Cruelty to Friendless Children.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1741, 2 October 1885, Page 2

Cruelty to Friendless Children.

There is something ridiculously wrong abouc the treatment of destitute children who are sent to some of the industrial schools in this colony. Our readers will remember how, a year or two ago, some children brought back to Masterton from the industrial school in the Middle Island were found to be ragged, dirty, and vermin-bitten. Now another story of the ill-treatment of children of this class comes from Auckland. On the 2oth inst it transpired in evidence at the Auckland Police Court that G. P. Hoghan, master of the Kohimarama Industrial School, had handcuffed absconding boys. Two of them swore that they had been manacled together for a week, six days, and fourteen days. The Bench of Justices expressed great dissatisfaction at such brutality, and said an enquiry should be held. These statements appear to show that this man Hogan is utterly unfit to be placed in control of children. To handcuff young boys together for a period of fourteen days, debarring them from all exercise, keeping them in a cramped position, and allowing no natural and free play to their limbs, is an act of the most gross inhumanity and cruelty, which is a crying disgrace to the man who inflicted it. To a young boy close confinement, even for a short period, is a severe punishment, because his very nature calls out for open air exercise and moving about. But not only to confine those young boys, but also to handcuff them like felons, was an act of monstrous cruelty and tyrrany, for which Hogan deserves to be gibbetted by the public press and punished with inexorable severity by the criminal law. Yet there appears to be an impression abroad that the Ministry desire to hush up the abominable cruelties of Hogan, and, if possible, burke all enquiry into them. We can hardly believe that such is the case. But whatever may be the intentions of the Government in this matter, they should be compelled, by the pressure of public opinion, as expressed through the press, to cause a rigid and searching enquiry to be made into the conduct and proceedings of the man Hogan, so that should a prima facie case be established against him, he may be criminally prosecuted for his misdeeds. Such an enquiry should also be directed to the management and administration of the Kohimarama school. It is quite clear that there is something wrong in that institution. Dr Pnrchas, the Inspector of the Auckland industrial School, states in his last report on the one at Kohamarama, “ that there are GI boys in the school, amongst whom there were one or two oases of scabies.” Then ho adds, significantly enough, in the light of the recent “ handcuffing ” disclosures :—“ There was an absence of comfort in the appearance of the boys which one could not help noticing, and which is probably mainly due to the unhappy conditions in which they have been brought up.” Not a bit of it, most worthy but obtuse Dr Purchaa. The misery and discomfort of the boys was noi“ due to the unhappy conditions in which they have been brought up.” It was almost certainly due to the fact that they are badly treated in the institution, and that if they attempt to escape are severely punished and then put in irons like felons. That system of treatment is certainly not calculated to make those unfortunate and friendless boys happy and contented. On the contrary, it will break the spirit of some boys, and pause others to grow up into vindictive and revengeful men. What an awful cringe it is for a man like this Hogan thus to ruin the natures and dispositions of these j-;)nug boys,, when firm, but at the same

time judicious and kind treatment might in time transform them into good and useful men. This infamous fellow Hogan ought no longer to be permitted to go on with the horrible work of killing out whatever is good in the nature of those young boys. If Hogan be a protege of the Ministry, and they think it necessary —after he has been tried, convicted and punished for his present cruelties—-to provide him with some sort of billet, let them appoint him as hangman’s assistant, with the special duty of flogging notorious criminals with “the cat o’ nine tails. Such an occupation would be eminently suitable for a man of Hogan’s character.