WERAROA ESCAPEES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 23 August 1920, Page 3

WERAROA ESCAPEES.

FARM MANAGER’S TESTIMONY.

Mr F. Marrvatt, manager of the Weraroa Boys’ Training Farm, was in Palmerston North the other day, and in conversation with a “Munawatu Daily Times” reporter, had something to say in connection with that institution and child welfare generally. To a great extent he blamed the public in not offering assistance to the authorities in capturiug those few boys who “absented themselves without. leave.” lie instanced the ease of two boys, who are still at large, and who recently acquired a gun and ammunition. At I’aeknkariki some men caught the boys, but instead of detaining them for the police, held a

“mock” court, deprived them of the gun and ammunition, and then set them at liberty. This wns only one of many striking cn«es where a little trouble would have restored the boys to the authorities. After all (hero were only half a dozen or so of these young bloods who were apt to flee, but nevertheless they were enough to condemn, in the pubbe mind, tho really wonderful system as that under which the institution worked. Mr Marrvatt. voiced the same opinion as other officials that no beneficial results would accrue, from close con finernent. To prove that the system how adopted was conducive to better results than that of past years, when the. boys were more or less guarded like prisoners, he quoted a remarkable decrease in the number of delinquents, and that the process was a more speedy one in the matter of re form. The total number of children dealt with during the twelve month? ending March 31st last wns SlB. Of this number 253 were committed to industrial schools, but only 126 were actually sent there. The balance were dealt with by probation officers. These figures were for the whole of the Dominion, At AA’eraroa the boys in residence in August, 1!< 19, fotailed Or, rut of these only (it now remained. I'aking the number of new admissions o Weraroa during the past twelve nonths, he said these amounted to 73. t’hey had been dealt with as follows: Aoarded out 7, placed at. service 23, vith friends 8. transferred to training ’arm at Nelson 3, in a probation home l, sent fo “feeble-minded” school 2, it sea 1, absent without leave 3, sent o a reformatory 2. Therefore only 23 if last year’s admissions remained, iiirnlianl, in the (south Island, was dosed when the new system was adopt d in 15*15, and tho Nelson institution vns converted into a “feeble-minded” * chool. The change had brought about big decrease in cost. Each of these md had 150 at the time of the change, nd many came to Weraroa. making he latter’s- total over 200. ft

significant then, that only (54 were there at the present day. He was of the opinion that if people only took the trouble to go to the farm and sec for themselves the system under which the work was being carried out. they would be easily convinced it was the one and only way of effectively dealing with the boys. Be had been connected with those institutions since 3597, and could speak with absolute confidence. The improved methods of working the lands had accounted for a considerable increase in revenue every year. The 15)15* report, issued by the Education Department on the subject, disclosed that at Weraroa alone the net annual income from farming operations was £3341 4s. The Probation System. Mr Marrvart said it was the intention of tlif Government to further extend its probation system, which was already gradually growing. Men were going to be appointed as probation officers at Palmerston North. Hamilton, Napier. Wanganui, and other places. A kind of receiving home would be established at each place, ana delinquents could either lie controlled at their own homes or. of necessary, at the proposed probation homes. This system would undoubtedly have a. great effect upon the training farm.

and lie prophesied that within a year or two they would be unable to keep Weraroa going with delinquents, that was unless people desired to send their boys there to be trained. Bilks dealing with child welfare, in the 0 f ■ street trstlisJ- woruing before school | school hours, picture show patronage, i etc., were again coming before the j House, and if these were passed would ] greatly assist in minimising the possi- ' bility of crime among the younger J generation. |