and other adverse influences." As prompt action was urgently called for, a temporary erection on a portion of the Hospital Reserve at the Octagon (on which the City Council Chambers and Fire Brigade Station now stand) was at first thought of, to be succeeded by a permanent institution in some country district, where the boys might be taught farm work, and the girls be trained to become useful servants and dairymaids. The late Mr Macandrew and Sir J. Vogel entered heartily into the project. The former gentleman, just then elected to the position of Superintendent of the Province, in his opening address to the Provincial Council, said: "There are various questions deeply affecting the moral welfare of the community—indeed, I may say its future safety—which it seems to me to be imperatively necessary we should deal with at once. I would allude especially to the serious evil which is growing and festering in our midst—viz., the large number of children, the offspring of profligate parents, who may be said to be homeless, and who are being utterly neglected, or trained up to vicious habits. It appears to me that the State must in self-defence take steps to repress this evil. It will cost us much less to do so now than it will by-and-bye. I believe an Industrial School, which might be made to a large extent self-supporting, would be the most effective remedy. There is an excellent site for such a purpose at Look-out Point upon the thirty acres reserved for a lunatic asylum some years ago." The Council favourably received the proposition, and promptly passed a vote for the purpose, and also an empowering ordinance prepared by Mr. Haggitt, Provincial Solicitor. A slight hitch was caused, however, by the discovery that the powers proposed to be given to magistrates could only be conferred by an Act of the General Assembly; but no time was lost, and through the efforts of Mr. Macandrew and Sir J. Vogel, "The Neglected and Criminal Children's Act, 1867," was passed by the Assembly.
The Provincial Government then proceeded with the work. The site proposed by Mr. Macandrew at Look-out Point was approved of, ten acres of it being appropriated for the School. It was determined that the building should be of brick, but as the amount voted was insufficient to complete it, only a portion adequate to meet immediate requirements was erected. That
