H.—29

2

I am in hopes that this, together with their being so quickly apprehended and returned to the school, will stop the running away, which cannot but have a very demoralizing effect. I can only attribute this exodus to the restlessness which is a part of the nature of the class of boys sent to the school. I may also say that I think the time has arrived when, irrespective of the special reasons before mentioned, another man is required for the proper conduct and discipline of the school. I have, &c, G. E. Beeton, The Secretary of Customs (Marine Branch), Wellington. Manager.

No. 5. Captain Bketon to the Secbetaey of Customs. Sib, — Naval Training School, Kohimaraina, 26th July, 1875. I have the honor to forward for the information of the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs the enclosed copy of the New Zealand Herald, of the 24th instant, and particularly to call his attention to the article in it marked with red ink, which if left uncontradicted may, I am afraid, operate very prejudicially to the interests of the school. I may state that on Saturday last my attention was called to the article when in town, and I then expressed to Mr. Hill, the Collector of Customs, my intention of forwarding it for the information of the Commissioner, accompanied with a request that he would be pleased to cause an inquiry to be held, with the view of ascertaining the truth or otherwise of the allegations contained in it; I was therefore agreeably surprised by Mr. Hill coming down to-day for this purpose, and have now only to request, in the interest of the institution, that that gentleman's report may be made public. I am moved to make this request from a sincere desire for the welfare of the school, as, whether the statements made in the paper before referred to are borne out or not, I am satisfied that it is advisable the truth should be generally known. I have, &c, G. E. Bbeton, The Secretary of Customs (Marine Branch), "Wellington. Manager. Extract from the New Zealand Herald, Saturday, 24th July, 1875. " The number of desertions from our Naval Training School shows unmistakably that there is something wrong in the system. We seek to trace the cause, and we think we discover it in the rules under the Act by which the school is conducted. Boys who have been accustomed from infancy to the utmost latitude of freedom and unrestraint, are suddenly subjected to the severest discipline, and a course of the dullest routine training. There is not the slightest variety or change, by which enforced confinement obtains mental or physical relief. The system alternates between work and punishment. There is nothing that can be named to relieve the monotony of a boy's life. Under such a regime, the school must prove a failure, and the number of desertions be certain to increase. Here is the routine, as laid down in the printed regulations : —Boys turn out at five in the morning ; make beds, clean buildings, and wash until half-past six. From this to seven o'clock muster, prayers, and receive reports. Then breakfast. Afterwards one watch to school, the other to nautical instruction; school over, that watch to garden and trades. Clean for dinner. Then dinner. This at noon. At one o'clock watches to school and nautical instruction. School over, one watch to garden, the other to trades. At a quarter to five clean for supper. Five o'clock, supper. Seven o'clock, all hands to school. Eight o'clock, prayers. Nine o'clock out lights. Here it will be seen that no time is given for play or recreation. Boys must pine at such an utter want of sympathy for their natural feelings and inclinations. And what follows for a breach of any of these rules ? Here are the punishments to be inflicted, given under the signature of " Forster Goring," Clerk of the Executive. Black List. Mast-head. Cells. Cells, with or without bread and water. Placard with nature of offence to be worn on boy's back. Caning. Whipping. Before inflicting the latter punishment the boy is to be triced up, and may receive twenty lashes. Here we have excess of both school and work, to be followed by what may be an excess of punishment. The caning may be a brutal one ; the triciug-up followed by twenty stripes, a cruel infliction. These regulations for school work and punishment have probably been framed by some tyrannical old martinet, who in his early days has witnessed all these severities and tortures on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war. Perhaps he has had them inflicted on himself. Punishment is to follow immediately after prayers. ' Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us,' and afterwards the command to ' Strip, and trice him up.' The softening impression prayers will have made on that boy who shall say? The whole regulations require amending, if our Training School is not to prove a complete failure. A firm but kind master, reasonable hours for play and leisure, rewards by way of encouragement, are what are needed for such a school; and without those, boys compelled to comply with such rules as we have shown to form the whole system, will certainly desert whenever opportunity offers—will not only desert, but will be certain to follow evil courses. we have found, nothing but praise for this excellent institution, whose noble mission commands our warmest sympathies. But we desire most emphatically to protest against these new regulations which appear in the Gazette of the 15th July, and to which the Marquis of Normanby, as Governor, has been induced to give his name. Had the object been to destroy the institution, the regulations could not have been more efficiently framed for the purpose. We invite to them the prompt attention of the Hon. Mr. whose benevolent interest in this institution has been so actively exhibited.