The Industrial School.

Bruce Herald, Volume VII, Issue 653, 27 November 1874, Page 5

The Industrial School.

. « Our Traveller. The Industrial School of Otago has the merit of being one of the most practically beneficial institutions in the State. It is situated at Caversham, and conducted by Mr B. Britton, whose management and success therein is too well known to need any comment. Having been established as recently as 1869, it is very creditable to note the improvement which has taken place in the local features of the place. The area of the land belonging to it is 22 acres. Part of this is intersected on two sides by a treble row of blue gums, which affords shelter from prevailing winds. Gardening is chiefly confined to the vegetable department, although the main approach is bordered with flowers. The building consists of the schoolbouse, under which is the dining-room, the dormitories, consisting of the old hospital- buildings, the main building, which is of brick, and two storeys high, and the governor's house. The number ot children now in the establishment is 121, all of whom have been committed for some juvenile offences on regular -warrants for a term of years. The school is under the tuition of Mr Neish, who has usually from 80 to 100 scholars in attendance. Owing to the prevalence of the measles . there are now but a small number. Many of i the children possess good abilities, aud are exceeding tractable. The dining-room and culinary department is beautifully clean, in which state it is preserved by the girls, whose duties are confined to the domestic portion of < the establishment. The dormitories in the : old hospital building are also kept in the same neat and methodical way, % girls i

having the ground flat and the hoys the upper one ; while a female servant superintends the whole, and sleeps in a convenientlysituated room, on the back of this building. Theer is a play room for the children in wet weather. The beds in these sleeping rooms are exceedingly comfortable, being provided with spotless sheets and comfortable quilts, while ventilation is provided by means of side-roof escapes. The main building has an aviary attached to it, in which reside a number of starlings, magpies, canaries, finches, skylarks, and thrushes. On the ground floor in the sewing-room, the girls are instructed in darning stockings, flat ironing, nursing, . patching, and other useful things. Tbey have a most contented and comfortable appearance, and many of the little people display a large amount of ability and method. The dormitories in this building on both flats were filled with male and female measle patients in all stages of this complaint ; but all were doing remarkably well, owing without doubt to the constant attention they re|'ceive, both by day and night, from the visiting physicians and the staff of the establishment. The patients are furnished with books, pictures, &c, to wile away the hours of illness. The cultivation and ornamentation of the place is done by the boys, under the care of adult male servants. Of the number of children in the school, there are 29 of Presbyterian, 30 of Roman Catholic, 46 of Episcopalian, and 6 of other denominations. Fortyfour girls and boys of this number are licensed out in various capacities, of which seven are apprenticed to the following trades : i Rope spinning, baking, confection making, j carpentering, cordial manufacturing, &c. The j amount of earnings of the forty-four up to the present time is £408 lis 2d. Of this some of the boys have as much as £22 4s 2d and £21 13s 6d ; some of the girls £19 odd and £17 odd ; others ranging from £2 10s. to £5, and from £5 to £10, £12, and £15. This has been won during the past four years, and is deposited in the Post-Office Savings Bank, under the trusteeship of Britton. As each of the earners of these sums ends his or her term, they will receive the amount thus earned, providing always that their conduct entitles them to it. When forfeited, it goes to the support of the school. The number of admissions since the outset exceeds 216, the number stated in the last annual report. The whole establishment is conducted in such a way as to leave no doubt on the mind as to the success of an undertaking calculated to confer so much good on society, and in the education and training of these waifs we will receive an hundredfold. The good effected in this way does not confine itself to the children only, for in many instances the parents have been reclaimed through the knowledge of the reformation of their children.