WORK OF MERCY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1921, Page 9

WORK OF MERCY.

CARING FOR HOMELESS BOYS A GREAT HUMANE WORK, THE ELTHAM HOME. It should be the desire of everydne to leave the world better than one has entered it, and this ideal was surely attained by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jenkins, of Eltham, who brought about the c alvation Army Boys’ Home for the care and upbringing of orphan and homeless little boys. Some years ago, whilst visiting the Salvation Army Girls’ Home in Wellington, the need of a similar home for boys suggested itself to Mrs. Jenkins. The beautiful idea grew into a noble desire to erect such a home, but Mrs. Jenkins did not Jive to see the realisation of her dreams. In accordance with her wish her husband built the Home, which now stands back from the Main Road about a mile out of Eltham, and he gave it to the Salvation Army in memory of his wife—a. fitting memorial to a fine woman.

The Home, which stands in a side road off the Main Road on the way to Uawera, is a fide two-storey building, set in pleasant grounds and commanding an excellent view of the district for many miles around. It was built in 1909 and the timber was all selected from the bush growing on Mr. Jenkins’ property and prepared in a. timber mill on his property. Only the best matai .and rata were used, and the home when completed had cost the donor the sum. of £6,500.

An inspection of the building and grounds by a Daily News’ reporter proved most interesting. The building itself is a big airy place, beautifully c>ean and neat. It can accommodate s:xty boys, and at present there are fifty three in Residence. There are four dormitories, two with nineteen beds each, in which the bigger boys sleep, and two smaller ones in which are placed the small boys under the charge of one of the big boys. Fresh air is recognised as a great factor in attaining health, and the dormitories are so built that fresh air is supplied in plenty. The wisdom of..this course is demonstrated when it is noted that during the whole of the winter the only illness at the Home was that of one lad who at present has a bad cold. AIRY AND WELL LIGHTED. In the dining room are hung photographs of the donors of the institution, and this is also a large airy well-lighted room. There are four dining tables, one fcr the members of the staff, and the other three for the boys, each table being in charge of a monitor, who serves the food and looks after the other lads. The kitchen range is capable of cooking for one hundred persons. The members of the staff have their rooms in the building, and there is also the superintendent’s office and a reception room for visitors.

A very fine gymnasium is situated close to the main building, and here the physical and bodily development" of the children received attention. They arc starting now to practise various gyiunastie evolutions, and will give displays towards the end of the year. The grounds comprise thirty-fl.-e acres, twenty-two of which are in pasturage, whilst the other thirteen acres are devoted to various uses. Near the superintendent’s residence at the main gates are the gardens in which vegetables are grown for the institution, ami a young orchard. The gardens arc tended by the boys themselves, and at present are being prepared for the summer seeds. Peas have already been sown, and in one section of the plot the green shoots are bravely defying the elements. Quince, pear, and apple trees are included in the orchard, and there are two lines of gooseberry bushes. The grounds surrounding the building are nicely laid out, and there are a tennis court, a croquet lawn, and three lawns in addition to two recreational grounds, on one of which the boys play such games as rounders and on the other football. The boys have previously played Association but are now evincing a. desire to partake of the national game, Rugby. Five acres are down in lucerne, /which supports the animalsL on. the land. The superintendent remarked that another twenty acres was really needed to make the Home self-supporting, but although the Army had endeavored to secure adjacent land, the price asked had been too high. ' j THE FARM WORK. The work of the farm is done by the boys under a farm instructor, and the majority of lads when they leave have a good knowledge of farm work. There are, in all, twenty animals on the land; eighteen cows, two heifers, and three horses. The cows are milked by the boys and what milk is not needed for the institution is sold to the Eltham Dairy Factory. The institution makes iis own butter.

The boys who are at present in the institution are fine, healthy looking little fellows, ranging in age from almost babies to youths who are ready to take work on farms and start on their career in life. All have that cheerful, happy appearance which can only go with perfect health, and they are fine specimens of the future manhood of the Dominion. Hardy (the majority of them are hare-footed) and taught that to succeed in life they must he. industrious, they Will go out into the world better equipped to fight the battle oi life than many Children of careless or uncaring parents. There is many a sad story connected with the previous lives of the lads. Many are orphan: or ‘semi-or-phans, bereft of the loving care of parents and cast on the work! homeless and. helpless. But in the Salvation Array Home they have found a haven of refuge in which they may shelter from the storms and temptations of fife until they are old enough and equipped with education and good health to withstand life’s pitfalls and grow into good citizens. OBEDIENCE AND INDUSTRY. The first thing a child learns when he filters the Home is that he must do as he is told. This is the basis on which the education of the child commences, and the next thing he is taught is to be industrious. Many little jobs about the building are done by the lads. The bread for the meals is cut by two of the lads, and before each meal, each boy is apportioned some little duty and the rest of the time is spent in lessons and play. It has been found from experi ence that even if there is no duty to set the lads, something must be found to ke»>g them. The beautiful

polish on the floors and the fittings in the' bathrooms give ample evidence of the industry displayed by the boys. The linoleum is all bees-waxed and table and sink at which the dishes are washed up, and the benches at which the* boys wash are covered with zinc, which displays a glittering polish. The boys also make the beds. Many hands make light work, and these duxies are just, suffi-

cient to be called duties. The tidy state in which the farm appointments arc kept, and the general neatness of the grounds is a great credit to the boys and to those in charge of them. EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. A schoolmaster looks after the general education of the boys, and his class is under the jurisdiction of the Taranaki Education Board. Ex-aminations are held twice a year, and an inspector who paid «. surprise visit to the school a few days ago expressed the opinion that the standard of work was quite up to that of the ordinary schools. Some of the boys are learning to play the piano, and there is also a brass band, comprising twenty-two instrument, which is progressing very, favorably. For those who are fond of reading there is’a library at the Home of about 200 books, and twelve books are obtained each week from the public circulating library. The boys have the same educational chances as do other children, and two will be entered this year for the Junior National Scholarship Examination.

The fine work of this institution rs carried on by a staff of six. under the supervision of Brigadier W. P. Page; The Salvation Army pays for the maintenance of the Home, which costs at the present time £2,000 a year to keep up. It is a fine work—this tending of the homeless little hoys—h great humane work which is being carried on unostentatiously, and it is deserving of the greatest and the greatest support.