The Manawatu Standard. PUBLISHED DAILY. Suivant La Verite. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. JUVENILE CRIMINALS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 175, 30 June 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard. PUBLISHED DAILY. Suivant La Verite. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. JUVENILE CRIMINALS.

In the official report of the Inspector of Knisances presented to Parliament a few days ago, Captain Home deems it his duty to point out, m reference to the treatment of juvenile offenders, that much requires to be done m the direction of establishing a sound reformatory syßtem which shall have the effect of preventing the growth of adult criminals. He suggests the propriety and necessity of establishing areforma-to-y on the lines of the Philanthropic S ciety'a Farm School at Red Hill, ia Connty of Surrey, for the reclamation ot'criminals and other bors. The plan he suggests is that the Govprnment set apart a sufficient area of land (partly fl upbearing), pituated between two rivers, to render escape difficult if not imp. isibl". This estate should then b« divided into several sections as circumstances may require. On each section should be g flax-mill, and building sufficient to accommodate from 40 to 50 boys, a 6choolm <ster, awl the requisite staff. The daily routine would be so divided aa to devote a certain number of hours to educational purposes and the remainder to agricultural labor. The boys would thus be infracted, trained, and enab'ed to take their places among productive colonial labourers as soon as they have arrived at cbe years of discretion. On one point he lays especiul stress, namely, that a reformatory of this kind should not have the aspect or condition of a prison ; and the accuracy ol this view, ia dealing with thia class of offenders, is borne out by the experiences of the Philanthropic Society whose syßtem of management and discipline is made as kind, persuasive, and in* telligent as possible, the great object being to interest the boy hlm.-elf m the business of reformation, and induce him to improve and regulate himself for his own interest's sake. Such is the scheme put forward by Oapt. Hume for the re« clamation of incipient; criminals, and undoubtedly it has much to recommend it. As regards female criminal children, he believes that an institution which would train them for domestic servants, seamptreßses, dressmakers, dairymaids, and such like, is the only practicable method of dealing with their case. The whole subject (observes the Post) is one which Parliament is m duty bound to take up at no distant date, an^l failing any preferable alternative methods being proposed, it is to be hoped that early steps may be taken to give effect to thes suggestions.