1.—9

15

of identifying are No. 58 and No. 115. I have come to the conclusion that in all probability one of these two was recommitted under another number, and that the other is a boy sent to the hospital in the latter part of last year. Assuming that the number of recommittals was 5, and that one of the unidentified numbers represents a boy sent to the hospital, there are 240 boys to be accounted for out of 241 admitted. There are records in the office of the Education Department relating to the manner in which, the 240 boys left the school. The following analysis of their cases is approximately correct: — Apprenticed to the sea ... ... ... ... ... 45 „ or licensed to other callings ... ... ... 44 Discharged when term of committal expired ... ... ... 54 Released to care of friends before end of term .. ... ... 64 Discharged as physically unfit ... ... ... ... 2 Expelled for misconduct ... ... .. ... ... 2 Absconders ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Imprisoned for offences ... ... ... ... ... 5 Deceased ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Transferred to Industrial School ... ... ... ... 13 Total ... ... 240 I propose to get the original records from Auckland in order to clear up the doubtful points to which I have adverted. 4. I enclose a copy of report for the year ending 30th June, 1879, on the New South Wales Nautical School ship " Vernon." This is the latest report I. have seen upon that institution. At the date of the report there were 112 boys on board, between seven years old and eighteen. Children under three years of age were admitted during the year, but all below the age of six were transferred to a girls' school. Of 52 boys apprenticed during the year, 19 went to sea. The information in the following table is extracted from the reports published in 1880 on Reformatory and Industrial Schools iv Great Britain and Ireland :—

The " Warspite," at Woolwich, receives boys between thirteen and sixteen years of age. As far as means will allow, the general system of training is the same as that practised in the Royal Navy. The number of boys is about 300. The cost is about £17 a year each. Orphans, children of the labouring classes, and street-boys are the ordinary objects of the charity. The " Worcester," off Greenhithe, 72 guns and 4,725 tons, is placed by the Admiralty at the disposal of an Association, the Thames Nautical Training College. She accommodates about 200 boys. They learn practical seamanship, navigation, nautical astronomy, English, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mechanics, the steam engine, marine surveying, freehand drawing, chart drawing, and French. The fees are 45 or 50 guineas, according to age, with 10 guineas for uniform, medical attendance, washing, books, and stationery. The course is intended to prepare them to become officers of merchant vessels. H.M.S. "Britannia " is the training ship for Royal Naval cadets. Candidates are admitted by nomination and examination. The examination is in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, English, French, Scripture history, and two subjects out of the three following : Mathematics, Latin, and geography and history. Ido not know the number of cadets. I have not been able to obtain any information of the existence of other training ships in the United Kingdom. 25th July, 1882. Im. J. Habens.

* The only Industrial School for Protestant boys in Ulster.

Ship. Boys. Cost per Head. Officers. Reformatory — " Cornwall," off Purfleet " Akbar," Liverpool ... " Clarence " (Roman Catholic), Liverpool industrial — " Clio," Carnarvon "Mt. Edgcumbe," Saltash, Devon " Wellesley," JNL Shields " Shaftesbury," off Gray's "Havannah," Cardiff.. "Formidable," Bristol " Southampton," Hull " Cumberland," Dumbarton " Mars," Dundee " Gibraltar," Belfast ... 260 174 228 243 227 300 240 69 297 231 369 353 298* £ 8. d. 22 6 4 21 17 9 22 0 6 22 6 5 14 4 6 20 13 11 31 16 0 14 2 0 19 5 4 20 15 3 18 17 10 17 11 3 1G 5 0 11 12 14 13 11 24 26 4 19 18 17 19 15 3,289 £20 nearly. 203