The Building

The announcement that net profits from the 1947 Extravaganza amounted to approximately £900 must be welcomed as a gratifying result for the efforts of those concerned in making Extrav an unprecedented financial success. I expect that this sum will now be transferred to the Building Fund which was established some years ago with the object of the erection of a new Students' Building. It became known last year that the Government was willing to subsidize this project on a two to one basis with a maximum of £40,000. On this basis the sum to be collected by the Students' Association will amount to £20,000, £12,000 of which is now available. Assuming that profits on Extrav. in future years will remain at the 1947 level (a highly improbable assumption) it will take another ten years before tenders may be called.

Two years ago the Executive prepared a list of past students of this College with the object of approaching them to contribute individually for the fund. I may add that the Principal completely concurred in this plan and recommendations were then passed to the incoming Executive to go ahead with the job of approaching past members and other potential contributors. The present Executive of our Students Association has given a grandiose display of inertia in this matter. Nothing has been done during the past year. No meeting of the Building Committee was held. Apparently the view is entertained that the efforts of students during Extravaganza are sufficient to obtain our goal of £20,000. I know that I am speaking for many hundreds of students, past and present, in recommending to the incoming Executive to tackle the project seriously and efficiently. It can be done; tasks of a similar nature have in the past been achieved successfully. This is not the time for complacency and eloquent, meaningless apologies.