MAYOR POINTS TO GOOD WORK OF CENTRE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1948, Page 4

MAYOR POINTS TO GOOD WORK OF CENTRE

• He felt it-was encumbent upon him to make some comment upon the subject, said the Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, at a meeting of ratepayers last night. He was referring to a Press report of a discussiop at a meeting of the Manawata l provincial executive of Federated," Farmers on the Levin Training Centre. After pointing out the fine work being done by the management and boys of the centre in several spheres of community life, Mr. Burdekin said that . the references to "escapes" made it appear us if the boys were common eriminals. Thqse who had read the repOrt and were not familiar with the circ.umstances' WPUfd, he thought, gai.n. an entirely false . impression' m what was being done at the centre. "The centre is not a prison and there are no warders," he emphasised. "It is a training centre anfl' its purpose is to receive boys who, in rnost instances, have had unhappy home lives. Those in charge are highly specialised teachers-," he added. Anyone who had been to see the centre would know just what conditions the boys lived under. They were given happy home lives and were quite contented. Quite often boyg who had left had gone back to spend a few days' holiday, and they were made 'fyelcome. The conditions suggested in the report did not exist, contended Mr. Burdekin. It was quite possible that occasionally a boy broke bounds and went for a "joy ride." In regard to the portion which stated that the management was "falling down on the job," Mr. Burdekin pointed out that the manager, Mr. E. J. Stanley, had never taken his clpthes off while a boy was absent. "Levin owes a great deal tp Mr. Stanley and the boys of the" centre," commented Mr. Burdekin. "They did a great deal of work in preparing the triangle reserve in Cambridge Street, in the preparation of Cambridge Park.and, just recently, . they assisted at the Salvation Army Hall, where arrangements are being made for the Rlay Centre. I have had an offer from Mr. Stanley undertaking to contribute in every way possible to help out at Playford Park," he said. Further comment was made by the head attendant at the' Levin Farm, Mr. C. A. Guy, who deplored J the statement that "the authorities J should make a greater attempt to teach* the boys." He pointed out the wonderful jpb they had done in .yebuilding the workshops, which had been destroyed by fire ,in Aug- ; ust of last year, Mr. Guy was ■ among those present at the meeting.