THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 12

THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

In connection with the case of a Mrs Turner, who applied at the Police Court on Saturday to have two children committed to the Industrial School, Mr Titchener, master of the school, attended for the purpose of protesting against the wholesale manner in which children were being sent to the institution. In addressing the Bench, Mr Titchener said in two months recently no less than 26 children had been committed, and there had been a good number in the present month already. In two years' time, at the present rate, there would be 500 children in the school. There were now 227, 100 under eight years of age and 17 infants. The previous day an infant had been committed for whom he had no room, and for whom he had taken upon himself to find a nurse, who would get 10s a-week for her care of it. The place was already over-crowded, and two children had died within the past four weeks. At one time no children were placed within the institution but those arrested by the police, the offspring|generally of criminal parents ; but now they were committed upon the application of parents who stated they were unable to provide for them, and when the mothers thus got rid of their children they frequently left the place aud joined their husbands elsewhere. He thought that in all such applications the police should be required to make full inquiries into the circumstances, or else a board of guardians should be appointed, the school made a cummon workhouse, and parents required to apply to the board for the admittance of children.— Mr Watt, R.M., said the only way to put a stop to the institution beirg made use of by parents in the manner btated was to lay an information for desertion, issue a warrant to apprehend the father, and require him to find sureties for the maintenance of his family. There were provisions in the Destitute Persons Act for punishing runaway parents. — Inspector Mallard said the applicant, Mrs Turner, was a respectable hard-working woman, who had been turned into the streets with five children by her husband. She was willing to support three of them.— ln answer to his Worship Mrs Turner' said she had made no application to the Benevolent Institution.— His Worship said there was no alternative, according to the language of the Act, but to commit the children to the school, which was therefore done.— Mr Titchener remarked that the Bench would have plenty more of such cases. Mothers had got ieto the way of bringing their children for committal to the school.— Mrs Turner was asked by Ma Worship to remain, with the view of having an information laid against her husband.