THE WEREROA TRAINING FARM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 3

THE WEREROA TRAINING FARM.

L believe,your paper to bo an advo* '±-<* cato for fair play and. justice, to, all; I would ■;;>< Uko you. to glycine a brief space to try and i,:' : .r elucidate : what bo doubt seems obscure to ; - - the general public, and especially' those: per- , sons, interested in our public-land Government'" -■'■ institutions on,the:basis of equity and.justice.^ _The .Industrial School and Boys'•-,Trainine , i'arm at, Wereroa is. one of the\most. , coni.'-'' i ; J t prehonsivo, elaborate, expansive, anil' suitably* ' '!■; equipped porhape: in the Dominion, and i '' : from a structural point of viow presents 1 many ■ -- : pleasing as well as useful features. As far as ■ the. institution is .concerned, it. is supplied nearly, everything. requisite, for .the , purpose : for P wnioh.it was acquired and designed, viz.,'the. " teaching and training of the young. But white™' wisdom and forethought by the Department ■ provided many, things necessary for tho ful-- "' tument of a good work, one great and import. ■-'/■ ant matter .was either/overlooked or by• Bom*' ! ' : ' ' means overruled in connection with the Belcc-"' :u turn-, of the head of theinstitution asmanager V and directly responsible to the Minister- lor Y■liducation for-his management. A. man who v -■■''■■ could only lie capable of one branch of the ' '' work,.viz.,.the teaching, official,,and 'i' trative part of the ; institution, and hot the'' ! practical farming was naturally forced to rclv • on others,; and. a fatal mistake was made to , ' give-absolute-.power to-anyone to rule over : ' ; , aatterS of which he is not familiar. Tho part or ■'"•^ 1 which. I complain most is that Ida rufinc is ' upneld in': cases of protest appeal or inqui'rv ' " into any matter,, or .oircumetances -connected ,'■' with- the' .administration,', from an empl6yce'a'-■"' 1 point ot view, and.that his deoision is , final^and ■'■'' ' supreme. . ■■-■:■ ,-/ : .-..■..•;. ~.. - ,; •-..: , N ?..matter,-what adman's:capabilities mar ' •■■ '-^■ pe;it\lias been found in all; parts of tho world ' u --'-V. that it is unwise for ■ aiiy' ons, nlan r to havo, ; -.' :: " such unlimited and: supreme power, dangeroue ' • '■- to the individual as a wielder'of such power v aud dangerous to those subordinate to tho'will of-, such power.. Herein then lies the. key to ' ■:' the situation,: The manager states that ■'Hβ ' '■"!: has the power 'to. engago and dismiss all cm-. '■'; ployees, and he has.freely exercised it.- Duringmy. t»«e A at' the •farm, two. years'and' five ■' ■■' months, 29 changes took place, averaging' one ■-;.-< per month; during my predecessor's time, , the>V : <\ : changes were at fho rate of one a fortnight, .This, surely,, is not-a. good thing',- and the- 'il - - inquiry now asked for is nothing more v '• than a. sincere desire p.n tho ,-part of those '■'■ ','"• - : asking for it .that-::a. magisterial' inquiry^may givo judgment upon the methods of manage-v> , :^ 1 ment.—l am,, etc.;'■'.. ' - ■ v ■'■•:■ ;f-' ,-.■-.• -■■'.•■• -- ! -' ; . T - \. • -„. v,:-:;H,, BEOMLEY;'- : :: ;:'iV> Late overseer .Boys Training■ Farm, AVereroa^ '■'. : f' :-72 Boulcott Street.' ..'. ,; : '; ■ '." ■■-.. V : ■;■ "Z-Xfi; fPortions- of this letter: have been omitted.]-'! : 'V: