THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1882. THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ACT, 1882.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2664, 20 October 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1882. THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ACT, 1882.

As an Act to amend and consolidate the laws relating to the care, custody, and education of children in Industrial Schools was passed daring the past session, and as the matter is one of general interest* it may he well to give a brief summary of the measure. The following are recognised as Government Schools under this Act, namely, the Auckland, Burnham, and Caveraham Industrial Schools. The Thames Orphanage is recognised as a Local School; and St Mary’s Industrial School, Auckland, »nd St. Mary’s Industrial School, Nelsin, are held to he Private Schools. Full power ia given to the Govern nunt to establish and maintain new Government Schools, and, in case of Local Schods os Private Schools being hereafter established and approved of by the Miniiter of Education, they shall he deemed tobe

nnder the provisions of the Act nail’ farther notice. The Minister appoint the officers, teachers and servants in thj Government Schools, and no person shal be permitted to act as manager of a Local or Private School under the Act until the approval of tho Minister ha« been obtained. Any constable may, without any warrant, take before a Resident Magistrate any child having no means of subsistence, any child begging or receiving alms, any child having no home or settled place of abode, er any child associating or dwelling with prostitutes, habitual drunkards, or with any parson convicted of vagrancy. On the complaint of the constable the Resident Magistrate may then issue & warrant for the child to he brought before him on a certain day. Parents with uncontrollable children may alsa, without a warrant, bring each children before tho Magistrate. The Resident Magistrate may in all the above eases make an order directing ths child to be sent to an Industrial School

until it is fifteen years old, unless prsyionely discharged under the provisions of the Act. Any child convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be sent to an Industrial School in lien of, or in addition to, imprisonment. Any child may be admitted as an inmate of an Industrial School upon such terms as to cost of maintenance and education thereof as may be agreed upon between the parent and the manager. The Governor may order that any person under eighteen who is sentenced to imprisonment may, in lieu of such imprisonment, or after serving his term, he sent to an Industrial School. The guardianship of inmates of Industrial Schools, except those admitted hy agreement, shall bo vested in the manager, and the guardianship shall last, if the inmate is licensed ont or apprenticed, until he is twenty-one, unless ho is previously discharged; but the Governor may transfer the guardianship from the manager to another person. The cost of maintaining all Government Industrial Schools is to be borne by Government, without prejudice to the provisions requiring parents or others to contribute towards the support of inmates when they are ordered to do so by any Jndge or Resident Magistrate. Parents may be ordered to pay eight shillings & week, or any lesser sum, and the putative father of a bastard child may have a similar order made against him, provided that he shall not have to pay a greater sum in the whole than that remaining unpaid under his order for support, and any order against such a person under the Act in review shall, to the extent of the payments thereby ordered to ba made hy him, discharge him from liability under the order for support. The weekly payments may be lessened or increased by the Resident Magistrate, on application by the right people, and in accordance with the altering circumstances of the parent, bat the weekly sum to be paid shall never exceed eight shillings. Payment for maintenance when not made may ba enforced by distress warrants, or an order may ba made for the sum due to be deducted from moneys due to the person owing it, whether such moneys are for personal services, or in respect of the sale or letting of any real or personal property, or by gift or bequest. If aa inmate becomes entitled to any real or personal property, the Public Trustee shall taka the said property in charge, and shall apply the money or part of it to the maintenance of the child. Any order on the parent, however, for the maintenance of the child will remain in force unless altered, and the child’s money will be used in. making np the balance, if any, of the eight shillings per week. When the maintenance of the inmate ceases to be a charge on the State, then the property will be handed over by the Public Trustee to the persons entitled thereto. Ministers of religion shall have admission to every Industrial School, and may teach the children belonging to their denomination at times appointed by the regulations bearing on the subject. Inmates may bo licensed nnder the band of the Minister of Education to reside with persons outside the school, so that such persons may be paid for the child’s maintenance and education at a rate not exceeding 16s a week, or shall be entitled to the services of the child in Hen of pay, or shall pay wages for his services. But the Minister shall make no payment for any inmate whose ago exceeds twelve years, and no license shall bo in force after the inmate has attained tho ago of 21 years. An inmate licensed ont may bo required by tho Minister to return to the Industrial School, unless ho shall have heen previously discharged. The wages earned by an inmate licensed out shall, after deducting moneys spent on him, ba put to his credit in the Post Offico Savings Bank, and shall be under the control of tho Minister, so as to be paid finally to the inmate himself, or paid into the Consolidated Fund. Inmates may also bo apprenticed to the sea service or to trades, but no inmate shall ba apprenticed unless he has passed tho prescribed educational standard and has attained tho age of fourteen years, rhere are also provisions made for tho :ase of absconding inmates, or inmates )r apprentices guilty of gross misconduct, ant enough has boen given to show that hero is nothing very new in the measure, 3at that a short perusal of the “ Indusrial Schools Act, ISS2 ” gives ns all nformation on tho subject of how our leglected children are treated. As no less ban six Acts aro repealed, the labour *ved to the public and the clearness of ratlook secured makes tho now Act ft locided boon.