State Economy in New Zealand.
(Contributed.) Economy has been defined as "a prudent management of all the means by which pioperty is saved or accumulated.” If this is the true definition of the term, it must be conceded, even by opponents of the present Government, that in establishing Industrial Schools and Reformatories in various parts of our colony a wise measure has been taken. In reforming the youthful members of society who have been bom or brought up under unfavourable oircumstances—perhaps among vicious associates and in a morally vitiated atmosphere—that which would be a waste product is here turned to valuable account. Hundreds of children, a large percentage of whom would undoubtedly have swelled the list of criminals in our colony, have passed through one or more of these homes and have been turned out decent, useful members of society. Some of the former inmates of Industrial Schools may have fallen back into evil ways, and it would be strange, considering the parentage of many of the children, if this had not been the case, but these lapses are comparatively few in number. At these Industrial Schools not only are the children given a primary and technical education suited to their needs, but they are trained in the principles of order and obedience ; they are taught to restrain thoso propensities which are harmful to themselves and to others, and to turn certain traits of diameter to good account that otherwise would become perverted, and would perhaps become a source of danger not only to themselves, but to the members of any community in which they might chance to be placed. The discipline at these schools is necessarily strict, and punishment must of course be occasionally administered, but excess is guarded against by regulations that prevent undue severity, aud which even determine the nature of the punishment for each offence. Moreover there is a Punishment Register kept, in the pages of which all offences committed by the inmates of the school with their corresponding punishments are entered, and this Register must be signed by the Medical Officer, who pays periodical visits to the Institution. '
The working of these institutions is a lesson in organisation and management. To those who do not understand the system it may seem that there is an undue amount of form and red tapeism, but the result of the routine is an almost perfect system of domestic economy in every sonse of the word.
There are at present seven Government Industrial Schools in New Zealand. The net cost of these institutions is something over £20,000 per annum. In some cases these homes are partially self-supporting. Over £7,000 a year is recovered from Charitable Aid Boards, from the parents of some of the inmates, and from the sale of farm produce, etc. As it would be impossible to shelter in these Homes all the children needing accommodation, a system of boarding-out the suitable cases to approved foster parents has been established, and this system has been found to work well. Many helpless little ones have found parents in the truest sense of the word. Over 1,000 destitute or uncontrollable children are sheltered, educated and cared for every year in these Industrial Schools.
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Bibliographic details
Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 49, 10 July 1906, Page 5
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534State Economy in New Zealand. Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 49, 10 July 1906, Page 5
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