57

E—l

The children who are boarded at the School ought to be well fed. Thinks the children now in the School are not sufficiently fed. They have plenty of potatoes, rice, and milk, but they ought to have more meat. There are plenty of sheep on the land and they ought to have more mutton. The parents of the children are anxious that their children should be taught English, and the girls domestic work. Mr. Williams left Otaki in the year 1854. The assembled Natives informed, through Mr. W. Buller, that the statement made by Tamihana Rauparaha would be read over to them, and that as the subject is one of deep importance to them all, the Commissioners were most anxious to ascertain from any present whether any suggestion for improvement in the School could be made, and whether the statement made by Tamihana embodies their opinions. Some dissent from this statement was elicited. The Europeans present were also invited to submit their opinions respecting the Half-caste children in the School. Matini Te Whiwhi, admits the school to be in a very unsatisfactory state, but scarcely knows to what cause to attribute it. Thinks the parents of the children a good deal to blame, for they have not sufficiently appreciated the advantages of the School. T hat the School began to fall off shortly before Mr. Williams left Otaki, and they have gone on diminishing in the number of scholars. Lays great stress on the children being taught in the English language, and hoped that this would give a new turn in the state of things. Matingi conceives the great thing is to have a good English master. Hehemia Te Teure entirely exonerates Archdeacon Hadfield and the masters from the failure of the Schools. Attributes the failure more to the want of interest of the Parents in the advantages of the School, for when their children were chastised they removed them from the School. Considers the School should be continued under the management of Archdeacon Hadfield. Hukiki conceives that the School has failed from not having had a good English master. If there was a good English master it would thrive. When the children have been chastised at the School the parents have kept them away. Henere Taratoa requested to give such information as he possessed of the stock belonging to the School, and as to the dietary of the boarders. Believes that there are about 100 head of cattle, and upwards of 1000 sheep Had about 23 acres under wheat, crop, 2 acres of potatoes, 3 acres of oats, andabundance of vegetables of all kinds. The children have 3 meals a day, breakfast, dinner, and tea. For breakfast they have sometimes boiled milk and flour and some times bread and milk. They always have milk for breakfast. At dinner they have generally pork and potatoes, and when a sheep is killed they have mutton. Does not know how much mutton they generally have a week, but they have more pork than mutton. Has not seen them have beef. The workmen on the farm have some of the mutton when a sheep is killed. Sometimes when they are very busy the children have gone without meat, but the fault has been with him. On those occasions they have only had potatoes. The children have never had pollard for dinner. Sometimes part of the sheep is sold, the proceeds are received by himself and paid over to Mr. Hadfield. Richard Eager, store keeper at Otaki, is well aware that there is strong disinclination amongst the parents of Half-caste children at Otaki to send their children to the School while it is under a Maori master only. The number of Half-caste children living with their parents may be from 12 to 15, but there are some 30 Half-caste children who have been deserted by their fathers. All those of the former and many of the latter would be sent to the School if it was under a good English master. Can only attribute to the neglect of the mothers of those children who have been deserted by their fathers that those children have not attended the School. Believes that a strong desire exists, both amongst the Natives and Europeans, to send their children to the School, both Natives and Half-castes, and therefore concludes that there is some impediment to their doing so, but cannot state what that impediment is. Has had an opportunity of observing the teaching of the present master, and conceives it highly creditable to him. There are about 20 or 30 European children in the neighbourhood whose parents would be glad to pay towards their schooling, provided there was a competent master. Refers particularly to the abandoned condition of certain Half-caste children. William Fitzherbert, Chairman.