The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1799, 8 October 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1874.

DtTEiNO tb« last session of the Assembly an Act was passed to provide for the establishment and management of Naval Training Schools. The bill was introduced by the Government, and passed the House of Kepresenta tires with scarcely any alteration—-meeting with some opposition in, but eventually passing the Council. The old mission station of Kohimarama is to be the ecene of the first school-under the Act, as an experiment to see how it will work. For the administration of the measure a Minister is to be appointed by the Governor, such Minister to be a member of the Executive Council of the Colony, and to have the control and direct;on of everything and everybody connected with the institution. The class of children to be detained in the training schools are those who come under the category of " neglected," and, in some instances, " criminal" children, and also the children of any person or persons who may apply to a Resident Magistrate stating that he or they are unable to maintain and properly educate such children. After committal to a training school any boy may be apprenticed to some business if it be found that such lad is physically unfitted for the occupation of a sailor. In order that parents should not voluntarily resign the respbnsibilty of their children, to the abuse of the Act, it is provided that contributions may be levied from the parents or guardians, such sum not to exceed ten shillings per week. At fifteen years of age boys gain their liberty, no de tent ion to be exercised after boys reach that age. The expenses of any schools to be established will be borne by the Colonial Government, and a responsible minister will have full control. There is no denying that the various industrial and relormatpry tchools in the colony have dore good in reclaiming many youngsters, but they as often fail. The predominance of the criminal class in the existing reformatories has a tendency to neutralise the efforts of the teachers. Escapes from the schools are frequent, and; it is generally .found that the youngsters who have been committed in consequence of moral delinquency look upon the industrial scLool as a prison purposely' prepared for them, to escape from which they try their best, and often succeed. The neglected ""; children are thrown into constant association with hardened young criminals, and, it is feared, become contaminated to such an extent that on completing their terms they are prepared in not a few instances to enter on a career of crime, in emulation of the companions with whom ihey have been brought in contact during their enforced residence. Into the Naval Training Schools no boys will be admitted who have been convicted of felonj; but lads charged with offences punishable with imprisonment or a less punishment may be dealt with under this Act; and even this class of juvenile offender may be ex-. eluded by the suspension of the clauses of; the Act relating to the committal of criminals. In the colony of Victoria,there has been a training ship for years, and the ■ system, as carried out there, has been successful in rescuing many hundreds of boys from a career of crime, and putting them in the way. of honestly' 'earning their living. The experiment under the New Zealand Act is to be tried first in Auckland, and if it should succeed there will likely be other schools established at the different provincial capitals, as being calculated more efficiently to carry on the philanthropic work which is now being done in some instances by private benevolence.

A Pbovincut, Government-Gazette published on Friday last (received to-day) contains the following proclamation, followed by " The Auckland Waste Lands Act. 1874:" —"Proclamation.—By John Williamson, Esquire, Superintendent of the Province of Auckland. In pursuance of section seven of ' The Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1874/ Ido hereby fix and appoint Thursday, the fifteenth day of October next, as the day on and a tcr which the said Act shall come into operation. Given under my hand and the seal of the said province, at Auckland, this twenty-second day of September, 1874. — J. Williamson, Superintendent."