THE APPRENTICING OF ORPHAN CHILDREN. 
The apprenticing system is recommended apparently from the ratepayers’ point of vieiv, to save 
expense, and there is less variety in the suggestions in favor, of it — in short, many of the answers are only 
remarltahle for their brevity and simplicity. Thus, a colonist of many years’ standing at tlife Wiminera says — 
'‘Bind them as appi'tentices after they have received a certain amouiit of. ccRication at the asylum.” And 
a gentlem.'m of Creswick — “The boys might- be apprenticed after th.^mann^f adopted by the jiarish 
authorities at home, to farmers or tradesmen. Five years would ^o a pr^er term here. The girls might 
be dealt with in the same way, care being taken in eafth case that uiey shdnld^be properly taught the duties 
they are .supposed to learn.” Again, from'TDelatite comfc the opinioiP — “Assign them to any responsible 
persons willing to engage them for^ term of years, subject to the supervision of the inspector of police for" 
the district, a certain portion of their wages to be paid into a Government Savings Bank to accuralilate for 
file benefit of each boy or girl till a certain age.” It is suggested by auoflier ‘bf your correspondent^ that 
the oflicer tlcting as inspector should visit every <;hild from time to time, and have power to caneel the inden- 
tures if he found his or her education neglected. Another correspondent would foster a feeliug of self-respect 
in the childr^. bfis recommendation is-*“ Bind them out to persons of good ehai’acter, from whom it may 
be expeeted that tiiey would learn habits of industry and independence. To my mind the question of wages 
should be secondary — name a® amount that \vould cover their necessary expenses, and I would impress upon 
their minds that they paid.iby the labor of their hands for the necessaries so supplied.” A I’esident in the« 
Bet-bet would have Uie children all jjrought up to a country life — “ Let them be placed under appren- 
ticeship or agreement ^Vith re.spectable persons engaged in various branches of rural industry. The town 
industHes are already glutted with labor — the rural famishing for it. Food and clotliing for the first two 
years would be’ ample return ; after that, a small sum per week, increased amiually to the age of twenty-one ^ 
for hsys, and eighteen for girls. They would thus be accustomed to the plainness, simplicity, and industry 
of rural life.” Your Western Port correspondent is in favor of a somewhat mixgd S 3 stem, for he recommends 
bringing up “the street Arabs in blanket factories, to give a local market for long wool. The more 
innocent and robust children, when fit to go out, to be drafted into the country districts to be apprenticed 
or bound to farmers for a term of years. All ratepayers over £ per annum to be bound to take one or 
more, or pay an extra tax ; local guardians to be appointed to see children properly placed and cared for.” 
A writer from Ballarat goes somewhat more at length into the subject, and he would “ allow all respectable 
tradesmen and tradeswomen, agricgilturlsts, or others, to select orphans or deserted children as apprentices 
or servants, on giving bonds for their just and proper treatment, education and maintenance, and remune- 
ration if required. No youug person to be .sent to any master or mistress, if reasonable objection be 
shown. The desires of the children as to what they would prefer to learn to be consulted as far as practi- 
cable. Complaints on either side to bo most impartially determined, and offences rigorously punished. 
The terms of remuneration, of whatever degree, might be aiganged as I have before suggested in answering 
question 12, and the relative capacities and inclinations of the youtlis should bo carefully studied. We 
should not send a naturally dull sluggard to an occupation requiring great^activity and intelligence, nor a 
keen, sharp, quick-witted boy to be a ploughman. In conclusion, I would take the liberty of suggesting, 
that the curators of the different botanic gardens in the colony might be entrusted with the control and care 
of some youths in order to train them as future useful men, and at the same time make them earn their keep ; 
that, by this means, many interesting experiments might be economically carried out, and success in the 
cultivation of plants for food, fibres, drugs, dyes, gums, oils, &e., be found.” A resident at Bacchus 
Marsh points out a very serious difficulty, when-he says — “I could not recommend apprenticing boys to the 
general farmers, as so few of these farm in a proper manner-; but they might be apprenticed to vignerons, 
gardencr.s, and others engaged in special industries aud tra:des. As before stated, several industries and 
different trades might be carried on and taught the boys and girls at the various establishments, employing 
instruetors -when nece.ssaty.” I may conclude oh this branch of the subject with a couple of extracts 
in favor of the family st'.'tem. Thus, the mayor of Portland says — “Break up these State establi.-ihinents 
and adopt the family system as practised in England, but more particularly in Scotland, at the. present time. 
This is held to be infinitely superior to the existing system of massing children in State establishments.” 
And the views of a resident at Kingower are — “It appears bad policy to mix the destitute tvith the criminal 
children ; and it is very improbable that, by crowding them together in large numbers, the}' will ever be 
duly trained in industrious and good moral habits, 'i'hey are thus placed in an unnatural state, and the 
more they pro removed from the. natural state, the more unfavorable it must bo for their moral and industrial 
training. There is no doubt a dilficillty in carrying out such a scheme, but as to destitute and orphan 
children, the more nearly they can be placed in a state similar to that in which they would have been had 
their parents been living, the better it w'ould be for their education and trainiug, the persons with whom 
they might be placed being of good reputation for moral and industrious habits, aud likely to treat them as 
their own children.” 
In conclusion, I may be allowed to point out how completely the chief objects of inquiry, foreign 
indu.stries and forests, have merged into the one all-absorbing topic of instruction. “Teach us and train 
the children properly ” has been the burden of the cry from all parts of the colony. Your correspondents 
own their belief that they and their neighbors might be far more profitably employed could they only take 
full advantage of our soil and climate, instead of ignorantly contending with nature, or were they more 
fully instructed in the best modes of carrying on their ordinary occupations. And the folly of not training 
children in the knowledge of such special agents as they will have to invoke the aid of in earning their 
bread is now so generally allowed, that it need not be insisted on here. Novel industries cannot be b arued 
without teaching and example. A knowledge of the value of timber even has to bo gained at the heavy 
cost of experience ; but where this has been so paid for the le.sson has been fully learned, and forestry is 
now deemed an art or business worth serving an apprenticeship to. Ignorance is deeply felt to be the 
prevailing malady ; hence the earnest iutreaty for the one sole remedy — information; more information and 
teaching for both old and young. 
By Authority; Joun Febbjsb, Government Pripter, MeIbouia& 
