VISITING INDUSTRAL HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12946, 14 October 1902, Page 7

VISITING INDUSTRAL HOMES.

ACTION BY THE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE, In accordance with a- resolution passed, tlie secretary o-f the Canterbury Women’s Institute recently wrote to tho InspectorGeneral of Schools, requesting permission for the members of the committee of the Institute to visit Te Dranga Home and the Burnham- Industrial School, She received the following reply “ Madam, —In reply to your letter of the sth instant, asking that permits be given to members of the committee-of the Canterbury Women’s Institute to enable them to visit T© Oranga Home and the Burnham Industrial. Soho-01, I beg to say that your request is granted, and to ask that you will please communicate with the managers of these institutions in order that suitable dates may bo arranged. If your committee should at any time again wish to visit either of these schools, it will be necessary that application be made for a fresh permit,' .—I have the honour to he, madam, your obedient servant, G. H-o-ghen, secretary.” The reply was considered unsatisfactory, as, in the opinion of the Institute, the visits/ under the. conditions stipulated would be/ of very little value in ascertaining the ordinary working of the Homes. The secretary was therefore instructed to write again asking for permission, to visit the Homes unexpectedly. To this request, after a delay of over a month, a reply was received as follows:—-

“ Madam,—l am directed by the Minister of Education to express his regret that the request of the committee of the- Canterbury Women’s Institute to be granted a permit to visit the Burnham Industrial School and To Oranga Home, without notice to the managers, is one that he does not think it) advisable to comply with. The number of persons who have the statutory right to visit industrial schools without notice is already very large. You will see by reference to sections 49 and 51 of the Industrial Schools Act that the list includes all members of the Legislature, Judges of the Supremo and District Courts, all Justices of the Peace, Inspectors of Industrial Schools, and all persons authorised by the. Minister. With regard to the ]ast-na\ned persons, I have to say that in appointing a Board of Advice for the Burnham Industrial School and official visitors for Te Oranga Home, the. Minister considers that he has made sufficient provision to ensure that any matters that might require remark at these institutions would come under his notice. He therefore hopes that your committee will be satisfied with the proposition made in my letter of the 28th July last, that you should communicate with the managers before visiting these schools in order that dates may be arranged.—l have the honour to he, madam, year obedient servant, G. Hcghcn, secretary.” . At.the committee meeting of the Institute, held ou Friday, this letter was read, and the following resolution was unanimously carried That this. Institute regrets that the Minister of .Education does not see his way to,allow the members of the committee of the Institute to visit the Te Oranga Home and the Burnham Industrial School -without arranging dates beforehand with the managers, the Institute being convinced that unexpected visits from members of responsible bodies, other thin official, are_ in the interests of the inmates and of the general public.”