BURN HAM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL INQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13287, 20 September 1906, Page 6

BURN HAM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL INQUIRY.

i ■• •:■ ■■:■ . •■ ' *A - " I EVIDENCE OF CHAIRMAN OP : BOARD OF ADVICE. ';'';;. [by TELEGRAPH. r-BKSS association!] Christciicrch, Wednesday. The inquiry into the conduct of Burnham Industrial School was continued by Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., this morning. ;■■■■"'; Frederick John Board, chairman-of the Board of Advice, stated that he could never clearly ascertain the functions, of that body. This accounted for the slight friction existing at first between the Board and the manager, which, however, disappeared as the result of several conferences. Witness described the process of inspection carried out by the Board. The members had always recognised that on questions of policy the Department reserved the right to act without consulting them. The' de-tention-yard was unnecessary, and had not reduced the number of absconders. The Board had endeavoured to improve j the position of the attendants, and to do away with the difficulty of retaining a permanent staff, and the manager had assisted them in those objects. ,The trouble arose from the system of compelling' instructors to do attendants' work in addition to the labour they put in in the workshops. Every opportunity was given to the boys and the attendants to make complaints, and witness had every confidence that the manager would be oniy too pleased to consider any representations made by the Board. Mr. Archey had complained to him about the quality of the bread, and on representations being made the contractor for the supply effected some improvement, though the bread afterwards became indifferent again. The same {contractor put in the lowest tender next year, but the Department, on the advice of witness, accepted a higher tender.' ', Cross-examined by Mr. Bishop, witness said that smaller institutions on smaller areas nearer centres of population would bo better than such a, place as Burnham. Ho did not think the' fact of. the matron being the wife of the manager was a, disadvantage; or that there was any need to have a qualified nurse on the staff. It was impossible to have a' college homo system in the fullest sense'of the term at Burnham.

Mi-. _ Bishop said that the -difficulty; to his mind, was connected with, classification, Burnham being a place to "which boys of all kinds were drafted.

Witness said lie had advocated the setting up of a separate institution for incorrigibles. or as an alternative, a trainingship. Defectives should also be separated.