1.—13 a.

2

IJ. STUDHOLME.

so that they would merely be the first instalment of a hostel. What 1 am particularly anxious is that this money should not be frittered away and have to be spent over again when a hostel is built. The hostel, to my mind, is absolutely necessary for the proper teaching of home science, and any money spent on a kitchen or laundry should be spent on part of an ultimate hostel. This money should be spent only after very full consideration by tin , parties interested, and 1 should like it to be arranged that the plan should be approved by the Inspector General. There is just one point I should like to add —1 think it would be a very lair provision for this Committee or the Government to make if £1,000 were granted—and it would be this: that should this £1,000, plus the fees derived from the students for this oourse, more than cover the expenses of the Chair. an\ surplus over ami above these expenses should Iμ , earmarked to go towards the building of v hostel or further equipment and further extension of the teaching of home science. That is all I have to say. 2. Hon. Mr. Allen.] Perhaps Mr. Studholme would explain a little clearer to the Committee what he means by a "hostel." Does Iμ mean a boarding-place I—"Hostel"1 —"Hostel" is to my mind merely another name for residential college. It is a place where the women students could live and have their meals, just like the hostel for the male students at the Otago University. 3. Do I not understand that you have in your mind a little move than thai a place where the women students would gain experience in housekeeping I—That1 —That is the main reason why I think a hostel is necessary in connection with home science. It is a place where the students who take the course can be given practical teaching in the proper maintenance of a house, in the cleaning of the rooms, and the marketing and all the work connected with the running of the home. 4. Mr, ll<niini.\ Can you tell me what personal instruction has been given by the professor during the time she has occupied that Chaii I 1 do not live in Dunedin. I have not been there very much since Miss Boys-Smith lias taken the Chair, ami I am not quite certain how the actual teaching has been divided. There is an assistant-—Miss Rawson who is a Cambridge graduate. She came out very shortly after Mi>s Boys-Smith arrived. I know that Miss Boys-Smith takes the hygiene and part of the biology. Some of the science-teaching is taken by the professors at the University, and a certain part of tin teaching is 'lone at the Technical School. They only allowed the professor to have the use of certain of the rooms on that condition. 1 am afraid 1 cannot give you detailed information. 5. Is it true that her health is such that she is unable to give much personal instruction) — Her health is not robust; it never has been very robust. 6. Is it true that most of the instruction is given by the assistant you mentioned. Miss Hawson?—l would not like to state definitely one way or the other. I am not in a position to be quite certain. 7. What report is obtained as to the nature of the work that is carried on there.' —I think the Inspector-General could give the Committee better information on that point than I could. 8. You are not aware of any supervision being exercised or report obtained as to the work which is being done there —the value of the work ?-—No. Unfortunately I have not got the papers connected with this course with me, because I did not anticipate having to give any information in connection with this Chair. 9. Have you made any inquiries, and. if so, from whom, as to the nature of the work and the value of the services.' I have made inquiries from any Otago residents that I happen to have met. 10. Of any students >. - --No, I have not met any students. 11. Can you say what is the progress there that these students have made -how many have been up for examinations and what examinations they have passed? -Ihe course has not been sufficiently lengthy to enable degree students to go up for the examinations. It is a threeyears course —the full degree course. 12. You say there are forty-two students: how many students were there last year? Then , were not many more than twenty last year. I think. 13. Can you say vrhat work has been done l>> the forty-two students—the class of work? — I only know that twenty-four are diploma and degree-course students; the balance are shortercourse students. 14. Where is the practical work given, or wheri' does it take place.' Part of the practical work takes place at the Technical School— the Technical College. 15. Do you know what is done there how many students go there ami actually do practical work?—l am afraid I do not. 16. Do you know if any students live with the professor, and, if so. how many?—l believe that some are living with the professor, or were. 17. Do any members of the staff?—l think Miss Rawson lives with her. 18. Are you aware that in New Zealand there are a number of girls' high schools that have no boarding-school associated with them?- -Yes. It would be a very good thing if they had. 19. The girls come to town and live with private residents. It would be very much better, in your opinion, if they were housed at a boarding-school —at a hostel, in oilier words?— Yes. 20. Mr. StathamJ] Do you know that Professor Boys-Smith does conduci a hostel at her own house? But what you would like would be a sort of official-recognized hostel? —A very much bigger one. There can only be room for very few with Mis*. Buvs-Smlth. 21. Mr. Malcolm.] I understand that after you made your very generous provision for this Chair you left control in the hands of the authorities'? —Entirely. 22. Consequently you are not in a position to give us details of the conduct of the Chair? No, not such details as Mr. Hanan wished to know. 23. If a hostel were established by the State is it your opinion that a head, apart from the professor, would be needed? —I do not see that it is necessary. From what I saw at universities