B.—3a

1890. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: THE COSTLEY TRAINING INSTITUTION (REPORT OF). [In continuation of E.-3a, 1889.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

I.—Eepoet of the Tbustees. As the institute is now fairly under weigh, with as many inmates as the present building can conveniently accommodate, the trustees think it right that annual public meetings should be held, and reports and balance-sheets presented, so that the citizens of Auckland may from time to time be fully acquainted with the manner in which this portion of Mr. Costley's beneficent bequest is being applied in providing a number of orphans and destitute children with advantages which could not reasonably have been afforded to them at the cost of the taxpayer. A short history of the foundation of the institution, and of the various steps that have been taken to place it on its present footing, will not be out of place, and will explain the principles which have guided the trustees in giving effect to the intentions of the testator. One-seventh of Mr. Costley's estate was bequeathed to the Kohimarama Training School, and the amount, £12,150, was handed over to three trustees nominated by the executors. No special conditions were imposed or directions given in the will with regard to any of the institutions amongst which the estate was divided, but an opinion was expressed by the late Mr. Justice Gillies that the trustees themselves were not empowered to administer any portion of the funds, but must hand them over to the various governing bodies. What was known as the Kohimarama Training School, where boys were supposed to be trained for seafaring pursuits, had ceased to exist, and there was a doubt whether the industrial school, which had been established on the premises, and which was maintained by the Government, and was entirely under their control, could be considered as the training school referred to in the will. If this industrial school was to be the recipient of the bequest, the money must have been handed over to the Government, to be expended by them in such manner as they thought fit for the maintenance of the inmates and relief of the public funds, and the trustees did not consider that this would have been carrying out the benevolent intentions of Mr. Costley; and the then Premier, Sir Eobert Stout, took the same view of the matter, and intimated that the Government would considerany scheme that the trustees might propose for the rightful appropriation of the funds, and if approved would lay it before Parliament for their sanction. Before taking any steps, the public, through the Press, were invited to express their opinion on the subject, and three alternative propositions were suggested and criticisms asked for ; but, meeting with no response, the trustees recommended that an institution should be established to take charge of boys and girls from the industrial schools of the district, when they reached the age at which they were sent out into the world to earn their own living. And Sir Eobert Stout caused a Bill to be prepared for the purpose, which was passed by the Legislature without opposition, and was styled "The Costley Training Institution Act, 1885," which empowered the trustees "to apply a sum of money in the purchase of a site in or near the City of Auckland and the erection and furnishing of buildings thereon; and to select a certain number of boys and girls of ages fit to be apprenticed, being inmates of the schools established under 'The Industrial Schools Act, 1882,' in or near the City of Auckland, and the apprenticing such boys to suitable trades ; to maintaining such boys at said institution until they are capable of being left to their own control; and to providing such girls with domestic service or other suitable employment." With this authority the trustees lost no time in commencing operations, and, after having examined various localities in and about town, they selected the present as the most suitable site they could obtain, for which they paid £1,025, and erected the buildings at a cost of £2,830, expending a further sum of £703 in furnishing the house and improving the grounds. A few boys only could be obtained in the first instance, as they had to be selected from the school at- Kohimarama, and the trustees were., not anxious to adopt any whose character and antecedents were not fairly good, or who from any other reason were not likely to profit by or be a credit to the institution. The numbers have been gradually increased, till now there are