NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL AT KOHIMARAMA, (CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1875 Session I, H-29

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1875. NEW ZEALAND.

NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL AT KOHIMARAMA, (CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE).

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

No. 1. Captain Beeton and Mr. Hill to the Seceetaet of Customs. (Telegram.) Auckland, 21st July, 1875. Seteeal cases of desertions lately ; stopped six boys last night; put them on board " Southern Cross " for safety. Another hand absolutely necessary. Please authorize. Will write full particulars by first mail. G. R. Beeton, Manager. Secretary of Customs, Wellington. Thomas Hill, Collector.

No. 2. Mr. McKellae to Collectoe of Customs, Auckland. (Telegram.) Government Buildings, 23rd July, 1875. Manages, Kohimarama, to employ extra hand temporarily. H. S. McKellae, Collector of Customs, Auckland. (for Secretary.)

No. 3. Mr. McKellae to the Collectoe of Customs, Auckland. (Telegram.) Government Buildings, 24th July, 1875. Visit Kohimarama. Inquire into cause of boys running away. Report as soon as possible. H. S. McKellae, Collector of Customs, Auckland. (for Secretary.)

No. 4. Captain Bbeton to the Seceetabx of Customs. Sib, — Naval Training School, Kohimarama, 21st .July, 1875. With reference to my telegram of this day's date asking authority to engage another hand, I have the honor to furnish the following reasons in support of my request:— On the 22nd June five boya absconded. One of them returned the following morning; two others were apprehended by the police and returned to the school, " to be imprisoned for seven days," on the 7th July. On the evening of the Bth, the boy who had previously returned of his own accord again absconded in company with another. On the 15th these boys were returned, and whipped, under authority of a warrant from the Resident Magistrate of Auckland. On the 19th one of those who had been whipped and one who had been imprisoned, together with a third who had not previously left, again absconded. It would seem from this that punishment has no deterrent effect. These boys were apprehended to-day, and will probably be dealt with at the Police Court to-morrow. On the evening of the 20th it was discovered that six boys had made arrangements for absconding. lat once sent them off to the schooner for safety, and purpose placing the three boys at present in the hands of the police there also, on receiving them back—not as a punishment, but to prevent them going away again, and to keep them there for some little time, till the desire to get away has worn off. To do this it is necessary I should have another man, as one must always be on board, and at night there should be two there. I—H. 29.

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I am in hopes that this, together with their being so quickly apprehended and returned to the school, will stop the running away, which cannot but have a very demoralizing effect. I can only attribute this exodus to the restlessness which is a part of the nature of the class of boys sent to the school. I may also say that I think the time has arrived when, irrespective of the special reasons before mentioned, another man is required for the proper conduct and discipline of the school. I have, &c, G. E. Beeton, The Secretary of Customs (Marine Branch), Wellington. Manager.

No. 5. Captain Bketon to the Secbetaey of Customs. Sib, — Naval Training School, Kohimaraina, 26th July, 1875. I have the honor to forward for the information of the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs the enclosed copy of the New Zealand Herald, of the 24th instant, and particularly to call his attention to the article in it marked with red ink, which if left uncontradicted may, I am afraid, operate very prejudicially to the interests of the school. I may state that on Saturday last my attention was called to the article when in town, and I then expressed to Mr. Hill, the Collector of Customs, my intention of forwarding it for the information of the Commissioner, accompanied with a request that he would be pleased to cause an inquiry to be held, with the view of ascertaining the truth or otherwise of the allegations contained in it; I was therefore agreeably surprised by Mr. Hill coming down to-day for this purpose, and have now only to request, in the interest of the institution, that that gentleman's report may be made public. I am moved to make this request from a sincere desire for the welfare of the school, as, whether the statements made in the paper before referred to are borne out or not, I am satisfied that it is advisable the truth should be generally known. I have, &c, G. E. Bbeton, The Secretary of Customs (Marine Branch), "Wellington. Manager. Extract from the New Zealand Herald, Saturday, 24th July, 1875. " The number of desertions from our Naval Training School shows unmistakably that there is something wrong in the system. We seek to trace the cause, and we think we discover it in the rules under the Act by which the school is conducted. Boys who have been accustomed from infancy to the utmost latitude of freedom and unrestraint, are suddenly subjected to the severest discipline, and a course of the dullest routine training. There is not the slightest variety or change, by which enforced confinement obtains mental or physical relief. The system alternates between work and punishment. There is nothing that can be named to relieve the monotony of a boy's life. Under such a regime, the school must prove a failure, and the number of desertions be certain to increase. Here is the routine, as laid down in the printed regulations : —Boys turn out at five in the morning ; make beds, clean buildings, and wash until half-past six. From this to seven o'clock muster, prayers, and receive reports. Then breakfast. Afterwards one watch to school, the other to nautical instruction; school over, that watch to garden and trades. Clean for dinner. Then dinner. This at noon. At one o'clock watches to school and nautical instruction. School over, one watch to garden, the other to trades. At a quarter to five clean for supper. Five o'clock, supper. Seven o'clock, all hands to school. Eight o'clock, prayers. Nine o'clock out lights. Here it will be seen that no time is given for play or recreation. Boys must pine at such an utter want of sympathy for their natural feelings and inclinations. And what follows for a breach of any of these rules ? Here are the punishments to be inflicted, given under the signature of " Forster Goring," Clerk of the Executive. Black List. Mast-head. Cells. Cells, with or without bread and water. Placard with nature of offence to be worn on boy's back. Caning. Whipping. Before inflicting the latter punishment the boy is to be triced up, and may receive twenty lashes. Here we have excess of both school and work, to be followed by what may be an excess of punishment. The caning may be a brutal one ; the triciug-up followed by twenty stripes, a cruel infliction. These regulations for school work and punishment have probably been framed by some tyrannical old martinet, who in his early days has witnessed all these severities and tortures on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war. Perhaps he has had them inflicted on himself. Punishment is to follow immediately after prayers. ' Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us,' and afterwards the command to ' Strip, and trice him up.' The softening impression prayers will have made on that boy who shall say? The whole regulations require amending, if our Training School is not to prove a complete failure. A firm but kind master, reasonable hours for play and leisure, rewards by way of encouragement, are what are needed for such a school; and without those, boys compelled to comply with such rules as we have shown to form the whole system, will certainly desert whenever opportunity offers—will not only desert, but will be certain to follow evil courses. we have found, nothing but praise for this excellent institution, whose noble mission commands our warmest sympathies. But we desire most emphatically to protest against these new regulations which appear in the Gazette of the 15th July, and to which the Marquis of Normanby, as Governor, has been induced to give his name. Had the object been to destroy the institution, the regulations could not have been more efficiently framed for the purpose. We invite to them the prompt attention of the Hon. Mr. whose benevolent interest in this institution has been so actively exhibited.

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No. 6. The Collector of Customs, Auckland, to the Seceetaby of Customs, Wellington. Sib, — Customs, Auckland, 27th July, 1875. Referring to your telegram of Saturday last, the 24th instant, relative to the escape of certain boys from the Naval Training School at Kohimarama, and requesting me to make inquiry into the cause thereof, I have the honor to inform you that I yesterday visited the place above referred to, and on arrival there proceeded at once to the school-room, and had several of the lads brought before me one by one, each of whom I questioned as to their treatment at the school. The replies in each case were invariably to the effect that they were kindly treated, and had nothing to complain of. I subsequently went on board the schooner, where several of the boys concerned in the recent attempt to escape were employed under the charge of the ship-keeper. I had each of these brought before me in the cabin, and, in reply to my questions, they also gave similar answers to those on shore. I then made inquiries of Mr. Johnson, who lives in the adjoining allotment, and also of the ship-keeper, as to whether either of them was aware of or had witnessed any unkindness on the part of those in charge, and both replied decidedly in the negative. I may here mention that, in order to avoid any appearance of undue pressure, none of the officers of the school were present "when the boys were examined. Several of the boys concerned in the recent desertion were from the Home Street School, and ran away from that place in the first instance. For example, J. Dansey ran away five times ; John Donovan and {xeorge Kelly, each more than once; and John Woods stated plainly that he wanted to leave and go back to his mother. These lads, being of an unsettled and roving disposition, seem to have enticed some of the younger ones to desert, who otherwise would not have thought of it. From my own personal observation upon frequent visits, and also from the evidence of the boys themselves, I am of opinion that there has been no unkindness shown to any of them, but quite the contrary ; and that all, with very few exceptions, seemed happy and contented. The time provided for recreation seems moreover ample. I can therefore assign no other reason for the late desertions than that already mentioned, yiz. the bad example of a few insubordinate spirits among so many boys. I append herewith the statement made by each boy examined, as nearly as possible verbatim. I have, &c, Thomas Hill, The Secretary of Customs, Wellington. Collector. Memobandfm of Evidence taken by Collector of Customs, Auckland, on a visit to the Natal Tbaining School, at Kohimabama, on 26th July, 1875. Depositions. 1. Charles Barnes: gets plenty to eat and drink; Captain kind and Mr. Speight kind, —very happy. 2. John Bates : likes being in the school first-rate; treated all right by both Captain Breton and the schoolmaster, —would not like to run ; gets plenty to eat. 3. Henry Smith: gets plenty of play, and as much as he can eat; schoolmaster and Captain Breton both kind, —would not care to bolt; has nothing to complain of. 4. Charles Carter: has nothing to complain of; is well treated by both Captain Breton and schoolmaster. 5. Mortimer Kelliher: is well treated; Captain Breton is good to him ; schoolmaster very kind too, teaches him well, and takes great pains; gets plenty to eat. 6. William McCormick: likes being in the school very well; is treated kindly by both Captain Breton and the schoolmaster; has nothing to complain of. 7. J. T. Lyons: has nothing to complain of; bolted once; was enticed to do so, would not do it again ; Captain Breton and schoolmaster both kind. 8. Adam Morrow: is well treated, has four hours' play every day ; every one kind; has no complaint. 9. Alexander Anderson : cannot say why he ran away ; is well treated; both Captain Breton and schoolmaster kind; has plenty of play time. 10. John Donovan: is well treated by Captain Breton and all belonging to the school; would not bolt; had an idea of it once. 11. Edward Roberts : saw some of the other boys going off, which put it into his head to do the same; is well treated. 12. George Kelly: is comfortable here, they are ail kind to him ; ran away because he did not like to be there. 13. John Woods : wants to leave the school to go back to his mother; has nothing to say against the place ; all kind to him. 14. Joseph Dansey: ran away three times ; had no reason, will not do it again; every one kind, and is well treated. 15. Charles Clark: likes the school; is treated kindly; was seen talking with the runaway lads, and brought on board accordingly ; has no complaints. 16. Frederick Charles Gray : was persuaded by another boy named Roberts to run away; is well and kindly treated; has no wish to run away again ; would like to be on the ship always ; has no complaints. 17. Patrick Donnacher: was well and kindly treated ; has no complaints. Thomas Hill, Customs, Auckland, 27th July, 1875. Collector.

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No. 7. Mr. McKellab to Captain Bbetou. Customs Department (Marine Branch), Sra,— Wellington, 6th August, 1875. Tour letter of the 26th ultimo, enclosing extract from the New Zealand Herald reflecting upon the management of the Naval Training School, has been duly received ; and I have the honor to state that inquiries instituted clearly Bhow that the charges are entirely groundless, and steps are being taken publicly to refute them. I am, <fee, H. S. McKellab, The Manager, Naval Training School, Kohimarama. (for Secretary).

No. 8. Mr. McKellab to the Collectoe of Customs, Auckland. (Telegram.) Government Buildings, 3rd August, 1875. Commissioneb thanks you for report on Kohimarama, and requests you to supply a copy to each. newspaper in Auckland. H. S. McKellab, Collector of Customs, Auckland. (for Secretary). By Authority : G-eoege Didsbtjby, Government Printer, Wellington.—3B7s. Price Sd.~]