practical, and calculated to promote our local 

 industries. Replying to a question, Mr, Gray said that the 

 amount available was clearly given in the Act, and included not 

 only aid to the Central School, but was available also for any 

 other educational effort. It was a mistake to think that all the 

 funds provided by the Act will be devoted to the Central College. 

 In replying to Professor Fitzgerald, he might say it was an 

 extraordinary thing that after ten years waiting we had no official 

 knowledge of what the Town Council proposed to do. If the 

 project was to be successful it must be kept in touch with the 

 public, and the people should know what the metnbers of the 

 Council were doing.* Of all the sites best adopted for the 

 purposes of a technical school, he thought the one chosen in 

 1887, immediately behind the Public Library, was the best, 

 because in that place they could have had all their schools to- 



* Up to the time of going to press no acceptable scheme has been devised. No 

 composite cvymmittee has been formed, and the persons most interested in Technical 

 instruction have not been consulted. 



