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gained should prove valuable to such of the lads as take up farm work on resuming civilian life. " As experience has shown, wool-classing proves a very popular course, and I have pleasure in reporting on the splendid progress made by the present year's wool class. " I have again pleasure in reporting that the sum of £4 was donated by the trustees of the Reginald McKinnon Trust for prize-money for both classes. Suitable book prizes have been selected and presented to the successful students in the course." An additional educational class for retardates is also held daily at the Farm Ranch by a competent officer of the staff. It may be mentioned that it is not unusual for the boys to entertain the tutor, at a concert or otherwise, at the wind-up of a class for the year. For example, the last gathering of the economics class took the form of a concert at which Mr. Stobo was presented with a Maori spear, made by the boys themselves. " Break-up " night took the form of a, general entertainment, each house putting on a " show " occupying ten or fifteen minutes. Points were awarded, Monowai House coming first with 50 points, Wakatipu next with 46, then Te Anau with 45, and Manapouri with 44. It may be said that the work being done in our library is never complete. The institution library is still in process of reorganization and improvement. There a,re now some 1,400 volumes on hand and the cataloguing is being gradually brought up to date. The books include general and classical fiction; fairly complete sets of the novels of Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens; books of a theological nature; books of history; poetry books; and a good range dealing with technical subjects. The work entailed in keeping the library up to date, in repairing damaged volumes, and in recording books issued to the inmates, is fairly heavy, but a suitable lad is generally available for training in the duties involved. As indicated in my last annual report a Borstal Society was then in process of formation at Invercargill. The society was established on Bth March, 1935, when the Hon. the Minister of Justice granted it formal recognition in terms of section 18 of the Prevention of Crime (Borstal Institutions Establishment) Act, 1924, on the request of provisional members. The personnel of the society, as approved by the Hon. the Minister, is as follows:— Sir Robert Anderson, C.M.G. Patron. Wm. Macalister, Esq., LL.B. Barrister and Solicitor, Chairman. J. Pickard, Esq. .. .. Railway Manager (Retired), Honorary Secretary. M. Miller, Esq., J.P. . . Accountant. C. E. Watts, Esq. .. . . Motor Engineer. J. S. Marshall, Esq. .. Company Manager. The following is a relevant quotation from the local press: " The personnel of the society indicates that no effort has been spared to get together men who, as representatives of various branches of commercial and professional life, know the conditions of the age and are able'to give practical and helpful advice to those who come under their jurisdiction." The objects of the society as set out in its constitution are the welfare, rehabilitation, and after-care of inmates of the Invercargill Borstal, and ex-inmates of the Waikeria Borstal, who, whilst on license or under supervision, are resident in Invercargill city or suburbs. As regards general activities, the constitution states that the society will appoint a committee of its members, to be known as the " Borstal Society Committee," for the purpose of visiting the institution at intervals with the object of co-ordinating with the staff and the official Visiting Committee in furthering any activity calculated to benefit the inmates whilst in detention, and also to assist in obtaining employment for them on release. The members of the Borstal Society Committee will function locally as parole officers for the purpose of guiding and supervising inmates on parole. They shall co-operate with Probation Officers and social-service agencies in other parts of the Dominion in the work of rehabilitating ex-Borstal inmates. In the event of the formation at a later date of a Central Borstal Society in any of the larger centres, the Borstal Society will co-operate with the central society as far as possible in the work of rehabilitating ex-inmates. The sympathy and kind-hearted attitude of Invercargill people for their less fortunate brethren is well known. A further example of this public spirit was seen in the formation, in April, 1935, of an honorary Ladies' Borstal Committee. The committee consists of Mrs. R. Henderson, Mrs. J. D. Campbell, and Mrs. T. R. Pryde. The objects the committee members have in view are the visiting of sick Borstal inmates or probationers in the public hospital, and also the in-patients in the institution hospital. The lady visitors may also be given the opportunity to talk with any inmate, if it is deemed desirable in the interests of the inmate concerned. Already these ladies have actively taken up their self-imposed work, and will also add the task of finding suitable occupations for lads on release. Motherless boys in particular look forward to these visits, and appreciate the personal touch and motherly influence. Our thanks are also due to the members of this committee for the valuable assistance which they gave during the Christmas season, in. the way of collecting for the Christmas Cheer Fund, and ensuring successful festivities. During the year one or other of the ministers of the various denominations visited the institution each Sunday morning and conducted divine service. We are indebted to the Ministers' Association for the arrangements connected with this service, and for the holding of Bible classes on Thursday nights. The Salvation Army holds a Bible-class meeting each

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