23

H. —20

in various countries in inventions, in achievements mechanical, scientific, and personal. The resulthas been that a healthier mind shows development, and to this the interest in physical competitions has done a great deal. Inmates (and the teachers have met a fair number) discharged from the institution display a selfreliance and self-respect which render them quite natural in their surroundings. Indeed, the tone of public opinion has undergone a considerable change, and some of this more kindly spirit has been caused by the general brightness and steadiness of the young men who have learned their lesson well. In the class-room this gradual rise in tone has been noticed from the absence of pettiness among the young 'men, the usual pin-pricking prevalent in those who live a community life being rarely seen. Generally, then, the tone of the inmates in the classes is more genial and responsive. Information is asked on a variety of subjects, which goes to prove that the general conversation is not confined to the humdrum happenings of the day's routine. The arrangements for carrying on the classes and the discipline maintained are excellent, no pains being spared by every official to make matters run smoothly and pleasantly. Waikeria Borstal Institution for Males (Te Awamutu). (Superintendent, Mr. D. Dunlop.) On the Ist January, 1928, there were in custody 101 Borstal inmates, and 85 were received during the year ; the discharges were 5 at the expiration of sentences, 50 on probationary license, 5 were transferred to other institutions, ] inmate was transferred to a mental hospital, and 2 inmates died, thus leaving 123 inmates in custody on the 31st December, 1928. In the reformatory section there were in custody at the beginning of the year 28 inmates, and 39 were received during the year. Of these 1 inmate was discharged on the expiration of his sentence, 14 were released on probationary license or were discharged on a remission of sentence, 26 were transferred to the Borstal or other institutions, and 1 inmate died, leaving a total of 25 in custody on the 31st December, 1928. Two attempts to escape were made during the year. One inmate eluded pursuit for three days, but the other was recaptured within a few hours. The conduct of inmates was otherwise satisfactory. For the first time since the institution was established, sixteen years ago, the death of an inmate occurred in October. He had been transferred previously from another institution owing to ill health, and, as his condition did not improve, but became worse, was sent, by direction of the Medical Officer, to the Waikato Hospital for treatment some eight days preceding his death. A short time afterwards another inmate met with an accident to his foot. He was removed to the Waikato Hospital, but after two days collapsed and died of heart-failure. Following this misfortune there occurred an outbreak of typhoid fever, and seven inmates were removed to the hospital. Two of these, sent as suspected carriers of the disease, were shortly returned as negative cases. The other five, however, had contracted the disease in a most virulent form, and two succumbed to it. The others have since been returned to the institution and are making rapid progress towards recovery. When the nature of the disease was established all possible steps were taken immediately to prevent it from spreading, and under the direction of the Health Department's officers all other inmates and the staff were inoculated with preventive serum. Tests were taken to trace the origin of the disease, but all failed to locate it, and in the opinion of the Medical Officer the disease was brought in by an inmate carrier. Precautions are being taken, however, to improve the sanitary conditions to more up-to-date methods, not from the fear of this being the origin of the disease, but as a precaution against a means of spreading the trouble should it ever again manifest itself. The policy of our endeavours here resolves itself into two main factors. One, which may be regarded as the human element and our primary objective, is the rehabilitation of delinquents : and the other, the material and secondary objective, the management and development of the farm and the prosecution to a successful issue of all its industries as economically and profitably as may be consistent with the policy of teaching as many of the inmates as possible agricultural work and farming methods. Under both aims we have been restricted to a certain extent this last year, more than in preceding years, by a higher percentage of admissions of inmates of a less robust nature physically and youths of subnormal mentality. In dealing with agricultural matters firstly, our labour has been absorbed mainly in following the usual activities of the farm, in dairying, cultivating, cropping, &c., but all surplus labour has been utilized in further developing the farm to bring it into greater power of productivity. In this direction we have concentrated on two main issues. Operating from the main institution, labour has been employed in the drainage and cultivation of a swamp area south of the main building ; and, working from the camp, others have been engaged in clearing portions of the estate taken over from the Mental Hospitals Department. In the former activity a swamp basin has been converted by a systematic system of drains into what promises to be one of the most fertile portions of the farm. The chief drains were dug around the foot of the hills bordering the swamp, to sap the drainage, and other drains were dug across the swamp to a large central drain which takes the flow to the Mangatut/u Stream. The larger drains were put down 7 ft. deep in a V shape, filtered with manuka and teatree, recovered in clearing the swamp, and covered with earth. The effect of sapping the water and draining this basin has aided considerably in drying lip the lower portion of the valley. In the earlier stages the ground was too soft for ploughing, but about 15 acres were trench-dug by the parties using spades and shovels ; and potatoes, maize, and carrots are now growing on land which eighteen months ago was an impassable swamp. On the new estate one paddock of 210 acres, which has only been cleared within the last two or three years, was sown in swede turnips. A portion of the crop was utilized for our own stock, and the balance was sold in the paddock, with grazing-rights, for £240. The paddock has now been ploughed