DR BARNAROO'S BOYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 107, 2 June 1909, Page 3

DR BARNAROO'S BOYS.

VISIT NEW PLYMOUTH f'uuiiUA'. A CHAT Willi mi,; ORGAXISER. The Rev. W. K. L„ 0) wllo , s m ||(| . vaiico as organising secretary of the Kw. \\ J \j„„-, linil t|lt , . Iron, Dr. Ilaniardo's H 0,,,,,. ,; mv u , ul . mg -Vh /.ealand, has be..,.'spending a ■>s sister, Mrs. \\ a,igl,. a rcprcenuitive of this juurnal iiail an inlcivslii,g talk "J' I,l ' ' "•''"••'■'ling the work of the Homes and the object of t ]„ tour. GROWTH OF THE WORK.

this work of rescuing waifs and strays was commenced by Dr. ISarnardo forty tire,, years ago, and during the toiie lint has since elapsed nearly 711.1100 children have through its instrumentality been rescued from lives of poverty, -misery, and want, and probable criminality. At the present time there are som« 8,300 children in the Homes, or a larger number than ever in their previous history, notwithstanding the fact that the personality of Dr. Barnardo was removed by death about three years a>'o THE COST-.tout) A JJAV. '

In answer to a query as to the cost of conducting the Homes, Mr. Kice made the astounding statement that the feeding alone of this great family costs £240 a day. The general maintenance, such as the expense of housing, clothing, education, and the equipment of the boys and girls for the battle of life, costs about a similar amount, or about £SOO a day in all. This works out at a little over a shilling per day per head. This huge sum comes from the benevolent public of the world, for the Homes receive no Government subsidy, nor are they endowed in any way.

THE HOMES ANd'THEIR INMATES. Asked as to the occupations of the children, Mr. Rice sard they are instructed in various trades and callings. There are fourteen trades for the boys. " T>o you sell much of the products of their labor?" queried the News man. The answer was in the negative. " Xo. As far as possible we make the trades work into our own hands. For instance, the boys who are learning bootmaking make the boots for the Homes; the tailoring boys make the clothes, and the boys learning bakery make the bread lor the institutions; so that, whilst learning their trades they work for the Homes and in some measure diminish the actual cash cost of conducting them. The girls for the most part are trained as domestic servants, and for this purpose there are cookery schools, dressmaking schools, and so on." f Questioned as to the number of institutions under the control of the Council i of the Homes, Rev. Rice said Merc we.-c three. The headquarters are at Stepney Causeway, where the uoys are housed. The girls' home is at Ilford, where some 12a0 girls are housed in beautiful little houses or cottages. It is -called the Girls Village Home, and home life is fostered by this arrangement, which th* late Dr. Barnardo found immensely superior to the first idea of dormitories. Many of these cottages have been given by people as memorials to departed friends. Each cottage has from 15 to 20 girls, of various ages and sizes the bigger girls caring for the younger ones and doing the work of the houses, all under the supervision of a matron or " mother "in each cottage. Many of these "mothers" are ladies who Save given themselves up to the work, and of the rest none get other than a small remuneration. There are about 1200 babies (under three years of age) in th» charge of the Home's, most of them being at the " Babies' Castle." Many of them are placed in the girls' village, 'with the praiseworthy idea of fostering home life amongst the girls. The groat'iainilv includes in its numbers no less than 1200 cripples, either legless, armless, blind, or in some other way incurably afflicted. These are placed", as opportunity offers, in the homes for incurabl .s If they arc capable of being taught anything, they are so taught in the Homes. I

THE PRESENT TOUR. The present tour of Australasia is tin second that has been made. About 17 years ago, in 1802, the Rev. Mr. Mails, at the request of Dr. Barnardo, toured Australia and New Zealand with a party of eight boys from the Homes. Dtiri:y that tour they raised £IO,OOO towards the work. Seventeen years having elapsed, the Council of the Homes thought it not inopportune to send another deputation for the purpose of raising funds. So Mr. Mail's is touring with a party of the boys and Mr. Aaron, th musical instructor of the Homes, having been in Australia since April of last year. Three months were spent in West Australia, three months in South Australia, six weeks in Victoria, and seven in Tasmania. The organisation is now working northward through New Zealand. On Tuesday Mr. Rice received word that the total amount iweived during the tour was £IO,OOO, and of this the South Island contributed no less than £2300. The party has already commenced the North Tsland tour with great success. They will be along here on Sunday and Monday, 27th and 28th of this month. An after-church "rally" will be held in the Theatre Royal on Sunday evening, and on the Monday evening the boys will give an exhibition of their skill in manipulating a variety of instruments, such as handbells, dulcmer, xylophone, gloskenspiel, tubular bells, fairy bells, sleigh bells, bugles, mandolines, etc. In the intervals the Rev. Mr. Mairs will tell the story of Dr. Barnardo's life and work, illustrated with slides of the various homes and the children rescued by tncm. OBJECT OF THE VISIT.

The oliject of tile visit is tu deepen the interest of the many thousands ol friends and subscribers in the dominions over the seas, and to create new friends who may in time become regular subscribers; in addition to raising as large sums as possible on the spot, u .s Hoped that as u result of the tour, and from the funds .secured by .it, the Council uiav be able to accomplish the great desire" of the late Dr. Barnardo's life—the building of a hospital in the Girls' Village Home. The co-it is estimated at £23.000, and it will contain 100 beds. Several towns have given suilicient to provide a col, or two cots. Thus, Invercnrgill found £230, which is the proportionate cost of one cot; Duiiedm gave t-ttil) for two cots, and so on. Xew flvmouth may luanagu a cot, for in this part of 'the Dominion there is a warm interest in this noble work. The Key. II r. Kiev says he has been greatlv cheered by the enthusiasm of the reception accorded the party everywhere in Australasia, and specially in Xew Zealand. The Government lias treated them most generously, he says, | in granting a free pass for fifteen over the Xw Zealand railways, anil the Now Zealand Express Company has instructed its agents in all centres to undertake cartage free of cost. Tn nearly ('very town halls have been obtained tree »i cost and even-where the members ot the partv have'been billeted free of cost among friends. Personally, too. he is delighted with his own reception, I' 1;"', and with ihc interest displayed in he work bv collectors and subscribers h.ca - |v He leaves this morning for \Yel]in„lm,. finite confident of successful meetings iu New Plymouth.