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Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 118, 19 May 1892, Page 12

An old man named Edward Burke, 72 years of age, called on us to-day complaining pf his treatment by tho Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Ho states that ne bad been in the Costley Old People's Home, at Epsom, for the last threo yoars, bub was discharged about threo weeks atro without any reason, save that given by tho Board that he mieht bo able to earn a living outside the Home. For a long time past, Burke says, he had always worked hard afc the Home, but he haa been utterly unable to obtain work outside, though he has «one to Korthcote and elsewhere in search of it. He wishes to get into the Home again, or to get rations or some support. This is in consequence of fcha new retrenchment policy of' the Board, and it is, no doubt, difficult for that body in their onerous duties to avoid inflicting what may in some quarters be considered a hardship. I(j ia assarted that some of tho boys from the Kohimarama Training School, who fc present are being drilled at the big 2 uns at the Bastion Bock fort and at musketry practice, by men belonging to the Permanent Artillery, are co preternafcivally cute and nimble-fingered that they actually " go through " the clothes of the convicts from Mount Eden, who are sent to work on the Bastion fortifications, and dear them out of everything. The prisoners have lost their little belongings so often that they are convinced that the Training School boys are exceeding clever young specimens of humanity and express their amazement at their oxoertness. Possibly, however, these strange disappearances may be due to other causes. A boy must surely be a very sharp customer when he can pick a convict's pocket! If the suspicion be well founded it i 3 a pity to think that this state of things is a direct result of laxity of parental control in Auckland, though, possibly, as some one remarked, it is due a3 much to what is vaguely described as " sheer cuasednesa," as I°. original etajp* anyjtfcjng.else.