INSPECTION OF INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 65, 14 September 1900, Page 7

INSPECTION OF INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

THE STOKE ORPHANAGE. Shortly afLer the House of Representatives reassembled after -dinner lust evening, the Private Industrial Schools 'Inspection and Industrial Schools Act Amendment Bill was brought down by Governor's Message, and read the first time. The Premier explained that the Bill provided that the managing body of ,indu&trial schools was not in future to be outside New Zealand, and in cases where such a condition of affairs now existed, no child should bo' committed to the school. At the expiration of six months from the passing of the Bill, all siich schools were to cease to be recognised or to receive grants of public money.. Inmates of schools may be transferred by the Minister if the management is unsatisfactory, and any school mi^y be purchased or leased for the purposes of a Government school by the Minister. Admission as visitors is to be accorded to members of the General Assembly, of local bodies, Charitable Aid Boards, Education Boards, and School Committees, also to Justices of the Peace and to any other person authorised by the Minister. Remarks may be entered by these visitors in a book to be kept at the school. Regulations for the conduct of tho schools may be made by tho Governor-in-Coun-cil, and must be laid before Parliament. The age at which children "will be admitted is raised from 15 years to 16. The punishment oi inmates of schools is to be under the direction of the Stipendiary Magistrates, and is not to be inflicted ;n the school or by the managers. Mr. Pirani asked that the report of the Departmental Enquiry into the condition of the Stoke Orphanage in 1895 should be laid on the table. The Premier — I have no objection. Mr. Pirani went on to say that he did not put the blame entirely on the management of the school, but thought it rested to some extent on the Education Department. Members wished to consider the matter on its merits, and to do so they must have the fullest possible information. The Premier said he had made enquiries in respect to this enquiry, and had been unable to find any report- such as Mr. Pirani referred to. The Minister for Education (Hon. W. P. Reeves) did go to Nelson in 1895, and he believed the late Inspector-General (Mr. Habens) was with him. But, as far as he could gather, there was no report of the inspection. He (the Premier) had communicated with Dean Mahoney asking him if any report was noted in the book at the school, as he thought it might be on the files of the institution. He had received a communication in answer, stating that in February, 1893, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, accompanied by the Secretary of Education (Mr. Habens), visited the institution. The former entered the following minute on the book of the school: — "I am very glad at being able to write that my visit has confirmed the high opinion 1 which the Department have formed before on the Orphanage and on Father Mahoney's management. The site is healthy, the surroundings bright, the water supply exceptionally good, and the planting and gardening already done show that the institution will in future years be as pleasing and attractive as it is now useful. The boys are cheerful and seem well. The arrangements of the dormitory strike me as admirable." Mr. Habens concurred in these remarks, and added — "The inspection confirms the confidence I have always had in the management." There was no opinion entered in connection with the ofc-er visits, if they were made. If the report asked for did exist, he (the Premier) would do his best to get it, but it was not on record in the Education Office. It appeared that Mr. Habens, when he made his minutes, did not report on the result of the visit. If, however, any member would give him information as to its whereabouts he wouhi be happy to have it. Mr. Pirani said he did not know of the existence of the report himself, but when the Premier was asked to date back the enquiry he had said there was a Departmental Enquiry five years ago. The Premier said he had been informed there was an investigation made in 1895. He was still of opinion that there was some paper in existence. Mr. W. W. Collins -wished to know whether ,the Premier was aware that the Hon. W. P. Reeves had intimated to the school authorities that unless certain reforms were made he would withdraw the Government assistance to the school. The Premier said he had heard nothing at all about it. He had found in newspaper cuttings of 1896 a letter from Mr. Lightband referring to two hoy a who had run away from the school. The editorial comment was much against the tone of the letter, the writing of which was referred to as being almost a crime In the same paragraph there was a denial from Brother Loetus that corporal punishment rwas administered in the school. He (the Premier) said that a recurrence of the scandal must be prevented, and the whole thing should be probed to the bottom. S In reply to Mr. G. W. Russell the Premier said the second reading of the Bill would probably come on next week. Mr. R. Thompson said that when he was in Nelson the other day ho heard positive statements made that the Hon. W. P. Reeves in 1895 complained of the mismanagement of affairs at the Orphan age, and that he had threatened, failing the making of certain reforms, to withdraw the Government assistance. A large number of the people of Nelson were under the impression that the Government had been aware of the abuses existing during the past five years. They were also under the impression that there must be some record of that interview on the files of the office. The Premiei then read a letter which he had sent to Dean Mahoney in reply to the latter's communication. ' The material portion of the letter is as follows : — "I have to state that it is repeatedly being urged that on the occasion of the Hon. Mr. Reeves's visit he made a minute to the effect that if certain things were not discontinued he would have to recommend that drastic measures would have to | be taken to prevent their con? tinuance." The Premier went on to state that ho intended to cable to the AgentGeneral to get from him the truth as to what did take place. Mr. Pirani was .very pleased to see that the Premier recognised the gra/uy of the whole affair. He had made a great mistake in supposing that the action of some members of the Opposition side «>f the House was due to Party motives. The Premier acknowledged that he had at first taken a different view of the attitude of some members from that which he now held. The first consideration for them all should be the children committed to these schools. If a further extension of the enquiry was necessary to get at evidence, they could come to a determination on that point at the proper time. Mr. T. Mackenzie asked whether summonses had been served on the Brothers who had returned from Australia. Ine Premier said that in respect to this question, the Government had handed the matter over to the proper' authorities. He hoped that the law would be vindicated, and he hadigvery confidence in the police. W Mr. Meredith considered' the statements contained in Dean Mahoney's let-

ter absolutely incredible. It seemed to him incredible that cell punisrhment should not have been used prior to the visit of the Hon. Mr. Reeves, and that immediately afterwards cell punishment should commence. Ho thought the Commission should have been absolutely unrestricted as the time to which their enquiry was to relate.