EDUCATION: THE COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION (REPORT OF). [In continuation of E.-3a, 1889.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1890 Session I, E-03a

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1890. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: THE COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION (REPORT OF). [In continuation of E.-3a, 1889.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

I.—Eepoet of the Tbustees. As the institute is now fairly under weigh, with as many inmates as the present building can conveniently accommodate, the trustees think it right that annual public meetings should be held, and reports and balance-sheets presented, so that the citizens of Auckland may from time to time be fully acquainted with the manner in which this portion of Mr. Costley's beneficent bequest is being applied in providing a number of orphans and destitute children with advantages which could not reasonably have been afforded to them at the cost of the taxpayer. A short history of the foundation of the institution, and of the various steps that have been taken to place it on its present footing, will not be out of place, and will explain the principles which have guided the trustees in giving effect to the intentions of the testator. One-seventh of Mr. Costley's estate was bequeathed to the Kohimarama Training School, and the amount, £12,150, was handed over to three trustees nominated by the executors. No special conditions were imposed or directions given in the will with regard to any of the institutions amongst which the estate was divided, but an opinion was expressed by the late Mr. Justice Gillies that the trustees themselves were not empowered to administer any portion of the funds, but must hand them over to the various governing bodies. What was known as the Kohimarama Training School, where boys were supposed to be trained for seafaring pursuits, had ceased to exist, and there was a doubt whether the industrial school, which had been established on the premises, and which was maintained by the Government, and was entirely under their control, could be considered as the training school referred to in the will. If this industrial school was to be the recipient of the bequest, the money must have been handed over to the Government, to be expended by them in such manner as they thought fit for the maintenance of the inmates and relief of the public funds, and the trustees did not consider that this would have been carrying out the benevolent intentions of Mr. Costley; and the then Premier, Sir Eobert Stout, took the same view of the matter, and intimated that the Government would considerany scheme that the trustees might propose for the rightful appropriation of the funds, and if approved would lay it before Parliament for their sanction. Before taking any steps, the public, through the Press, were invited to express their opinion on the subject, and three alternative propositions were suggested and criticisms asked for ; but, meeting with no response, the trustees recommended that an institution should be established to take charge of boys and girls from the industrial schools of the district, when they reached the age at which they were sent out into the world to earn their own living. And Sir Eobert Stout caused a Bill to be prepared for the purpose, which was passed by the Legislature without opposition, and was styled "The Costley Training Institution Act, 1885," which empowered the trustees "to apply a sum of money in the purchase of a site in or near the City of Auckland and the erection and furnishing of buildings thereon; and to select a certain number of boys and girls of ages fit to be apprenticed, being inmates of the schools established under 'The Industrial Schools Act, 1882,' in or near the City of Auckland, and the apprenticing such boys to suitable trades ; to maintaining such boys at said institution until they are capable of being left to their own control; and to providing such girls with domestic service or other suitable employment." With this authority the trustees lost no time in commencing operations, and, after having examined various localities in and about town, they selected the present as the most suitable site they could obtain, for which they paid £1,025, and erected the buildings at a cost of £2,830, expending a further sum of £703 in furnishing the house and improving the grounds. A few boys only could be obtained in the first instance, as they had to be selected from the school at- Kohimarama, and the trustees were., not anxious to adopt any whose character and antecedents were not fairly good, or who from any other reason were not likely to profit by or be a credit to the institution. The numbers have been gradually increased, till now there are

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thirty boys and five girls under the legal guardianship of the manager. The girls may be taken either from the Industrial School at St. George's Bay or from the Boman Catholic Orphanage in Freeman's Bay, but the authorities who have the management of the latter have not availed themselves of the advantages offered by the institution, although invited to do so, and informed that girls taken from the orphanage should be boarded out at homes approved by them. Under the will of the late Mrs. Eebecca Hodge, a further endowment of £672 has been made for girls in charge of the institution. Mrs. Hodge left a sum of money to be divided between the Pitt Street Wesleyan Church and the Girls' Industrial School in Howe Street, if certain of her relatives could not be found within two years from the date of her death. The relatives not having been traced, the money became available ; but, as the Howe Street School had been closed, the executors were at a loss how to proceed till, on the passing of " The Charitable Trusts Extension Act, 1886," they framed a scheme whereby, after the sanction of the AttorneyGeneral and of the Supreme Court had been obtained, the bequest was handed over to the trustees of the Costley Training Institution to be invested, and the interest applied for the benefit of girls who would have been at Howe Street had that school continued to be in operation. This Act provides that " No property dealt with under its provisions shall be applied in such way as to exonerate or relieve the public funds from any charge or expense which but for such application would be incurred ; " which we may take to be the will of the Legislature, when any such bequests are being dealt with. Of the thirty boys now under the guardianship of the institution, one has been placed on board the schooner " Maile," belonging to Messrs. McArthur and Co., and trading to the Islands. He is now rated as an ordinary seaman, and is earning £3 a month. Another is a messenger at the Telegraph Office, and is receiving £36 a year. Eighteen have been apprenticed or are at work at different trades, of whom two are now earning 15s. a week each, whilst others are receiving from 2s. 6d. to 12s. as weekly wages. The total amount paid as wages during the last month was £28 45., and these earnings are regularly increasing. A boy who is in receipt of ss. a week pays 4s. towards his maintenance, and the other Is. is paid into the Savings Bank in his name; if he earns 10s., 2s. goes into the Savings' Bank, but the maximum stoppage for maintenance is fixed at 9s. per week, as that sum covers the whole cost of food, clothing, and superintendence. The amount credited towards the maintenance of the boys since the opening of the institution is £316 4s. 6d., and the amount placed to their credit at the Savings Bank is £111 16s. When all the boys are placed out at work, and are all earning something, the income at the disposal of the institution will admit of a larger number being taken in charge, and the trustees look forward to an extension of the buildings at no very distant period. The income derived from investment of capital is about £700 a year, and the average cost of each boy is £26 for all charges except rates, repairs, and insurance. The boys assist in the housework and in the garden, and a carpenter is employed on four evenings in the week to teach them the use of tools; and a variety of useful and ornamental articles have been made by them ; and it is intended to give them other technical instruction when tolerably proficient with carpenters' tools. The boys not at work attend the nearest Government school, and there is an hour and a half's evening school every week-day for all the boys, who are instructed by the manager and his two daughters. They attend Divine service and Sunday-school every Sabbath. Of the five girls, one is at service, another is being trained with the object of being employed as a compositor; the other three, being only twelve years of age, are considered as too young for domestic service, and have been boarded out, two in the country and one near town. They attend the Government schools, and are being instructed in household duties. In carrying out discipline amongst the boys who are in the institution, no corporal punishment is allowed in the case of boys over sixteen years of age, but they may be fined if guilty of misconduct ; the manager is permitted to use the strap on boys under that age, entering the offence and amount of punishment in his diary. Serious offences are reported to and dealt with by the trustees, who are adopting the principle of making the elder boys take an interest in the good behaviour of the others and in the good name of the institution. With this object they remit to the elders the duty of investigating complaints that would be damaging to the credit of the place, and authorise them to award and inflict punishment on the offenders in the presence of a trustee. All the boys have joined the temperance movement, and have been much interested by two suitable addresses kindly given to them by Sir William Pox. On the opening of the institution Dr. Beale very kindly offered to act as honorary medical officer, and the trustees have to thank him for his ever-ready assistance and attention when required. The health of the boys during the three years has been very good, only one case of serious illness having occurred : the patient, who had a severe attack of typhoid fever, was removed to the Hospital, and successfully treated there. There has recently been a mild case of scarlet fever : the boy was separated from the others as soon as the disease showed itself, and every care has been taken, and we believe successfully, to prevent any further spread of the ailment. In concluding this report the trustees have much pleasure in acknowledging the zealous and efficient services of the manager and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins). They have diligently watched over the discipline, comfort, and welfare of the boys, and nothing could exceed the cleanliness and tidiness of every part of the buildings. The whole of the boys' clothing has been made by Mrs. Hawkins and her two daughters, who have also rendered efficient aid in the evening school. The advantages of sugh care and supervision cannot be overestimated. May the Bather of the fatherless continue to bless and prosper the institution ! W. C. Daldy. Wm. Thokne. January, 1890. T. M. Haultain.

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2.—Statement of Accounts. Capital Account at 31st December, 1889. Dr. £ s. d. : Cr. £ s. d. Amount lent on mortgage .. .. 10,315 0 0 j Amount for investment — I Costley bequest ~ .. .. 9,150 0 0 Rebeeea Hodge bequest .. .. 672 3 9 Advanced from unexpended revenue .. 492 16 3 £10,315 0 0 £10,315 0 0

Balance-sheet at 31st December, 1889. Assets. £ s. d. | Liabilities. £ s. d. Mortgages .. .. .. .. 10,415 0 0 Costley bequest— Land.. .. .. .. .. 378 0 0 Capital Account .. .. .. 9,150 0 0 Cash .. .. .. .. .. 245 4 0 Revenue Account .. .. .. 1,062 5 4 Rebecca Hodge bequest— Capital Account .. .. .. 672 3 9 Revenue Account .. .. .. 45 12 2 A mortgage .. .. .. .. 100 0 0 Outstanding liability ..- .. .. 8 2 9 £11,038 4 0 £11,038 4 0

Revenue Account fob the Yeah 1889. Dr. S, a. d. £ s. d. Gr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Costley bequest— Costley bequest— Expended on— Balance unexpended, 1888 .. .. 1,078 18 !> Maintenance .. .. 647 1 7 Interest on loans .. .. 068 1 0 Repairs and improvements 122 12 6 Boys'earnings .. .. 221 4 6 Furnishing .. .. 39 4 4 Gifts, &c, to boys .. .. 14 17 2 Allowance to boys .. 7 9 0 904 2 8 General expenses .. 11 10 0 Commission .. .. 17 18 6 Law charges .. .. 5 8 8 Savings-bank, to credit of boys .. .. .. 69 11 6 920 10 1 Balance unexpended .. 1,062 5 4 1,983 15 1,983 1 5 Kebecca Hodge bequest— Bebecea Hodge bequest— Expended on maintenance .. .. 50 14 4 Balance unexpended, 1888 .. .. 52 12 6 Balance unexpended .. .. .. 45 12 2 Interest on loan .. .. .. 43 14 0 £2,079 7 11 £2,079 7 11 Balances brought down — Costley bequest .. .. .. 1,062 5 4 Rebecca Hodge bequest .. .. 45 12 2 T. M. HAULTAIN, j William C. Daldy, j- Trustees. W. Thoene, j Examined and found to be correct. —L. A. Durrieu, Auditor. 10th January, 1890. [Approximate do.it of Paper. —Preparation, nil; printing (1,400 copies), £1 2s. 6d.J

By Authority: GrEOßfus Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington. —1890