THE AMOKURA INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 4

THE AMOKURA INQUIRY.

The report of the Acting-Minister for Marino (the Hon. H. D. Bell) in reference to the infliction of corporal punishment on the training ship' Amokura should allay any uneasiness which may have been aroused by hysterical allegations of cruolty, which have been rather freely mado in certain quarters. Any outsider who could throw light upon tho subject was given full opportunity of. making a statement, and many of tho boys also gave evidonce at tho inquiry held. It is admitted that corporal punishment has been administered for serious offeDces, but the report states that "the evidence has disproved the assertion that cruelty or undue severity has been exercised. 1 / This is satisfactory, but one cannot Kolp .feeling that "tho ropo's end" is too severo an instrument on young lads,, and that it has been a little too freely used on board the Amokura. This' is borne out by that part of the report which states that tho Government intends to clcfino moro particularly tho nature of tho _ offences for "'which corporal punishment may be inflictecf in future, and also to prescribo the nature of the instrument to be used. It would bo fatal to the maintenance of proper discipline, if corporal punishment was absolutely prohibited. Tho captain occupies a position similar to that of the hcacl of a family, and to make his control thoroughly effective it must bo clearly understood by the boys that the power to inflict severo bodily punishment is always there, however seldom such an extreme measure may be resorted to. Such punishment should certainly be reserved for grave moral offenccs and serious cases of insubordination. In this matter, familiarity tends to breed contempt, and corporal punishment is mado moro effective by being recognised as a' last resort after less drastic measures have proved insufficient. As a matter of fact, a boy who cannot ho controlled without the continual use of "the rope's end" is unfit to associate with the other lads. His presence would simply spread moral contamination throughout the ship, and the wisest courso would bo to send him home. Coming to the other complaints, it is pleasing to find that in the opinion of those who conducted the inquiry they, havo all been completely disproved, cxcept that relating to the limited accommodation due to tho small tonnage of the vessel. As to tho demand for a "public inquiry," most people will agree with tho Minister's contention that further investigation would serve no good purpose, and there is really no need to vcopon the mntli'i'. The proposals of the Covermncut sucm suflioieut lo remove

all reasonable grounds for complaint, but it should always bo remembered that the finest rules and regulations will not in themselves ensure tho success of a training ship like the Amokura unless they are administered'in the right spirit.' A great deal depends on the personal element in tho management.