B.—3b

60

7. How many Brothers are under your control?— Nine and a lay-teacher. 8. Of what nationalities are these Brothers ? —French, Irish, Belgians, Australians, and English. They are all British subjects. 9. Are they all proficient in the English language?— All of them. 10. What are your duties at the school? —I superintend the whole management. 11. Who are the other Brothers, and what are their duties ?—Brother Damien, in charge of the farm ; Brother Patrick, in charge of the kitchen ; Brother Augustine, in charge of the cleanliness of the house ; Brother Wibertus, in charge of the tailoring and clothing ; Brother Cuthbert, in charge of different farm departments ; Brother Kalian, in charge of the boys when out of school; Brother Finian, assistant prefect; Brother Lenner, in charge of some portion of the farm, including the hop-garden. Brother Kilian is the prefect, and is answerable for the boys' whereabouts and behaviour when out of school. Brother Albius left a couple of months ago. There is also John Dwyer, lay-teacher ; and in addition certain workmen are employed permanently. They include Patrick Clark, chief ploughman ; Tom Fowler, second ploughman ; Frank Curran, baker. Mr. McGee does the gardening without pay. Brother Augustine teaches the higher standards ; Brother Wibertus the Fourth Standard ; Brother Cuthbert the Third ; and John Dwyer the Second and First. 12. Will you state the ordinary routine of the day?—Eising and washing at 6 in the summer, and 6.30 in winter. There is ample provision and water for washing. No brushes and combs are kept. The boys' hair is always kept as short as possible, as it is the best way of insuring cleanliness, freedom from vermin, and general health. Half an hour after rising there are prayer and study of memory-lessons ; breakfast at 7.30 ; after breakfast recreation from about 8 to 8.30, according to the season; then work in the household and on the farm until 11.30; then recreation in the playground until 12, when the boys have dinner, both in summer and in winter. After dinner recreation till 1 o'clock; then school till 4, with a ten-minutes recess at 3. From 4 to 5 recreation ; then school again until 6.30, when they have tea, followed by recreation until 8; then the boys have prayers and go to bed. On Wednesday tea is at 6, on account of band-practice at 6.45. On Saturday afternoon recreation in the cricket-ground, and band-practice at 3 o'clock. On Sunday drawing, letter-writing, and singing from 10.30 to 12.30. Dinner at 1 o'clock. The boys rise at the usual hour on Sunday mornings, and attend Mass at 8.15. The afternoon is devoted to recreation, cricket, and football, according to season, and any games the boys fancy. There is bathing every day at 4 o'clock, when the weather permits. Two hundred or three hundred boys can swim in the bathing-hole at once; they all learn to swim. The little ones go in by themselves. Mass is celebrated generally about three times a week : In winter at 7 o'clock, and in summer at 6.30. There are four dormitories, each in charge of one Brother. There is also a dormitory superintended by the lay-teacher. The nights pass very quietly, and I have never known of a disturbance or pillow-fight. 13. Mr. Fell.] What baths are there on the premises?— There is a small one in the lavatory. In the winter the boys wash their faces in the morning, and their feet on Saturdays. 14. Mr. Wardell.] Is there no other house-bath ?—No. We have tried the washing-tubs, but they are not a success, as the boys found it chilly when they came out. Mr. Hogben has recommended proper baths, and we expect to have them in a short time, 15. Mr. Fell.] Is there any arrangement for providing hot water ?—Yes. In the lavatory hot water is supplied from the kitchen when the fire is in. I cannot say the boys wash themselves with hot water, but it is available. 16. Mr. Bush.] When are the boys supposed to have baths in the winter ?—There has been no regular system of winter baths. 17. Mr. Wardell.] At what time do the boys wash their feet on Saturdays ?—Generally in the afternoon, in the lavatory ; or it might be done any other day. As a rule, a wash all round is insisted on on Saturdays. 18. Mr. Fell.] What are the cooking arrangements ?—There is a stove, with two open boilers, in the kitchen. One of the boilers is used for the stew when there is stew. One of them was used for a long period for soup ; but the boys did not relish the soup. Colonials, as a rule, do not care for soup. We have lately imported, through Wilkins and Field, a new range at a cost of £92. We have had this nearly a year ; but at present we cannot find room for it. We expect the Brother Provincial to arrive here in a few days, and he will be consulted about the fixing of the range. 19. Mr. Wardell.] Is the range on the premises ?—Yes. 20. Mr. Fell.] What is the dietary scale throughout the year?— Our institution is now in a state of transition. Some reforms are being made, and, of coarse, existing errors must be corrected. 21. You recognise that the result of this inquiry should be of assistance to you?—lt will be if the Government put us in line with Government industrial schools. 22. You would be very glad of that ?—Yes. 23. Now, what about the food?— There has been a great sameness in the food, but it is not so unbroken as represented. At times the boys have had pork—roast, boiled, and fried—but they do not like it. The stew is made of meat, potatoes, onions, vegetables, more or less abundantly according to season, with pepper, salt, and herbs to give flavour to it. Mutton and beef are both used. We generally keep our cattle for the winter. We have bought some meat, but we generally kill our own. The habit has been to put the meat into the stew, as that is the best way to save the nutritive part of it. There may be an objection to an unbroken continuance of it. 24. What has been done with the deer shot by Clark ?—lt has all been eaten on the premises, with the exception perhaps of a piece sent to a friend. The venison generally went into the stewpot. 25. What did the boys have to drink at the midday meal ? —Generally water. On Friday they have tea, as there is no meat.