The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News, and The Echo. MONDAY, JULY 19, 1880.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3124, 19 July 1880, Page 2

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News, and The Echo.

MONDAY, JULY 19, 1880.

Por the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the pood that we can do.

We hereby certify the issue of the Auckland Evening Star jor the week ending July 17th, 1880, to have been as under : — Monday, July 12 6,113 Tuesday, „ 13 6,285 ■Wednesday,, 14 6,122 Thursday, „ 15 6,191 Friday, „ 16 6,182 Saturday, „ 17 6,133

Total issue for week ... 37,026 GEORGE ERASER) Publio Acoountr ants and T. LEIGH WHITE) City Auditors.

We learn that the inquiry now being held by Mr Habens into the management of the Home for Neglected and Destitute Children, and that which is to follow in connection with the Train-ing-ship at Kohiinai-ama, are not to be isolated investigations. Mr Habens has received instructions from the Government .to report upon all the homes of the colony for the support and I training of neglected and orphan children. As a qualifying step ho has visited siniiliar institutions in Sydney and Melbourne, and made notes on the systems carried out. Various sugges-1

tions have at different times been made by the management of the Auckland Home for Neglected and Destitute Children. One of the most iin- < portant of these is the necessity for the extension of the maximum ago for committal. At present, owing to the limited oharactor of the term for which a Magistrate oan commit children to the Home, tho committee are unable to apprentice boys out, and the result is that some fall back into the hands of their parents beforo tho training thoy have recoived can bo fully developed, whilo the others becomo unskilled labourers. Naturally, as soon as childrou pass from tho helpless state and aro ablo to earn a few shillings, worthloss parents, who may havo been utterly indifferent what should becomo of their offspring bofore, manifest anxiety to get control of them. The oonsoquencos aro most unfortunate. It appears that tho Auckland experience in this respect is not singular, bocuuse similar representations havo been mado to the Government by the Industrial School at Cavorsliam, a suburb of Dunedin, where a large and important Industrial Home is established. No definito and uniform mode of training has over been laid down for tho conduct of theso homes, although surely nothing is mora apparent than that oxperionoe must havo established the pre-ominonco of somo system, and nothing is moro important than that the host modo of industrial training should bo adopted iv all our institutions. We beliovo, with roferonco to juvenile training, that these homes ought to bocomo tho of gorms modol farms, and both boys and girls bo trained to farm work, with tho option for lads who desiro a sea life, of boing transferred to

the Training Ship. In a country like this, whore eucouragomont to settlement on land is ono of the highest duties of the State, no industry can havo so many claims upon the attention of tho Qovornmeut as agriculture, And such a system of training would havo tho further advantago of groat economy, by returning tho largest amount towards the support of the institution from tho labour expended. Plenty of good milk alone is an immense gain in considering tho dietary scalo for growing childron, and a country lifo should produce hotter health and removo tho boys from temptations which beset thorn when liviug close to a largo city aud in proximity iv many instances to tho homes of dissolute parents. Wo hope Mr Habens' investigations in this and other cities will lead to pormanont reforms. And though it is impossible that tho legislation to givo dosirablo chaugos effect can bo brought down this sossion, his report should supply tho material on which to frame an Act to be introduced next session.