E.—3a.

1903. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: THE COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION. ("THE COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION ACT, 1885.") [In continuation of E.-3a, 1902.]

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

At the annual meeting of friends of the Costley Training Institution, held at the Institute, Bichmond Boad, Grey Lynn, on the 27th March, 1903, the following annual report was read :— The trustees have much pleasure in presenting their report of the work of the institution for the year 1902. In their report for the year 1901 the trustees had to announce with great regret the resignation of the Hon. Colonel Haultain of his office as trustee. It is with still deeper feelings of regret that they have now. to record his death, which took place on the 18th October, 1902. The institution and its charges have lost a firm friend in Colonel Haultain, and those he leaves behind have the deepest sympathy of all. There has been no change in the personnel of the trustees during the year. On the 31st December there were thirty-five boys in the institution at Bichmond Boad. Of this number fifteen are engaged in various trades in the city, and twenty are attending the Bichmond Boad public school. On the recommendation of the headmaster, two of the boys competed for scholarships. One obtained a John Williamson scholarship, which entitles him to three years' free tuition at the Auckland Grammar School, and he is now attending at that school; the other obtained a certificate of proficiency, but this carries no other benefit. There are still three girls under the trustees' charge, two of whom are boarded out, and the third is in domestic service. There are also eleven boys under the charge of the trustees not resident at the home. Of these, seven are working at trades in town, receive their own wages, and pay their own expenses; the other four are at situations in the country. The institution has not escaped entirely this year in the matter of sickness. Nearly all the lads were visited by the unclassified epidemic which swept Auckland last September and October. Thanks, however, to the care of Dr. Knight and the attention of Mr. and Mrs. Hendre no serious consequences resulted. The trustees desire again to express their hearty thanks to Dr. Knight for his gratuitous and valuable services. Calls have also been made for the services of Messrs. Carter and Poster, dentists, of Karangahape Boad, and the trustees desire to tender their hearty thanks to those gentlemen for their kindness to the boys, their services being at all times rendered gratuitously. The discipline and general tone of the establishment have been well maintained, for which Mr. and Mrs. Hendre are mainly responsible. There have been three entertainments during the year, which were promoted respectively by Mr. Smith, Mr. Lawson, and Mr. Adams. A welcome home was also tendered to Captain Wood, of the First and Sixth Contingents, on his return from South Africa. Captain Wood is an old boy of the institution, and won his commission after service in the field., which is indorsed by the South African war medal with five clasps. The boys also had a very enjoyable and beneficial week at Kawau during the Christmas holidays. All the boys regularly attend Church and Sunday-school, according to the religious body to which they belong. Archdeacon and Mrs. Calder still maintain their kindly interest in the lads, as do also Mr. Taylor, the superintendent of All Saints' Sunday-school, and his assistants. The trustees desire to tender their thanks to Messrs. Donald and Edenborough for the gifts of fruit, which were much appreciated by the boys. The balance-sheet again shows a deficiency on the year's workings, the amount being £255 Bs. lOd. This still leaves a balance of £719 6s. 3d. of assets in excess of the original bequests of Mr. Costley and Mrs. Bebecca Hodge. The number of boys maintained this year (thirty-five) is considerably in excess of that of last year, which was twenty-five. The trustees, as foreshadowed in their report of last year, have made application to the Government for an annual subsidy, and have received a reply which leads them to believe that the assistance required will be afforded to the institution.